In a connected home, having wireless light switch and receiver can really make your life easier by giving you maximum empowerment of your devices and lights. These switches, controlled via your smartphone or by voice command, can benefit you at all hours of the day and night. Let's take a look at the various advantages offered by this home automation innovation.
What you need to know about smart switches
Before installing your new wireless light switch kit, there are a few things you should know.
Force the Wi-Fi signal
If you get yourself a Wi-Fi smart switch, you will need to make sure you have a strong wireless signal range anywhere in the house if you want to be able to control your devices remotely through your smartphone. Usually, the further away from the router, the poorer the signal quality. If this is the case at home, the walls are thick and the signal is often weak, you can get a Wi-Fi signal booster to bring optimal signal quality anywhere in the house. This will allow you to install your switch wherever you want, without worrying about the proximity of the router.
Electrical wiring system
Make sure your home's electrical wiring system is made of copper wire, not aluminum wire. Home automation switches tend to produce more heat, and copper wires handle this better. The majority of homes already have copper wire, so this shouldn't be a problem, but it's still important to check before you start installing your smart switches.
Compatibility with your smartphone
Check which is the latest smartphone version compatible with your switches. For example, some are only compatible with iOS 10 and Android 5 at least. If your phone isn't new enough, you might be disappointed that you can't use it to control your light switches.
Additional hardware may be needed
Confirm with an advisor or with the company directly if you will need additional equipment to operate your smart switch. In most cases, you won't need it, but older models may require additional hardware. That being said, a newer version that does not require additional hardware may become more cost effective.
Pretend you are at home
The intelligent power switches bring life into your home when you are away. It is therefore a good investment for any family home to ensure optimal security. For example, when you are traveling, you will be able to turn lights on and off regardless of your location in the world. You can also schedule when the lights will be off in advance. This will give the impression that someone is at home, which is reassuring especially if you don't have anyone to watch your home. So you can relax and make the most of your vacation you also use it as bedside Reading Lights.
Know if there is a power cut
Use your smart switches to find out if your home is affected by a power outage in the reading light for bed when you are studying. If you are out of the country and know that there is a storm in your city, you will be reassured that you can check if you still have power or not. Imagine if you leave your cat at home while you are away, and your friend only comes to feed her every 2 days. There is a power cut, and the heating system does not resume (in the middle of winter). You realize the situation on your smartphone, and you are able to alert your friend who can go and rectify the situation more quickly. Phew, your cat is saved! You maybe interested in wall mounted bedside reading lamps.
Save on electricity bills
Having multiple smart switches in your home may increase your electricity bill slightly, for the simple reason that those switches require you to be constantly connected to the Wi-Fi network to answer your commands at all times. However, here is still a great opportunity to save for those who tend to leave the lights on all day. Plan the times when you will be away so that the lights go off automatically in order to save on energy costs. Also, if you realize that a member of your family has forgotten to turn off a light, this is no longer a problem since you can turn it off at any time, directly on your phone when you are at the office. Indeed, if you have kids or teens at home remember that they are often distracted and sometimes forget to switch off behind them when leaving a room! So depending on the home context, smart switches can definitely save you big money despite having to stay connected to the wireless network. Discover now the best lamps for bedside tables.