Tips on how to build a smart home
Smart homes, also known as connected homes, are growing in popularity. But if you’re thinking about making yours smart, it can be pretty daunting knowing where to begin. But we’re here to give you an introduction to some of types of devices that are available to smarten up your home.
Smart hubs
Perhaps the most useful device is a smart hub. This acts like your Wi-Fi router, connecting all your smart devices and appliances on a single network. The idea is then that you can control everything from this hub. A number of manufacturers make smart hubs, including Samsung, Apple and Amazon.
Smart smoke alarms
Connected smoke alarms link with your smartphone, providing you with added convenience of being able to test the alarm and know how much battery power they have left. Examples are Nest, Birdi and Roost. Roost is actually a connected battery that links to your Wi-Fi and can be added to your existing alarms, making them instantly smart. The key improvement with all these alarms is that if you’re out of the house, you’ll get an alert, which can be invaluable if a fire breaks out.
Smart lighting
While the humble light switch is still very useful, it can be pretty cool to control all your lighting with your smartphone, voice or smart hub. Now with smart lighting you can connect your lights to your home network, enabling you to dim, change the color of the lighting, and turn them on and off remotely. Some can even turn off if they sense you aren’t in the room. Brands such as Philips, Elgato and Osram, make these bulbs, and though they can be expensive, as they are LED they last for many years.
Smart meters
Many utility companies around the world are starting to offer smart meters to customers. These devices precisely monitor your electricity, gas and water usage so that you can get an exact picture of what you use. The hope is that you learn not to be wasteful, and cut down both your bills and impact on the environment. Do a search in your country for ‘smart meters’ to find out more.
Smart security
These days it’s easy to install a range of cameras in your home that will sync with your smartphone, giving you the peace of mind that everything is okay at home. These devices can also come with motion sensors that will trigger an alarm. Honeywell, Loxone and Belkin are just a few of the companies offering smart home security solutions.
These are just a few categories to get you started. There are many other ways to make your home a little smarter as well, so do let us know if you’d like us to answer any questions you may have.
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