For many people, a house is one of the biggest investments, not just in terms of cost to purchase, but also in time and effort spent. It’s the place you lay your head, spend time with dear ones and do much of your living. You want to make it a space that is comfortable and meets the needs of you and others in your household, so you spend a considerable amount of money and energy making improvements and purchasing the things to make your house a home. Smart technology can take your residence to another level in terms of comfort and performance. From cost savings to convenience, here are a few examples of smart devices to help you live “smarter” in your abode.
Implementing AI
You may be familiar with virtual assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, the Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri. These virtual assistants are examples of artificial intelligence or AI that can help you manage other features in your house, especially by way of a smartphone and compatible apps. Smart devices such as speakers, hubs and dongles can be placed in multiple rooms and connected to a Wi-Fi network. You can ask these assistants for information, place orders online and add items to your calendar, as if you had a personal admin helping you.
Lighting It Up
Smart lights are a great way to make your home smarter. In most cases, they are light emitting diode or LED bulbs which usually means they require less energy and run for years before needing replacement, saving you money. Smart lights can be programmed to come on at sunrise and automatically turn off at bedtime or sunset. If you’re someone who gets home late, you never have to worry about entering a dark house. If you have to leave in a hurry, you can remotely turn off any lights left on.
Plugging In
Consider the use of a smart power outlet in your home. Many of us use outlets to charge our phones and other mobile devices. Smart power outlets can stop charging after detecting that a device is fully charged. This not only saves energy, but also helps extend the life of your devices. A power outlet of this kind also helps reduce the risk of damage associated with fire and overheating. If elevated temperatures are detected, this smart item can stop power, helping to make your residence a safer place to live.
Locking It Down
Fumbling in the dark for house keys is quite annoying. Losing your keys is even worse. Smart locks help keep your home secure, but offer convenience for household members and guests alike. You can input a code to unlock and lock your doors at any time of the day. If you have a visitor staying for a couple of days, he or she can come and go freely without going to the trouble of creating a new set of keys. Give your guests their own codes and reprogram them when they leave either with the smart lock itself or a connected app.
Keeping Your Cool
In most parts of the country, your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system will be running for much of the time. Staying cool in the summer and warm in the winter means significant costs keeping your residence comfortable. Smart thermostats help maximize convenience, control as well as comfort. The more advanced models can learn your habits and automate operations based on the time of day, time of year, weather and more. Connect your thermostats to AI devices for smart home operations such as turning off your HVAC and smart lights when you’re detected to be leaving the house based on your phone’s location.
Staying Safe
A smart home security system connects to other smart devices for convenient home control. Instead of manually turning off lights when you’re leaving, your security system can turn various devices off when you’re away. Similarly, this system also turns on lights and adjusts thermostats when the alarm is deactivated.
Taking Care of Your Lawn
In many areas, you need to water your lawn regularly to keep your grass and plants healthy and green. A sprinkler system can be configured to make sure your yards are properly irrigated, especially during a period of drought. A smart sprinkler device makes it easier to control how and when your system runs. You can configure watering zones for your yards with this smart device that automatically makes adjustments to the schedule due to changes in local weather and the seasons. These controllers also help you to save money by watering at the most ideal times of the day and shutting off when saturation is detected.
Smart devices help modernize your house. They also raise the comfort and convenience of your living spaces. Most smart technology is easy to install and doesn’t require special training or tools. In many cases, they can help reduce your operational expenses and conserve resources.