Home automation has come from a long way to include smart lighting, music, water, heating and even entire home security systems. If you are planning to install a home automation system in your home, here are 10 areas in which you can make the most use of your idea.
Home Security
Home automation systems can be used to enhance the safety and security of your home. In addition to securing your home inside and out, these systems can connect with your smartphones or tablets to complete tasks like streaming live CCTV footage on your phone, sending you alerts about possible intrusions, programing the lights to switch on in the attempt of an intrusion, locking/unlocking all doors and windows automatically when you leave or arrive home, locking doors and windows automatically after dark and creating fake mockupancy scenes to ward off intruders.
Lighting
Another area where home automation finds most use is in the home’s lighting system. Earlier examples features different light switches to control each light bulb in the house separately. However, modern home automation systems allow homeowners dynamic control of all the lights in the house which can be switched on or off remotely via smartphones or tablets. These systems can be programmed to do a number of lighting tasks around the house, including using motion detectors and switching off lights in empty rooms, using a single button control to turn on/off all the electronics in the home, switching on the lights automatically when the owner arrives home, raising/reducing the intensity of the lights based on the availability of natural light and setting different indoor atmospheres by using colored LED strips.
Home Theater
Movie buffs will surely love the idea of incorporating a home automation system into their existing home theater system. High definitions and sounds apart, these automation systems can be programmed to perform tasks like closing binds automatically and dimming the lights when the play button is pressed, switching on the television when you return home, bringing the lights back on if you press pause or stop, and setting volume as well as parental controls on the children’s television.
Fireplace
Many homeowners are switching to automated fireplaces these days owing to the benefits offered by the same. Automated fireplaces take away the hassles of operating a standard fireplace by switching on or off automatically, with in built sensors that perform these operations based on motion in the room, the intensity of the natural light outdoors and the temperature (a drop below 35°F is taken as a sign for the fireplace to switch on automatically).
Music
Just like an automated home theater system, one can program music to be played automatically in each room of the house using automation systems. The systems can be configured to respond to different users and can play different tracks based on individual preferences. A few examples of this include the system automatically switching on/off music the moment the user enters/leaves a room, changing the music for a different person who enters the room and replicating natural sounds like waterfalls and chirping birds to awaken users in the morning.
Temperature Control
Operating the home’s heating and cooling systems can be a burdensome chore. An automated system can be of great use in this case. Via an home automation system, you can easily control the temperature in each and every room of your home individually. The system maintains the correct temperature for each room as well, switching on/off the heating and cooling systems respectively for the same purpose.
Comfort Leaving Mode
How many times have you forgotten to switch off alight, fan or electronic device in the home while leaving for work? How many times have you fumbled with the garage doors when leaving for an important appointment? And how many times have you forgotten to activate the alarm system when leaving your home? All these issues can be taken care of via a single remote integrated into the home automation system. Via the system, you can push a single button to activate the garage doors, lock the doors and windows, switch off all electronic devices and activate the alarm system as you leave your home.
Leak Detection and Mitigation
Sometimes it is very hard for us to spot a leak until the issue blows out of control. A home automation system can prevent this scenario from occurring by detecting leaks in the house beforehand with the use of water/moisture sensors placed at appropriate places near toilets, sinks, water heaters, dish washers and plumbing fixtures, etc. Better yet, the system will switch off the water supply automatically on detecting the leak and send alerts regarding the position of the leak to a connected device.
Irrigation
A home automation system can be used to control irrigation to the plants by tapping into the local weather station and ascertaining the forecast conditions for the day. The system will plan the watering schedule as per the daily forecast, thus ensuring that the plants receive adequate water without wasting too much water in the process. Soil moisture sensors can also be placed around plants to send alerts to connected devices about when plants need water. A single button can then be pressed to activate the irrigation system.
Shower/Bathroom/Laundry Room Fan
A home automation system can be of great use in preventing the buildup of mold on the walls of these areas. Moisture sensors placed in these areas can trigger off the system to switch on the fans in these rooms when humidity levels increase.
Summary
Home automation systems are being used for a number of purposes in homes around the world. These systems offer an easy and seamless way to handle daily chores with ease while saving energy and water costs in the process.
