Technology has completely revolutionized the world and how we interact with it. The internet has been especially revolutionary by instantly allowing you to connect with anyone anywhere in the world and giving you access to the entirety of human knowledge at your fingertips. Smartphones and connected devices have taken this to the next level by also enabling you to remotely control nearly every part of your house at the push of a button.
Known as smart home automation, this type of technology has grown increasingly popular over the last few years. Nonetheless, there is still a lot that the average person doesn’t know about smart home automation and how it actually works. With this in mind, here is an overview of what smart home automation is, how it works and the benefits it can provide.
What Is Smart Home Automation?
In very simple terms, smart home automation refers to any type of technology that enables you to control various aspects of your home remotely. The technology takes advantage of what is known as the Internet of Things, which essentially refers to any device or appliance that can be connected to the internet.
There are a wide variety of different types of smart home technology, such as video doorbells, smart home lighting and thermostats, but they all have one thing in common. They all enable you to access and control the devices remotely. Most smart home technologies are controlled using an app on your phone, but they can also be connected and controlled by voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. There are also systems that connect to a central hub that enables you to control all of your smart home devices from the same app.
The majority of smart home technologies work by connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi network. However, there are also more advanced technologies that utilize other connection protocols like Bluetooth, Z-Wave or ZigBee. Generally speaking, the standard Wi-Fi protocol is more than sufficient for most smart home systems. Nonetheless, the more connected devices you have, the more they will slow down your internet speeds. For this reason, most advanced smart home systems use one of the other connection protocols to lessen the burden on your Wi-Fi network.
From smart lighting to internet-connected ovens, smart home automation technology can come in a variety of different forms. To make things easier to understand, we’ll break it down into three specific categories: security, home comfort and convenience.
Smart Home Security
Smart home security technology refers to things like video doorbells, security cameras and alarm systems. These systems are great for improving the safety and security of your home and allowing you to monitor your property when you’re away. Still, in order to qualify as a form of smart home automation, the system must also provide you with some form of actual control, for instance, being able to lock and unlock your doors remotely or turn your cameras on and off.
Being able to monitor the interior and exterior of your home as needed provides huge benefits compared to traditional security systems. Not only are these systems great for your home security, but they also enable you to check up on your children or pets whenever you’re away. By connecting to the internet, these systems also enable you to store your security footage in the cloud to ensure you won’t have to worry about storage capabilities.
Smart Thermostats and Home Comfort Systems
Smart home comfort systems are those that utilize a smart thermostat to enable you to control your home’s heating and cooling systems. A smart thermostat is a special type of programmable thermostat that lets you monitor and control your home’s HVAC system from anywhere. These systems provide a huge level of convenience and can also greatly contribute to energy savings.
Most smart thermostats can actually learn and adapt to your behavior in order to improve the efficiency of your HVAC system and reduce energy usage. For instance, the system can automatically shut off as soon as it detects no one is home. It will also turn itself back on before you get home from work to ensure the house is comfortable when you arrive.
Some of these features are also available with a basic programmable thermostat. However, smart thermostats have the advantage of letting you control the system remotely, which can contribute to even greater energy savings. For instance, if you know you will be home from work late, you can use an app to make sure you’re not heating or cooling the home when you’re not there.
Smart Lighting and Other Home Convenience Technologies
Smart lighting, window coverings and even smart ovens can provide added convenience to the home. For instance, if your oven is connected to the internet, you can remotely set it to preheat so that it’s already warm and ready to go when you get home from work. Still, this pales in comparison to the benefits provided by things like smart lighting and window coverings.
With a smart lighting system, some or all of the lights in your home will be connected to the internet. With this technology, you can turn your lights on and off using a remote, an app or your voice assistant device. Most smart lighting systems also include dimmers that make it easy to set the perfect mood. Some of these systems can also automatically turn off any lights if the system detects that no one is home or currently using a certain room, which can be a huge help in preventing energy waste. These systems can also contribute to improved home security. For instance, if you are on vacation, the system enables you to occasionally turn the lights on so that potential thieves can’t detect that no one is home.
More and more homeowners are also turning to smart home automation to control their window coverings. These systems are great both in terms of convenience and home comfort. With the push of a button, you can automatically open and close your blinds, curtains and other window coverings. Some of these systems can also be set up to automatically open and close at certain times of the day in order to lessen the amount of heat gain caused by sunlight streaming into your windows.
Experts in Home Automation and Other Electrical Services
With more than 20 years of experience, Arc Angel Electric has the knowledge and skills to handle any of your home’s electrical needs. Our licensed electricians are experts in smart home automation, and we offer a wide variety of different systems. We can also repair or service existing smart home systems.
As a full-service electrical company, we also specialize in a wide range of other services, including electrical inspection, troubleshooting, repairs and rewiring. We also work with generators, surge protection systems and home EV charging stations for those with electric vehicles. Georgia residents can contact our offices in Cumming or Greensboro, and we also serve customers in South Carolina from our locations in Mount Pleasant and Bluffton. For more information on home automation systems or any of our other services, give Arc Angel Electric a call today.