Everyone looks forward to the fun and adventure that comes with vacations. However, leaving your house unattended is a little unsettling. You never know what might happen in your absence. Luckily, technology can help you with that. We have put together a list of smart tools that ensure complete protection of your house when you are away:
Smart Locks
A smart lock combines electronic and mechanical locking systems that enable the owner to open it without a physical key. In other words, you do not need to tuck away keys beneath the doormat or in a flower pot while leaving home or your apartments near Memphis. If anyone you trust wants to come to your house when you are away, you can simply share passcodes with them.
While buying a smart lock for your house, ensure it has Z-Wave technology. It is because Bluetooth will limit your remote access. You will lose the connection if you venture to go too far. That is not the case with Z-Wave technology. A Z-Wave-enabled smart lock can be integrated with home security systems. It is then connected to the internet so that consumers may monitor their locks from any location.
Water Sensors
Every homeowner has to cope with maintenance issues at some point. However, none of them is perhaps as problematic as leaks. It is particularly true when you are away from home and fails to identify the leak in time. A small leak can put everything at risk, be it walls, surfaces, or other valuable possessions. A water sensor can instantly notify homeowners about potential leaks through a text message or push notification. You can also program a wifi water sensor to shut off the valve automatically.
To make the most of water sensors, you must be very strategic about their placement. Here are a few optimal places where you should consider installing a water sensor:
- Basement: Statistics show that water leaks affect nearly 98% of basements, making it a go-to place to install a water sensor. Any pipe running through your basement can be an ideal location for the sensor.
- Bathroom: When it comes to leaks, things can go awry in a bathroom at anytime. Since bathrooms are peppered with plumbing, keeping an eye out for leaks is a must. You may tuck away a water sensor underneath a sink, a toilet, or simply in any corner.
- Water heater: Water heaters are susceptible to leaks, especially the old tanks. Installing a water sensor at the bottom of the water heater is highly recommended.
- Washing machine: There is no time to waste when the washing machine’s hose leaks because it can flood the laundry area in a jiffy. To avoid thousands of dollars in water damage, consider placing a water sensor underneath the washing machine.
Smart Lights
When people go on vacation, they typically follow two strategies to keep burglars at a safe distance. They either leave their lights on 24 hours a day or use old-fashioned timers with fixed schedules. Well, these tactics have become outdated over time. Worse yet, recent statistics reveal that they even add to the risk of burglary. That is where smart lights come into play.
Smart lights outperform non-smart solutions because you can customize them to mimic how you use lights. For instance, you could set up specific guidelines about the lighting in your family room when you are watching TV. Alternatively, you may establish a bedtime lighting ritual that dims the bulbs in your room but keeps your hallway illuminated properly. Such lighting patterns are unlikely to give an impression to the intruders that the house is unoccupied.
Do not assume you have to be a tech-geek to operate smart lights; they are on top of user-friendliness. Smart lights synchronize with your smartphone for remote management. Depending on the convenience, you may even integrate them with other smart devices such as security cameras and surveillance systems.
There is a wide variety of indoor and outdoor smart lighting alternatives in the market. When it comes to indoor options, LED bulbs are the best. You can also fit them into any standard light fixture. On top of that, some may even brighten up a dull space by adding color and style. Outdoor lighting options include floodlights, pathway lights, sconces, and standalone lamps.
Video Doorbells
Typically, video doorbells connect to your phone over Wi-Fi and enable you to interact through video or voice. You can even customize the motion-detecting zones on some of these models. Video doorbells possess a battery-powered camera, which provides clear footage of what is going on outside your door. When someone is approaching your door, you can turn on the lights or download a video of the intruder.
Using intelligent alerts, you may also distinguish between animals, people, parcels, and cars. You do not have to be concerned about the device coming to a halt while you are on vacation because the battery lasts roughly six months on a single charge.
Smart Floodlight Camera
Smart floodlight cameras are all the rage these days. This device has a high-pitched siren that scares away intruders and keeps your house safe from robbery. You can activate the siren from a remote location using the smartphone app.
The mobile app also shows you a thumbnail image of what triggered the alarm. The app lets you set the siren and motion sensor to only sound when intruders get within a certain distance of your property. They provide complete ground coverage, allowing you to see even at night. The latest models of smart floodlights have a color night vision camera with HD.
Conclusion
When you are on vacation, it is easy to get distracted by thoughts of what is going on back home. Does my house look like no one lives there? Did I properly lock the door? What will happen if the smoke detector goes off? Fortunately, the technology has become too advanced to lose your peace of mind over your home’s security.