Home management is more automated, convenient than ever

Can you imagine being able to set up smart home technology yourself and manage home security from your phone? Maybe some of you can because you have a new, high tech house with all of the home automation systems built in. Retrofitting an existing home with a home automation system can be difficult and costly so you may want to consider some alternate options.

I had no idea the technology existed that you could do a lot of this yourself with some simple pieces of equipment and a smartphone until I signed up for a course on Udemy. The course focused on one of many brands, the Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring system. According to the website, the kit is $249 USD and includes a SmartThings Hub which connects sensors, lights, locks, cameras and more. It also includes two sensors that can be installed to monitor doors and windows, one motion sensor to monitor movement in your house when you’re not home or at night and an outlet to control lights, electronics and appliances.

There are so many features and possibilities with this technology that I really had a difficult time deciding what to share with you but here goes. The system allows you to set up your home with each room in your house having different settings and devices. You can easily connect the various devices in the app. The My Locations function allows you to set a zone around your home. You can set heat and lights to turn on as you get closer to home. You can also have your home security system disarm itself at a certain time or as it detects your presence. No more fiddling with entering codes on a keypad as you enter the house.

As with any traditional home security system you can install window and door contacts. You install the two sensors that come with the kit at your front door and the garage door or side door. You can also purchase more sensors if you need to at a cost of $39.99 USD. You then pair the contact sensor with the app. Then you install motion sensors for specific rooms and connect then to the app. Imagine being able to tell where your children are in your house at any particular time. Kinda cool.

For security purposes you can purchase and install a siren or several sirens. A Z-Wave siren is available on aartech.ca for $79.99. Be sure you buy one with battery backup and one that is compatible with the app. You will also want to purchase a camera (or several) that will easily interface with your hub. The Samsung camera sells for $189 USD. When you set up the Smart Home Monitor section in the app you configure the camera to automatically turn on and start recording if an intruder breaks in or there is a flood. You could also use it to monitor what your children or your pets are up to when you are not at home. That’s pretty awesome.

You can also customize all of your other security settings and tell the app if you want to receive a text when an intruder enters, if you want the siren to sound, and you can even have lights turn on for further security. There is a small moisture detector that you can purchase and place on the floor in areas where you might be concerned about leaks or flooding. The Samsung SmartThings Water Leak Sensor sells for $39.99 USD. You can receive a text in the case of a leak or you might set the camera to record the problem. I love that option!

And now I’ve run out of time and room for today. If all of this sounds too overwhelming for you, call a home security or home automation company in your local area and they will take care of it for you. However, it really isn’t very difficult so if you are only slightly handy and a little techie I think you can handle it.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/homesnews/1387907-home-management-is-more-automated-convenient-than-ever