These days, many of us are pretty attached to our smartphones. And with good reason! We can keep in touch, check email, get directions, play games, view the weather forecast… you get the idea. One of the latest trends is “smart homes” – and those can be controlled by your phone as well!
What exactly is a smart home?
A “smart home” is a house that has some or most electrical features set up so that they can be controlled from your screen, remote, or smart device. So rather than having to turn on/off manually, or adjust any settings, you can make these changes remotely – from another room of your house or even when you are away from your home. This is called whole house automation, and we’ve been implementing it for happy clients for years.
What features of a house can be automated?
Almost anything connected to a switch can be automated! Here are a few common features we automate for our clients:
- Interior and exterior lighting: Turn on/off lights from the touch of your device or set your lighting on a timer while you’re away so that it looks like someone is home, whether it’s for interior or exterior lighting.
- Thermostat: Adjust the temperature of your home from your smart device. If you’re away on vacation, you can set the thermostat to a more conservative temperature (around 85 in the summer and 65 in the winter) and then turn on the AC or heater remotely when you’re on your way home. This saves money and energy, while ensuring you’re comfortable during the times you’re actually in your home.
- Intercom: No more shouting throughout the house! An intercom lets you talk to someone in another room – or a guest arriving on the front porch – at a normal volume. No trudging upstairs or opening the door to strangers.
- Interior and exterior cameras: From baby monitors inside the house to security cameras on the perimeter of your home, rest assured with the peace of mind a security camera provides. And since you can control them while you’re away from the home, you can check on the baby (and babysitter) while you’re out on date night or can keep an eye on the package that got delivered while you were at work.
- Window shades: Closing the shades on every window of your home takes time every night, and then you just have to open them again the next morning. Start your day off right with the touch of a button to automatically open all your window shades ! Fresh sunlight will flood in after just moments and will brighten your day.
- Interior and exterior audio: Play music throughout your house or for an outdoor party, all from the convenience of one control.
- Home theater: Bring home the quality of the movie theater with our home theater installations, and control all the audio and visual settings from one easy device.
As you can see, there’s virtually no limit to the ways we can make your life easier with whole house automation.
Can I automate my existing home or is this only for new construction?
Whether you are building a new home or are planning to stay in your current residence, we can help install the home automation features you’re looking for.
In either situation, we recommend meeting to decide which features suit your needs and how to implement them in your home. For new construction, we can work with your builders to ensure home automation is a seamless part of the process. For existing homes, we do our best to install your new system with minimal disruption to your existing setup.
It’s called “whole home automation” – do I have to automate my whole home?
While many things in your home can be automated, it doesn’t mean they have to be automated. You can pick and choose which items best suit your needs and your budget. You can always add on more later.
What are the benefits of whole home automation?
One of the biggest benefits of automating your home is convenience. You can control everything from the touch of a screen – even when you’re not home. It’s also a great opportunity to add new features to your home: additional lighting, security camera, home theater, etc.
If you’re thinking of automating your home, Ryan Electrical Solutions can help. Our trained professionals will guide you in choosing the home automation features that match what you’re looking for. And our certified electricians provide professional installation for whichever solution you choose.
With more than 23 years of experience serving customers in Central Illinois, you can count on us for high-quality electrical installations. We have been a BBB-accredited business since 1999 with an A+ rating, and all of our electricians undergo continuous education to stay on top of the changing world of technology. We make sure our clients are satisfied with our service – just check out our 5-star reviews on Yelp and Facebook to see for yourself!
We offer free estimates, so if you’ve been considering home automation, don’t hesitate to contact us at 217.698.4877 and make your dreams a reality!