You’ve decided to cut the cord from your cable television or satellite service provider and opt for Simi Valley Fiber Internet service in your home. Choosing fiber Internet service is a game changer in many ways, you will be able to stream in television, movies, music, take gaming to a new level and get some work done, however, there’s more!
One of the hot topics of conversation nowadays is home automation, also referred to as a smart home but what does it all mean and how does it work with Simi Valley Fiber Internet? Home automation is anything in your home that can be controlled remotely or automated, this can range from lighting to temperature settings to security in your home. As a $27.7 million-dollar industry in 2019, home automation is expected to grow by 12% by 2023, according to Statista a leading provider of market and consumer data. As advances are made in this technology there are more updates developed to the capabilities and improvements of home automation products. In this article, we will guide you through some things to consider when it comes to home automation, a few of the devices available, Do It Yourself versus professional installation, and overall benefits of home automation in your home.
What is Home Automation?
You have probably heard of or have seen a lot of devices about home automation. What can home automation do for you? Home automation, also known as smart home automation, is anything controlled remotely or automatically and is generally controlled by a remote, wireless computer. It is supposed to make your life easier by allowing you to live your day-to-day life without mundane interruptions or activities. Home automation does this by taking away normal everyday tasks such as, controlling and setting your thermostat, to taking down items needed for your next trip to the grocery store or reminding you about an upcoming event. According to the National Council for Home Safety and Security, 57% of Americans say that having smart products in their house saves them about 30 minutes per day.
Home automation can be anything from having one device in one’s home to a home filled with several automation devices. In fact, the number of newly constructed homes that incorporate home automation has increased over recent years. Builders reported that 64% of homeowners want to control devices in their home remotely, either by a touchscreen device or an app on a mobile device.
How Does Home Automation Work?
All home automation devices rely on a network in order to work together, also known as an Internet of Things. The Internet of Things describes anything with an on or off switch that can be connected to the Internet or each other, like your home lighting, appliances, thermostat, appliances and more.
Home automation uses the network to connect all the items together and provide one integrated control point. There are some smart homes which feature a range of home automation devices that work seamlessly with one another on a network and have a central command point such as a home computer or smartphone. With a home automation device, you can control settings and functions with the help of a program or app.
The purpose of home automation is to make your life easier by taking away small, mundane tasks. There are a lot of products on the market today that cater to most, if not all, areas of your home and are all designed to offer convenience.
Home Automation Products
Home automation products cover a lot of your basic needs around the home. That will make your life easier.
Entertainment
This is a category where people spend a lot of money to simulate a theater in their home. Current home automation technologies include lowering the lights, rolling down the projector or playing your favorite film. Other entertainment uses include radios, speakers, personal assistants which will stream music channels or news channels so that you can listen to your favorite tunes and keep updated on current global events.
Personal Assistant
Personal assistants can be commanded to change lighting, climate control or music choices. Popular home automation assistants and hub devices allow you to command a whole range of functions that include: weather reports, calendar settings, ordering pizza, adding items to your grocery list, turning on music and can even read a book.
Lighting
Hugely popular in the home automation group of products, lighting is an area where many people start their home automation journey. Lighting allows you to change the color schemes in a room with LED bulbs, dim or flash lights, and turn lights on and off remotely when you’re away from home to scare off any unwanted visitor.
Security
Another prevalent home automation category is security. Security goes hand in hand with home automation as a valuable technology that has helped thousands of homes become safer. Security includes the following items: smart locks and doorbells, cameras and surveillance. This sector is designed to protect your home and keep you updated on what’s happening in or around your home when you cannot be there in person.
Climate Control
These are very popular products that allow you to control the temperature remotely so your home stays at your favorite temperature or can be set to the perfect temperature when you arrive home. Some of these devices use complex sensors to detect who is in the home and how best to accommodate to their climate needs.
Home Health
Home Health is gaining in popularity allowing you to keep track of your home’s environmental systems. Devices are used to monitor your home’s other utilities and systems and their operation. Devices look to see if anything can be improved and tune systems accordingly saving you from high bills or expensive repairs. Devices in this category allow you to keep track of water leaks, pollution trackers, smoke alarms, humidity sensors and more.
DIY Home Automation
There are a lot of easy DIY projects you can choose to do that do not require contractor while saving you money. Below are just a few devices you can install yourself that only take a few minutes.
- LED light bulbs: LED light bulbs can be installed in minutes and are controlled by your smartphone. You can schedule times, choose a color scheme and sync with music.
- Smart plugs: A smart plug allows you to turn on and off power points around your home remotely. Devices can monitor energy usage that will save you money.
- Hands-free speakers: This includes products like Amazon Echo as a home automation hub. Wireless speakers relay on voice command to operate and there’s no tricky installation process.
- Smart locks: Can be easily installed yourself in under an hour. Doing this can make your home feel instantly safer.
Professional Home Automation Installation
Featured at the higher end of the scale, professional home automation installations allow for more comprehensive home automation systems. These systems are usually integrated as a home is being built. The professional grade systems group all of your devices into one control, allowing them to work seamlessly. These are more difficult and usually installed by professionals. Systems include integrating your water, electrical, security and other systems into one, easy to use central control point. Costs are more expensive as this includes everything from setup to data collection and security of these systems.
Benefits of Home Automation Installation
Home automation is beneficial whether you have one device to a fully integrated smart home. Home automation will only get better as time goes on and as advancements are made to the technology and the devices used. Home automation solutions can benefit you in a number of ways:
- Save time: Number 1 reason why home automation has become so popular. The convenience you save yourself on doing the normal repetitive day-to-day tasks. Whether it’s changing the temperature, or turning on lights, home automation saves you time.
- Save money: Home automation devices help in saving your pocket book. These are designed to save money in the long run by helping you control your home’s systems. Keeping your thermostat at the right temperature when you are home and when you are away has a great effect on your monthly bill.
- Comfort: All home automation devices are designed to bring you comfort. Whether it’s making sure your home is climate controlled at your ideal temperature to having music play without thumbing through your music collection.
- Safety: Home automation in the form of security devices adds an extra layer of protection to your home. From smart locks, to cameras and lighting these all help to make your home more secure and provide you peace of mind.
- Entertainment: A smart home can be a lot more fun than a regular one. Even the simplest DIY items, such as light bulbs, can transform your home into something from the future. These are also great conversation starters.
If you are ready to make your life at home easier and more comfortable the first thing to do is start using Simi Valley Fiber Internet service. Our Internet service will make the Internet of Things possible. With our gig speed fiber Internet your home will easily be able to handle all of the home automation devices from one to several, saving you time and money. All you need to do is choose the home automation device, connect it, and let Simi Valley Fiber Internet do the rest!