Smart home guide for beginners: 4 ways to make your home smarter

Whenever there is a conversation about modern homes these days, the mention of smart homes is a precondition. Everyone talks about it and how it is and will continue to change the various functionalities of a home. However, regardless of how popular this subject may be, let's admit everyone doesn't understand the term smart homes. Thus, today, we bring you a beginner's guide that will explain this growing phenomenon and how anyone can turn a traditional home into a smart house.

Interior

So, let us start by apprehending the term 'smart homes'. It is a residence that uses internet-connected devices that enable monitoring and accessing of electrical gadgets and systems remotely. To explain this further, it allows people to manage various associated appliances such as lights, air conditioners, television sets, from any location by the simple use of an app on the smartphone, a tablet or a network device. This easy-to-operate system thereby facilitates a comfortable, convenient, and safe lifestyle.

Also known as home automation, these new-age homes though gaining popularity, are facing a challenge in many parts of the world. Surprisingly, it is not about modifying a conventional house into a smart modern property but of perception. Contrary to reality, many people believe that this is a mammoth task and an expensive proposition. In fact, the truth is they can make a smart home even with inexpensive products and without rewiring the existing electrical set up. Yes, it's true!

Hence, today, we will highlight 4 ways by which anyone can turn your conventional house into a smart modern swanky residence. So, let's get started-

1. Audio/Video and Appliance control
To convert your multimedia room into a smart studio, all you need to do is streamline the various audio and visual platforms together with the Wi-Fi network. This unified connection of multiple speakers to one hub henceforth enables music to traverse to all linked device by a simple tap of the smartphone app or by voice. This seamless linkage thus, makes it possible for everyone to enjoy the music being streamed in any room. Similarly, for an enhanced television or a movie-watching experience, merging the TV audio to that of the sound bar or music system can magnify the overall experience by providing a theatre-like sound quality to the room.
This direct control of all inputs and outputs to an integrated system will enable smart and seamless management of the home entertainment system.

2. Smart Switches
If you are thinking of transitioning your conventional house into a smart home, then the starting point can be of changing a regular switch to a smart switchboard.
This straightforward modification can be made by replacing the traditional electrical switch with the more intelligent version of it, without touching the existing wiring. For this, brands like Crabtree have an exclusive technology called the SmartH modules in the Amare plates.
These automation switches convert regular devices into smart gadgets using an interplay of Radio Frequency (RF) & Wi-fi based technologies. These smart gateways, thus seamlessly connect the smart switches and make them remote controllable via mobile app or even voice assistants like Amazon Alexa & Google Home. The sleek and premium finished switches not only add to the aesthetics of the room but also helps to transform a home into a smart home.
Apart from the primary function of switching on & off, the smart switches also offer advanced features like lights dimming & mood scene controls.

3. Smart lighting
Lighting is one of the uncomplicated entry points to a smart home. Once installed and connected over Wi-Fi working or the Bluetooth, it gives people the ability to manage the various functions-switching off and on, dimming, changing the brightening from anywhere- office, party, or even vacation, anytime. With the easy-to-use, smartphone application, anyone can effortlessly control these basic functions and set the ambience of the room.

4. Air conditioning
In the last few years, air conditioners have regularly been upgraded with several new features like the auto on/off, climate control, etc. But to use these latest functions, it is essential to be inside the house to pre-program it. Thus, finding a room to a perfect temperature when coming from somewhere outside has so far not been possible provided you have purchased the latest in-built WI-FI enabled air conditioners (AC).
But, this set-up is changing, and regardless of the AC, it is now possible to regulate the cooling from anywhere. Wondering how? It’s simple, with the latest easy-to-control smart plugs, any AC can now be converted into a smart device without spending an exorbitant amount. All you have to do is connect the main plug to the smart switch, and install an app on your smartphone or voice control it with Alexa or Google Home to control everything from temperature, humidity and air quality. Furthermore, these plugs also allow advanced control like switching the AC on and off of an individual room or floor and also of integrating it into different user-programmable scenes using the SmartH technology.

So, changing a conventional home into a smart home is not as technical as it may seem; a good Wi-Fi connection and a smartphone are all you need. Also, with voice recognition devices going mainstream, the day is not far when all fundamental to intricate functions of a home will be managed by simple voice command. Till then, convert your smartphone into an all-purpose remote and control all integrated devices with the tap of your finger.