Home automation systems and products include a variety of devices that enable you to remotely control things like your thermostat, drapes, pool, doors, lighting appliances, and more. Most devices are simple to install; you can choose a single home automation remote device or a whole system designed to improve convenience and safety. Read on to find out about the most popular home automation products on the market.
Home Automation System
Home automation technology gives you full control of your home, most often through your smartphone. In most cases, all you need to do is set up the system for various elements in your home, such as light switches, sensors, and appliances. Once setup is complete, you can control everything about your house, including lighting, locks, and your furnace or air condition, from anywhere in the world. Some popular home automation protocols include X10, ZigBee Alliance, Z-Wave, Insteon, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Most automation protocols are controlled via a hub.
Surveillance Cameras
Surveillance cameras enable you to monitor your home from anywhere. With today’s generation of cameras, you can actually watch your home in real-time from your smartphone. It’s an ideal way to keep an eye on younger kids coming home from school or pets. Surveillance cameras can also be used as baby monitors. Using controls on an application on your smartphone, you can use functions like pan, tilt, zoom, and even improve visibility at night or exchange audio.
Heating and Cooling
Thermostats have come a long way in recent years. Those available on the market today have features like built-in Wi-Fi so that you can control and program your thermostat from anywhere. They make it easy to save money on your utility bills by allowing you to program when you’ll be away from home. Some thermostats even use more than one sensor, to make sure that temperature is consistent across your home. Similarly, “smart” smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can be installed in your home and monitored remotely. Instead of using alarms, they have a voice feature which speaks to you.
Locks and Home Security Systems
Smart locks allow you to control whether you house is locked or unlocked via a personal device such as a smartphone. You can even control them with your voice. The locks are smart enough to only let in the person that you identify. They may also come with easy access features for the door itself, allowing you to use a touchpad to enter. Other alarm and security systems require a monthly subscription fee but involve professional monitoring of your home—of course, you can also control them remotely yourself.
Outdoors
Home automation products have branched out to include outdoor gear. Some common outdoor products include automated sprinkler systems that you can control via an external device. Other products allow you to heat and cool your pool or spa, balance the pH, sanitize, clean, and filter while you’re not home. A major advantage of pool automation is savings on energy costs.
