What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions a smart device? Today you can find smartphones and smartwatches all around you. And then there are smart toys, smart toothbrushes, smart cars, and well, smart apparel as well.
Yet, despite all the popularity of smart devices from the likes of Amazon, Google, Apple, and a vast range of home automation gadgets from other technology brands, a good number of people have to explore the smart home.
The majority of people tend to purchase a smart speaker just so Alexa or Google Assistant can answer their occasional questions and play music for them, often just for entertainment and a good time.
However, there’s more to smart speakers. Much more. Here’s how you can build yourself a smart home from scratch.
Getting Started
A smart home is not only about buying a smart speaker, having the virtual assistant answer all your queries. Of course, they offer significant value if used for entertainment, seeking news, managing appointments and calendar, as well as for your to-do, and shopping lists.
But that’s just the start. This gadget becomes much more useful when paired with smart lights, smart plugs, smart cameras, smart locks, and other new-age appliances. And all of this can be leveled through their corresponding apps to a set of routines and schedules, and let them act on your behavior alongside your environment.
This might sound complex when in reality, it’s quite seamless. But before we get to more details, you need to pick an ecosystem for your smart home. There are three major voice assistants to choose from– Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri.
Once you’ve established which ecosystem suits you the best, you can start building a smart home. Here are some smart devices you can consider buying for your smart home:
Smart Light
They are the most basic smart home device to consider. They are an easy and affordable purchase. You can easily find one for around $20.
You can access smart light bulbs from anywhere around the world as long as you have an internet connection. Smart bulbs have mention sensors in them that tell them when a room is benign occupied or when someone’s leaving.
You can turn it on/off automatically, and if you have the habit of forgetting to turn on the lights, you can do this through their smartphone app. They are also energy-savers, meaning, they make sure no energy is being consumed through them when no one’s around.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs have to be our favorite after smart light bulbs. These small smart devices help schedule other devices to power on/off. It give you a much easier control in instances when your wall outlets are at hard-to-reach places.
You can connect your smart plugs to your smart speaker, and simply use voice commands to get your work done. For instance, you can ask Google Assistant to turn on your desk light the moment you enter your room.
Moreover, smart plugs help smarten up your traditional appliances. You might not have a smart water geyser, but when it’s plugged into a smart plug, you can schedule it when it should be turned on/off, so you have hot water ready at all times.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats are yet another amazing device that has smart technology in it. You can connect your smart thermostat to your home Wi-Fi and control the temperature of your home.
Most smart thermostats have learning algorithms built-in to them. In other words, they can learn your heating and cooling habits.
Smart thermostats are one of the most energy-efficient smart devices on the market. You can get energy reports on your smartphone as to how much energy is being consumed in your household.
Moreover, most smart thermostats, such as the Honeywell home T9 smart thermostat , suggest the most energy-efficient setting, in which you will be conserving energy, and saving on your energy bills. Just like other smart home devices, smart thermostats can be accessed remotely.
Setup Smart Thermostats at Smart Home
There are a few things you’ll need to do in order to set up your new smart thermostat. First, you’ll need to determine where you want to place your thermostat. It should be placed in an area that gets a good amount of sunlight so that the sensors can accurately detect the temperature. Once you’ve found the perfect spot, use the included mounting hardware to secure your thermostat to the wall.
Next, you’ll need to connect your thermostat to your home’s Wi-Fi network. The process for doing this will vary depending on the thermostat you’re using, but most models will require you to enter your network’s SSID and password. Once your thermostat is connected to the internet, you’ll be able to control it using your smartphone or tablet.
Finally, you’ll need to download a thermostat app onto your mobile device. Once again, the process for doing this will vary depending on the thermostat you’re using. However, most apps will allow you to set temperature schedules, adjust the fan speed, and even turn on/off your thermostat remotely.
Now that you know how to set up your new smart thermostat, it’s time to start saving money on your energy bills!
Conclusion
Well, there you go! Building a smart home from scratch is a fun task, although it might seem hard in the beginning. But once you’ve got the hang of it, you can start leveling up other traditional devices and appliances in your home into smart ones.
There are endless possibilities in the smart device market as new devices and appliances are being introduced every other day.
