You’ve probably heard about home automation. While there is a spike in the trend, there is still plenty of confusion over what it is exactly about. As futuristic and modern as it may sound, the principle of home automation is actually quite easy to understand.
Home automation or ‘smart homes’ means making anything in your house accessible or controlled through a remote device whether it be an actual remote control or through your smartphone. Basically, it’s turning areas of your house automatic. From controlling the thermostat to opening garage doors to adding a layer of home security, home automation makes the job simple.
Sounds expensive? On this day, not really. Automation is becoming more accessible for everyday homes. All you need is WiFi and a good smartphone. And as technology further develops, homeowners can’t help but be excited about what the next features and capabilities will be.
So, What Can Home Automation Exactly Do For You?
In a nutshell, the main goal of home automation is to make our lives easier. Convenience is the keyword for this. It is designed to make difficult tasks a breeze to execute. Even simple tasks like setting your thermostat before you arrive home or securing that your doors are locked can be double-checked while you are away.
Most modern home automation features and settings can be accessed through a mobile app or laptop. You can control the lighting, double-check if there are appliances left running as you leave the house, or lock doors as you drive out of the garage. The possibilities are endless!
The market offers different products that can provide solutions to various areas of your house, which are all designed to provide us the convenience we need. Many homes are already starting to adopt automation in some areas of their houses. However, there are also those who go full suite.
How Does it Work?
Not all devices that can be controlled with a remote can be considered ‘smart’. True home automation can be achieved when all of these items are connected in a shared network using one control device.
True home automation relies on one network (Internet of Things) to work together and be controlled by the user. The Internet of Things is virtually anything with a switch connected to the internet like your appliances, lighting, home security, etc. Smart homes make use of this network to connect all devices together and provide users with a single control point.
Home Automation Products
While we are still far from robots cooking you a hot meal, home automation trends today can offer smarter solutions to your common household functions and items such as the following:
Entertainment and Lighting
Entertainment is where we spend most of our money, which is why it is a huge industry for home automation. Transform an unused space to your very own movie theater. With one command, you can adjust the projector, dim the lights, and play a movie.
Hosting a party? Set the right mood as the music changes by making the lights dimmer or brighter. Some smart home lighting allows users to change the entire color scheme of their homes with LED bulbs for added impact. With a flick of your phone, you can also instantly personalize your playlist making the right impression to your guests.
Turn on the news channel as you hop in the shower and waste no time getting updates on global events. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone!
Temperature Control
Another popular home automation product is temperature control. Smart apps allow homeowners to control their entire home or specific room temperature remotely so you can simply sit back and relax when you get home. Some devices have complex sensors that detect who is in the house and adjust the temperature to their specified settings.
Home Health
Many home automation features carry a home health check wherein homeowners can keep track of how their homes are impacting their health or the environment. These sensors can detect water leakage, smoke, and can also track pollution, and humidity. Home Health provides owners with a detailed report on the possible problem areas and prevents it before it gets worse. Not to mention, repairs can get quite expensive.
Home Security
Security and home automation work hand-in-hand. Technology has helped hundreds of homes to be safer especially now that there is a rising number of incidents related to break-ins and theft.
Home automation products cover everything from surveillance cameras to smart locks, which you can access remotely through your laptop or smartphone.
Securing garage doors is one of the most popular home automation solutions. Modern garage doors can be installed with top of the line openers that can be automatically accessed through your smartphone. There are advanced features like roller codes you can avail to ensure your security number changes every time lessening the risk of it being discovered by unwanted visitors.
Benefits of Home Automation
There are plenty of advantages of switching to a smarter home even for the average family. Here are some of the benefits of home automation.
- Saves you money – The money you save when these systems are in place outweighs the initial cost you spend on installing them. Home automation devices are designed to make your home cost-efficient in the long run. Example: an automated thermostat helps keep an eye on energy costs. Use the system when you’re actually home. Remotely switch off forgotten lights and other appliances. That’s definitely a penny saved.
- Convenience – Imagine how much time you can save automating some tasks. Driving in your garage straight without having to manually open the doors sure is a time-saver!
- Comfort – Sit back and relax as soon as you get home. Get to spend more time bonding with your family than wasting it on manually setting up your device for movie night or cut the time in half while cooking a hot meal.
- Safety – Add an extra layer of protection to your home. Home automation provides more than surveillance cameras. Smart locks are able to notify you if somebody is trying to tamper with your entryway.
These are just some of the ways home automation can help you live a better life. There are more upgrades and features to watch out for in the coming years!
Author Bio
Mik Vil writes for Canadian Garage Door Repair – a company that provides top of the line installation and repair service in Calgary, Surrey, Vancouver, etc.
