As the countdown to Christmas approaches and the family starts to make festive holiday plans, is it likely that many people will be away from home visiting family, friends or even jetting off to sunnier climates. Thanks to vast improvements within the Smart Home sector, it is becoming easier for families to utilise smart home automation to act as virtual home security guards. In today’s post, we will go behind the scenes to discover how smart technology can work for you whilst you are not at home.
Fire Safety whilst you are not at Home
Everybody has had a shower, dressed, eaten a hasty breakfast and is ready to go, go, go! Suddenly, you are 30 miles away from home and realise that you have left the iron on. It’s so easy to do, with your mind focussed on getting everybody out of the house and on the road in time for a flight. Lightwave Smart Sockets can act as a mini security guard to stop electrical appliances from becoming a potential fire hazard whilst the house is unoccupied. Any Smart Socket can be switched off immediately using the Lightwave App or voice control from your mobile phone. The locking function also means that dangerous kitchen appliances cannot be turned on without supervision and is excellent for whole-home safety. You could automatically turn off devices five minutes after use to ensure nothing dangerous is left switched on for extra peace of mind.
Creating the illusion of Home occupancy
So, you have security fastened all the doors and windows – fitting Magnetic Triggers where needed, locked all the expensive valuables out of sight of noisy eyes and made sure there is somebody reliable to feed the pets. All there is left to do is create the illusion of home occupancy with Lightwave at your side. Lightwave Automations give you the power to direct which devices to turn on or off and in what order to create the illusion that an unoccupied house is a hybrid of activity. This can help to take a weight off your mind whilst away from home. It is possible to pre-program many automated sequences in advance. Just use remote app commands to control all your linked Lightwave devices anytime, anywhere.
One of the easiest ways to mimic occupancy is to automate all the lighting elements of your home. Draw up a plan of your typical family daily routine and then schedule a series of utomations to recreate your typical day. Leaving the house blinds closed permanently whilst you are away may draw unwanted attention. Fit Lightwave Smart Mini Relays to motorised blinds to control them remotely. Automatic curtain openers, doors, gates and lighting circuits can all be controlled via the Lightwave App. Programme your blinds to unroll and close at sunrise and sunset to deter undesired visitors.
Lights. Camera. Action. Lightwave’s Smart Sockets allow you to control your appliances from anywhere. Timer automations allow you to set lights in various rooms to shine at a pre-set intensity and duration. Do you want the ability to control multiple lights in different rooms at the same time? Simple. ‘Group’ Automations allow you to manage various Lightwave Smart Dimmers simultaneously, so you could set all the Smart Dimmers to come on or turn off at the same time. Set up just one-timer via the Link Plus app to control all devices throughout the house each day for added convenience. Add some crowd noise around the house to suggest that it’s just a typical day. By utilising Lightwave Smart Sockets and Smart Relays to control other devices, like smart speakers, you can ensure passers-by think somebody is at home.
Pets at Home
It’s not always easy to take your beloved pets with you when you go away for either short periods to work each day, or more extended periods, such as a Christmas gathering with family in another part of the country. There are a series of simple, smart automations that you can build into your home to keep your pets safe and secure whilst you are away from home.
Keep your pet warm whilst on holiday by combining the Honeywell Home Wireless Radiator Valve and Wireless Thermostat with the Lightwave Link Plus. These can be controlled remotely via the Lightwave App. The Lightwave App allows you to monitor, control and schedule all the heating elements of your home. Additionally, harness the power of the Lightwave Home or Away Button (LW929) to mimic the exact heating routine to keep your pet healthy and happy while home alone. The device works by using Link Plus automations to trigger several devices around the house. There are two buttons (Home and Away), which can be set up so that many actions will happen when pressed. When the device has been added to the Link Plus app, you will need to set up two “IF DO” automations, one for the Home button and one for the Away button. Programme the button to only keep the heating on in the rooms where your pet rests, to keep their temperature comfortable. Take this one step further and programme the button to switch off all lights apart from one room to simulate occupancy and comfort your pet whilst it’s alone.
What if your pet hears something outside at night or wants to go for a comfort break? Lightwave has created a Magnetic Trigger, which could be fitted to the door where your pet sleeps. When they push open the door at night, it can automatically switch on all the lights that lead to the pet flap in the kitchen. Another Magnetic Trigger could be fastened to the pet flap itself using a strong adhesive strip. This has the benefit of creating an additional layer of security, as once your pet pushes open the flap, you will receive instant notifications to your smartphone.
The Lightwave Smart Mini Relay Relay can be used in conjunction with the Lightwave LW824 Waterproof Housing. This allows you to control all critical outdoor lighting and more comprehensive home security elements, such as garden lighting or automatic gate openers. Set up a scheduled automation to turn on the outside LED garden lights at home, light the way for your pet, and provide much-needed peace of mind that you have simulated occupancy whilst you are not there. It is recommended to use a schedule when you would like a device to operate at certain times throughout the week and on specific days. For example, you could set the outside lights to come on from 6 pm to 6 am at 75% brightness each night for each night that nobody is home. It’s easy to work hand in hand with smart assistants to keep your much-loved pets happy at home!
Wherever you are in the world and whatever routines you wish to re-create whilst you are not at home, the power of smart technology has got your back. By applying some innovative technological solutions to your home, you can add an extra security element when you are away from home. By scheduling smart home automations ahead of schedule, you shut the front door safe in the knowledge that you can turn off electrical appliances, keep the pets happy, and simulate occupancy whenever and wherever you are in the world, at the touch of a button. Happy Holidays!