Home Automation Basics

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Have you heard about home automation and wondering what the deal with it is? Below we’re looking at a few aspects of home automation.

Home automation, as the term suggests, is basically equipping your home with smart devices that allow you to control certain features in your home. This is known as a smart house or smart home, allowing control over lights, thermostats, appliances, doors, cameras, and more.

It is important to note that all these smart devices usually connect through a communications channel (WiFi, Z-Wave, etc.) to a main hub in your home. With this, you can make adjustments or set conditions via an app like Alarm.com.

There are three main components of home automation:

  • Automation (yes, literally)
  • Control
  • Security

Automation

This means using an app to automate conditions that you can set and make things simple

  • Turn on the lights at a particular time
  • Turn off the lights when the home is empty
  • Schedule the heating to turn on if the temperatures fall below a certain degree
  • Garage door openers can also be built into your automation system as well and controlled via the app.

The ability to do this comes with the smart devices that are available like a smart bulb or smart outlets, or if existing appliances like a heat pump or furnace can incorporate smart thermostats.

Automation helps with those mundane tasks or at least provides convenience. Since you can remotely perform tasks, the end-user experience is a great benefit where you can manage all of your home devices from one place. The only thing you would need to do is learn how to use the app which will connect you to all your devices throughout your home. This makes it easier to access the functionality you want in your home.

Home automation can be as simple as you want it.

Control

Control and automation are quite similar with the only difference being that you are in control of the device’s actions whenever you see fit. If you have a smart lock on your door and if a known person is at the door, you can let them in by unlocking the door through the app. Yes, with the right devices set up you can control your entire home from just an app.

 

Security

Home security is an added benefit when you invest in home automation equipment. Many consumers purchase devices like motion sensors, cameras, environmental sensors and others to make their homes safer and to add more security. You can set up your own parameters to turn on lights if someone is lurking around the house to make it seem like someone is there. Video doorbells have added voice features so you can talk to people and discourage those package thieves from stealing.

 

For more information about home automation or home security feel free to give us a call on 1-866-453-3388 or have a look at our solutions.

Sources:

https://stevessmarthomeguide.com/guide-home-automation/

https://www.safewise.com/blog/home-automation-guide-for-beginners/

Answer Your Door Like Never Before

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There are many circumstances in which you might wish to know who is at your door, like when you’re expecting the delivery of your latest online purchase, or a friend is arriving from out of town, but you can’t stay home all day to greet them. The great thing is, in the age of the smartphone, you now can do just that with the addition of video doorbells to your front door. Video doorbells have been gaining in popularity over the last year as homeowners are catching on to their many benefits! They are affordable, connect to your existing doorbell setup, are easy to install, and work with your home’s WiFi system.

How it works

When a person approaches your front door, they push the button on the video doorbell, just as they would on any other doorbell. The chime rings on the inside of your home, as you would expect, but here’s the neat part: it also sends a notification to your smartphone in real time via a free, user-friendly app. You can both see AND speak to the person at the door, without the person at the door knowing whether you are inside the house or away on vacation.

Each member of the family can have the app installed on their smartphone, and each person will be alerted when someone is at the door. However, only one family member can actually answer the door at a time. Another great thing about these devices is the ability to integrate them into your home alarm app on your phone. Skybell, for example, will work with both the Alarm.com and Honeywell Total Connect apps.

Peace of mind & convenience

A video doorbell gives you access to your front door, wherever you are. From a security point of view, a video doorbell allows you to give the impression that you’re actually home, even when you’re not. On a lighter note, it also allows you to ask the delivery driver to leave your parcel on the back patio – imagine not having to ‘just miss’ your online deliveries! Plus, if you pair your doorbell with an automated door lock, you can not only answer your door, but let friends and relatives in when you’re not home.

What if they knock?

We recommend choosing a model with a built-in motion sensor, like Skybell. This means that even if the person on your doorstep doesn’t ring, your doorbell will still activate and let you know that they’re there.

The fine print

There are a couple of considerations you’ll want to be conscious of if you’d like to install a video doorbell. The ease of installation varies based on where the doorbell wire protrudes from your home’s wall. For example, many electricians choose to bring the doorbell wire out through the trim around the front door. This trim is typically no more than an inch wide and may be narrower than the doorbell unit itself. Another issue can potentially be a poor WiFi signal at the location of the front door. Consider a wireless access point to improve your home’s WiFi signal and address this issue. Finally, most video doorbell units are designed for a typical solenoid doorbell. New digital doorbells can have issues and may need a digital doorbell adapter for proper video functionality. In cases like those listed above, you may want to consider a professional installation of your unit.

For more information on how you might benefit from a video doorbell in your home, contact Wilsons Security at 1(866) 453-3388