Home Automation Guide Part 2: All About Automated Lights

As part of our on-going commitment to educate Charleston and the Lowcountry about the latest products and services in home automation, last week we reviewed the benefits of having keyless door locks in your home and this week we’ll be reviewing how you can automate your home’s lights (both indoor and outdoor).

Why Automate Your Home’s Lights?

Many of you may be wondering: “Why would I want to automate my home’s lights?”. For starters, automating your home’s lighting may help you save a bit on your electricity bill by allowing you to set schedules for lights to turn on/off in your home — and if you leave your home and forget a few lights on, simply pull up your home automation app (like Total Connect 2.0) on your phone or tablet and turn your lights off remotely.

How Does Automated Lighting Work?

With ordinary lighting you manually turn on and off your lights, generally with a regular switch or dimmer switch. With home automation lighting, a Z-Wave enabled device is added to your switch or dimmer switch that allows it to communicate with a controller that you can then operate the switch like a remote control.

There are many, many different manufacturers of Z-wave enabled devices, but we always recommend models that are compatible with your home security system, and keyless door locks as you’ll want to be able to control both using one home automation service.

How Do I Get Started With Automated Lighting?

First of all, look through your home and decide which lights you’d like to automate (both inside and outside). Start with main entry/exits, hallways, bathroom lights (having bathroom lights automated is particularly handy during the night) and living room lights. If you have a dimmer switch or lamp you’d like to automate, let your home automation professional know during your free home consultation.

As with all of our products and services, automated lighting offers you easier living and peace of mind. If you have any questions about home automation, feel free to let us know about it on Facebook or send us an email: sales@charlestonsecuritysystems.net.