6 Smart Home Devices You Need to Know About

Did you know that power consumption rates vary at different points throughout the day? Many homeowners are not aware of this little-known money saving trick. Today’s advances in smart home technology allow you to set some of your appliances to automatically detect when power consumption in the area is at its lowest so they can operate at lower rates. Let’s take a look at some great smart home devices that will turn your home into a smart home.

• Dishwasher: Bosch, Whirlpool, and Samsung have excellent options for smart dishwashers. The overall idea is the same – to clean your dishes in a timely manner using the least amount of power – but each appliance is different. Read reviews before you make your final decision so you’re sure to get the appliance that works best for your individual situation.
• Washer and Dryer: LG has a combined steam powered washer and dryer that allows you to preset wash cycles from your smartphone. Whirlpool also has a smart top load washer and dryer set that allows you to take care of your laundry needs from your smartphone.
• Ranges: Samsung makes the most popular smart stoves available today. Their units allow you to control cooking temperatures, set cooking functions, and program your favorite recipes with relative ease.
• Thermostats: Thermostat technology has come a long way in recent years as well. We have been able to schedule our thermostats for certain temperatures during certain times of day for a while now, but now our thermostat can learn our day to day patterns and adjust automatically. We can also connect our smartphones to the thermostat using our home’s Wi-Fi so we can change the temperature of our home from anywhere.
• Doors and Door Locks: Automatic doors are one of the best ways to automate your home. You may not consider automatic doors for your home, but consider the possibilities. How convenient is it to simply walk into the grocery store as the doors open for you? Think about having that kind of convenience at home. Autoslide produces a line of automatic door and window systems specially designed for the home. With controls for people and pets, the Autoslide systems will close the door behind you and can automatically lock it as needed.
• Water Savers: Most modern shower heads have the ability to control the flow of water and help you reduce the water bill. Now there are also devices like the Water Pebble that help monitor the time people spend in the shower. This device helps a lot if you have people in the household who enjoy taking really long showers. The light is green while it’s okay to be taking a shower, and then it moves to yellow and red when it’s time to finish the shower and get out.

Creating a smart home isn’t as difficult as you may believe. You may not have the ability to build a home that will brew the coffee for you in the morning yet, but you can buy a coffee pot that you can set the evening before. For more information on smart home products, call 813-885-3667 to speak with a home automation professional.