It's official. It's that time of year again...Summer has landed . Inevitably, millions of us will go on vacation to a warmer climate, where we will spend a few days in front of the blue sea, before we are abruptly returned to harsh reality..
But while you leave your work and your smartphones at home, your home security concerns will follow you wherever you go.
To calm your nerves, you should consider installing these six smart home products. This will prevent fire and flood damage, protect you from any thieves, and will be well worth it.
One of the more unusual smart home products you can buy is a smart water valve Install a smart valve and stop your basement from flooding Install a smart valve and stop your basement from flooding piece of equipment? Of course, I am talking about smart water valves. Read more . They connect to the mains water supply, allowing you to turn off the water without getting on all fours or struggling to find the stopcock.
A few months ago, we looked at the different smart valves on the market. One singled out as especially good:the Waxman LeakSMART water valve. While this is no longer sold on Amazon, you can buy it directly from the manufacturer for just $250.
This consists of two parts. One is the automated valve. The second is a humidity sensor. Replace your mechanical valve with the automatic one and place the humidity sensor under the pipes. The moment an explosion occurs, the LeakSMART will spring into action and automatically shut off the water supply.
Better yet, the latest software update for LeakSmart has introduced support for the Nest ecosystem. This means you can know when you're away, you can notify your emergency contact, and you can control your Nest Thermostat 13 things you didn't know you could do with a Nest Thermostat 13 things you didn't know you could do with a Nest Thermostat You just might you'll be surprised at how many little tricks you can pull off with your new Nest Thermostat! Read More
You don't need to light a candle or forget you have a pizza in the oven to start a fire in your house. Certain faulty appliances have been known to cause them in the past.
You may remember when the US International Trade Commission (ITC, not to be confused with the FTC) banned those irritating 'hoverboards' on the grounds that many of them were poorly built and could catch fire (as many they did).
If your house catches fire while you're away, it's unlikely someone will notice and call the fire department early enough to limit any damage. It is for this reason that it is so Important to get a "smart" smoke alarm. The Nest Protect Nest Protect Review and Giveaway Nest Protect Review and Giveaway Read More is the best known product in this category. The latest (2nd) generation model is just $100 from Amazon.
The Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm protects your home from fires and gas leaks, even when you're away, battery powered (2nd generation) The Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm protects your home from fires and gas leaks, even when you're away, battery powered (2nd generation) gas leaks even when away, with batteries (2nd generation) Buy Now On Amazon $121.90
Once installed, it can tell you if it detects smoke or carbon monoxide no matter where you are in the world, giving you precious time to call emergency services.
If you're looking for a smart security camera, you can't do much better than the Nest Cam. Costing just $189.99 on Amazon, or $494.00 for a pack of three, it lets you see what's going on in your home in vivid 1080p resolution.
Nest Security Camera, keep an eye on what matters to you, from anywhere, for indoor use, works with Alexa Nest Security Camera, keep an eye on what matters to you, from anywhere, for indoor use, works with Alexa Shop Now On Amazon $134.20
What's nice about the Nest Cam includes a built-in night vision mode, as well as a motion sensor. This means you get a complete picture of who's moving around your house, no matter what time of day it is.
You don't need a hub to use Nest Cam, and you don't need to subscribe to Nest Aware to receive mobile alerts. However, this subscription service offers continuous recording, allowing you to retain any evidence in case someone breaks into your home. This costs as little as $10 per month or $100 when billed annually.
If the Nest Cam isn't in your budget, you can improvise by turning an old Android smartphone into a security camera. How to use a smartphone or tablet as a security camera. How to use a smartphone or tablet as a security camera. to easily configure your Android device to work as a home security camera. Read more.
While the Nest Cam includes its own built-in motion sensor, you can also buy your own dedicated sensors for a fraction of the price. The advantage of this is that you can place them in multiple locations throughout your residence, thus reducing or eliminating any gaps in your security system.
There are a large number of dedicated motion sensors on the market. The Samsung SmartSense is just $39.99 and can send immediate alerts if any unexpected motion is detected. The only downside to Samsung's offering is that it requires a SmartThings hub.
Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor Buy Now On Amazon $32.00
Alternatively, there's the D-Link DCH-S150 Wi-Fi Smart Motion Sensor. At $35, this is a whole $5 cheaper than Samsung's offer, and it doesn't require any hubs. It also offers integration with IFTTT. IFTTT Now Connects to Anything:Introducing the Maker Channel IFTTT Now Connects to Anything:Introducing the Maker Channel The potential uses for IFTTT are endless. But until now, it has been difficult to interface with your own hardware projects. Today, all that has changed. Read More
D-Link DCH-S150 mydlink Wi-Fi Smart Motion Sensor D-Link DCH-S150 mydlink Wi-Fi Smart Motion Sensor Buy Now on Amazon
While I haven't personally tried D-Link's offering, I'm hesitant to recommend it over the SmartSense offering, due to some lukewarm Amazon reviews. Apparently it suffers from serious reliability issues, which is the exactly opposite thing You would want a piece of home security equipment.
Your home becomes infinitely more attractive to a burglar when it becomes apparent that no one is living there. Fortunately, smart home technology allows you to present the facade of someone who is present. All you need are some Philips Hue bulbs and some smart blinds.
With Philips Hue, you can schedule your lights to turn on during the night hours and turn them off during the day, as would be the case if someone was there. You can purchase a Philips Hue starter pack. Philips Hue Starter Kit Review and Gift Philips Hue Starter Kit Review and Gifts. The market is awash with Wi-Fi bulbs, all with their own silly mobile app that you have to worry about turning them on. . Is the tone different? We find. Read More This includes the hub, and two compatible bulbs.
Philips Hue White A19 60W Equivalent Smart Bulb Starter Kit (2 A19 60W White Bulbs and 1 Hub Compatible with Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant) Philips Hue White A19 60W Equivalent Smart Bulb Starter Kit (2 A19 60W White Bulbs and 1 Hub Compatible with Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant) Buy now on Amazon
Although this sounds incredibly inefficient, it is not. that bad. You are spending electricity, but with low consumption LED bulbs, and not the incandescent ones that consume a lot of energy.
The next step in making it look like someone is in your house is to install some smart blinds. These will allow you to open and close them, coinciding with the night hours..
The two biggest players in the market are Loxone and MySmartBlinds. I'm a fan of the MySmartBlinds offering, as it doesn't require much assembly and costs just $100. There are also a range of peripherals available to purchase separately, including solar panels and "smart" switches, which allow you to control multiple smart blinds simultaneously. .
Loxone's is almost twice as expensive. That cost doesn't include the additional equipment required to run it, like a $349 miniserver. It's also much more difficult to install, requiring electronics and programming skills.
Do you use any smart home equipment to monitor your residence while you are away? What do you use and why? I want to hear it in the comments below..
