The idea of a connected home used to seem so far away, when today, it’s very much in place. As a matter of fact, when smart home devices were initially introduced, building a smart home with them was quite intimidating.
Fortunately, it no longer is as overwhelming or intimidating to build a smart home as it once was in the past. At the very basic level, a smart home consists of electronic devices that have the ability to be controlled remotely.
A true smart home is run through Wi-Fi -, Bluetooth, or other protocols that allow us to control many things within our home, such as the HVAC system, lighting, entertainment, and more, all remotely via a smartphone or a smart home hub benign used in the house.
On the contrary, a smart home doesn’t exactly have to be fully automated. In other words, you can pick and choose what smart home gadgets you want within your home. This gives one the opportunity to use different types of technologies so your home accommodated you in a more convenient way of life.
Moreover, today there are so many DIY smart home devices that you can consider purchasing from Ohio Edison FirstEnergy. In this article, we are going to share four simple steps on how you can achieve your dream smart home!
Begin With a Voice-controlled Smart Speaker
A smart speaker is always powered by a smart assistant. Furthermore, these smart speakers also have an app that you can download on your smartphones or tablets, and use it as a hub to control all other compatible smart home devices at home.
All you need to do is register all the other smart-home devices and access them from there. You can also control all these devices via the voice command feature – in your smart speaker – instead of having to visits every individual app separately.
However, not every smart speaker is built equally. Some only work with certain voice assistants. That said, the best smart speakers come with a wide array of functions. For instance, the Amazon Echo Speakers that are powered by Alexa, come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
There are also amazing Google Home smart speakers, powered by Google Assistant. Most smart home devices are compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, unlike Apple’s Siri.
Move on to Smart Lighting
Certain smart home devices are energy-efficient, and smart light bulbs are one of them. Not only are smart bulbs used to save energy, but they also secure your home and also get rid of the trouble of always being tied down to a located switch.
All you really have to do is replace your normal bulbs with smart ones. You might also have to do a one-time purchase of a hub that is to be plugged into your wall and then connected to your Wi-Fi router via the Ethernet cable.
However, there’s nothing to stress about as this process only takes a couple of minutes to install and has the capability of accommodating up to 50 bulbs. In other words, you never have to worry about your home’s lighting ever again.
You could also choose to buy smart light bulbs that directly connect to your smart speaker through a separate app. It’s important to check each and every detail of the smart bulb that you are considering purchasing.
Smart Plugs Make Almost Anything Smarter
A smart plug is a great smart home device to have when building a smart home. The smart plug is an adapter in itself that has the amazing ability to turn even the simplest appliance into a smart one.
The smart plug world through by using the home Wi-Fi that gives you total control of the device that can be controlled from anywhere, via its app on your smartphone. But here’s the major catch.
Some appliance needs to be “dumb” in order for a smart plug to actually work. In other words, it has to go when you want it to do when it’s being supplied with power, and buttons don’t necessarily have to be used.
Smart Home Security Devices
Sure, smart light bulbs and smart plugs will give potential intruders the illusion that someone’s home. That said, if you want a better-secured home, considering investing in smart security devices, such as smart cameras, smart locks, and smart video doorbells.
Smart video doorbells allow you to monitor who’s at your front door, especially if you are out home. The best smart video doorbells also have a two-way audio feature that lets you speak to the visitors at your doorstep.
Similarly, smart cameras and smart locks, just like smart video doorbells will send you an alert if something seems amiss, Smart security devices might be a little on the pricier side, but are definitely worth your every penny.
Conclusion
It’s not a puzzle when it comes to building your dream smart home. Everything takes time, and we have shared four simple steps on how you can start building yours today!
