A smart home is a place where technology and necessity collide to add personal convenience and create a more energy efficient home.
What exactly is a smart home? This is one question that has more than one answer, because it depends on who you ask. In the simplest terms, a “smart home” is a house equipped with technological devices used to automates tasks that are generally handled by humans. Because of this new format and how it is connected around the home, you may want to check to see if it is covered under your warranty for your home. If you do not already have a warranty in place, there are companies such as First American Home Warranty that can help you with creating the plan you need.
Today, with technology growing at an exponential rate, home automation is rising to a new level. From home appliances to home automation systems, technology is making the impossible possible.
A ‘smart’ device is one which is able to operate without you having to physically handle it. For some homeowners, having a smart home could be as simple as buying connected speakers.
Whereas for others, it could include wanting to link more than one smart product, such as programming the coffee pot, lights, and thermostat to turn on when you wake up in the morning.
Some smart devices have the ability to “learn” and process real-time data which in turn will trigger an appropriate response or action.
In the next section, we want to share the many benefits that creating a smart home can have for homeowners.
Saves Energy and Money
This is one of the biggest driving forces behind the smart home revolution – the potential to save both energy and money with automated air conditioning and heating systems. Smart air conditioning and heating units might burn a hole in your pocket, but help you in the long run. Smart thermostats like Google Nest and Honeywell which are sold at FirstEnergy, offers precise automation of heating and cooling the home.
We have often used and abused our ACs at one point in time. The benefit of a smart thermostat is that you can easily remedy this situation by using your smartphone to turn the air conditioner off remotely from wherever you happen to be. But that does not rule out the possibility of the components of the air conditioning unit going downhill. No matter how smart your device is, it is of utmost priority that the HVAC unit is maintained regularly. For this, you might be interested to look at the repair resume of an AC Company like Temperature Humidity Air Quality Solutions for the timely upkeep of your cooling unit.
We’ve all left our ACs on at some point in time. The benefit of a smart thermostat is that you can easily remedy this situation by using your smartphone to turn the air conditioner off remotely from wherever you happen to be.
You can even create schedules like turning the heat up before you’re up in the morning, so that you don’t have to waste time waiting for the house to warm. A smart home will inevitably make your life easier to manage.
Smart thermostats are also able to reduce your electricity bills. And, if you decide to create a smart home, you should consider connected appliances because they use less energy by powering down when not in use.
Safety and Security
Whether you live alone or with your family, your number one priority is making sure your residence is safe at all times. This especially applies when you’re going for a vacation, how can you be certain your home won’t have a break-in? Or how are you assured your privacy is not violated? For some, window film is an easy option for home privacy and can help them out greatly, but they may want to combine it with other security measures.
While you can always purchase a home alarm system, nowadays this might not be enough. To ensure home protection, your best option is to create a smart home.
Smart home security can include connected cameras, lights, and video doorbells, which have shown to reduce burglaries. Home invaders are known to move along once they see a home with these smart devices. In fact, it’s easier to check your smart cameras on your phone if you hear a noise, rather than walking into a potentially dangerous situation.
Simplifies Household Chores
It’s not easy taking care of household chores for working adults. And it only gets tougher if you have children. This is where smart homes become extremely advantageous.
Connecting automated devices can be a huge help. For example, having a smart vacuum cleaner is an excellent choice. All you have to do is enable voice automation or program a routine and the vacuum will do all the work.
A smart vacuum cleaner will give you extra time to get other household chores done. Similarly, having a smart laundry machine allows you to automate the process. Now, there are even smart fridges that will order daily essentials when you’re getting low, like eggs and milk.
Makes Your Home More Entertaining
In all honesty, what’s the point of a smart home if it doesn’t create a more relaxing and entertaining home?
This form of technology can keep you informed and entertained in new and exciting ways. Connected speakers and virtual assistants will play music, update you with sports scores and the latest news, and you can also get restaurant recommendations and movie reviews.
You can control all these connected devices with your voice or from your smartphone.
Is it Worth Having a Smart Home?
We understand that a smart home can sound scary if you’re not comfortable with technology. It may seem easier to simply fumble with a remote control rather than using your smartphone to automate your smart TV.
However, once you gain a little understanding of these devices, you’ll thank us. It’s important to move with the times, and really, who doesn’t want to add a little more convenience into their lives. But ultimately, a smart home will depend on your particular needs.