It seems that every day is busier than the last, and there's never time to do everything you want. Fortunately, the things we use are pitching in to help. Smart home devices and appliances mean greater convenience, energy savings and peace of mind.
Ranging from security to cooking, these devices usually feature a connection to your home Wi-Fi network and, more often than not, are accessible through your mobile device. This frees you up to do things on the go that used to require more dedicated time and attention.
Smart Security
Today's smart home technology can do amazing things to help keep you safe from crime, fire and other dangerous situations. And unlike old-fashioned alarm systems that only went off if something was wrong, today's smart security systems can not only protect you, they can also actually make your day more convenient.
Smart Locks
The lock is the most basic of all security devices. It keeps people out of places where you don't want them. Old locks used a key. Newer locks can use electronic keypads. But smart locks take security and convenience to a whole new level.
By connecting to a central hub in your home via a wireless signal, smart locks can be locked and unlocked using your smartphone. So if a child forgets his or her key, a quick phone call to a parent gets them inside with ease. And if you have a house sitter watching your home while you're on vacation, you can grant them temporary access that expires the day you come home.
Smart monitoring
Today's smart home surveillance and monitoring systems have moved past security, and are now just as much about remote interaction. Crime prevention and safety are still important, but today's easy-to-implement, Internet-connected cameras allow you to watch a live video feed of what's happening in your home from anywhere in the world. This means you can watch out for danger, while also doing things like checking in on family and pets, or even seeing if there's a package waiting on your front steps.
Smart garage doors
Ever had that sudden, anxious realization that you may have left the garage door up? Never again. Today's smart garage doors give you the ability to confirm closure right from your smartphone. They also allow you to do things like opening the door remotely for a contractor or landscaper. Smart garage doors can even use the GPS in your smartphone to automatically open the door when you pull into the driveway.
Smart doorbells
How could the humble doorbell find a place in today's connected smart-home world? By becoming your virtual butler. When a smart doorbell rings, it immediately sends a video feed to your smartphone, or even your television, so you know who's at the door. You can then communicate with your visitors, or ignore them if you so choose. Smart doorbells can also capture video footage of everyone who rings your bell, so it's just as much about security as it is about interaction.
Smart kitchens
Connected appliances can change a lot of aspects of your life, including your time in the kitchen. By helping you streamline simple tasks or reminding you of important things, they can help you take control of your meals like never before.
Smart refrigerators
Smart refrigerators are not just about storage -- they're also about awareness. By using bar code scanners or RFID readers, smart fridges can help keep you informed about what you have available to eat. No more last-minute runs to the store for milk. No more surprise spoilage. You know what kind of food you have, and how much longer you'll have it available.
Smart fridges can also send alerts to you on your smartphone when it's time to buy more of the things you need. Smart fridges can even be used as information hubs, with integrated televisions and the ability to leave messages and reminders for other family members.
Smart cooking
Nobody wants to cook dinner after a long day at work. With smart ovens and ranges, you can now let your appliances shoulder part of the load. Connected cooking appliances can do simple things, like allow you to start them and clean them via smartphone. But they can also become an invaluable hub for dinner activities by helping you plan meals and offering recipes.
Even smaller cooking appliances like crock pots can now connect to your home Wi-Fi network, allowing you to start them while you're at work, and come home to a piping-hot meal.
Smart Lighting
With smart lighting devices, you can use your smartphone to dim different lights to create ambience for dinner, or make it easier to see the television. When you're away, smart lights can be set to turn on and off to make it appear like you're still home, using random patterns that more accurately simulate a busy, occupied home.
Smart lighting can also involve natural light. Smart window blinds can be set to open and close on a schedule, or controlled manually via smartphone app. And since they're motorized, you'll no longer have to deal with unsightly cords that can entangle children and pets.
Smart HVAC is smarter than ever
Older thermostats were fairly simple devices. They used mechanical switches to turn heating and cooling off based on ambient air temperature. You set one single temperature that was maintained all day and all night. This necessitated an ongoing battle between energy savings and comfort, because saving energy meant setting the temperature to a level that was either too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Then along came programmable thermostats, which helped make the situation a little more bearable. Now, your home temperature could be set to different levels based around the activity of your family. You could program the thermostat to keep your home at more comfortable temperatures when everyone was home and awake, then dial back to more energy-efficient temperatures when everyone was gone or fast asleep.
Smarter means more adaptable
The problem with programmable thermostats is, most families don't follow a rigid schedule. So variations in daily life that didn't correspond with the thermostat's schedule meant everyone was uncomfortable at least part of the time or you could be wasting energy.
Now, smart thermostats like the iComfort® S30 Smart Thermostat have changed the game entirely. Instead of following a set schedule, they can actually adapt to changes in activity and routine. Smart thermostats can proactively grab energy savings wherever they can, reducing system and utility costs based on your family's actual schedule.
It knows where you are, and what you want
The iComfort S30 uses a variety of technologies to adapt to life and preserve consistent energy savings. These technologies all work together to find the perfect balance between energy use, temperature and humidity, so you never have to sacrifice one for the other.
Schedule IQ™ Technology: While regular programmable thermostats follow a set routine, the iComfort S30 uses your programmed schedule as a guideline. If it detects a variation in the routine -- for example, a family leaving for the day a half-hour earlier than normal -- it automatically adapts its heating and cooling to match.
Smart Away™Mode: To get the most accurate picture of your family's activities, the iComfort S30 coordinates its operation with the GPS in your family's smartphones. If it detects that everyone is away, it sets back the temperature to save energy. Then, when it detects a family member is on the way home, it restores normal operation so everyone always comes home to comfort.
Remote Capability: To make sure you're always in control, the iComfort S30 can be monitored and adjusted using the iComfort App on your mobile device. So you can make manual changes anytime you wish.
Active Monitoring: To ensure you have uninterrupted comfort, the iComfort S30 monitors itself continually. If it detects an issue, or senses it's time for regular system maintenance or a filter change, it can alert you and your dealer with a message via email.
If you'd like to make your home smarter, the possibilities are endless. And if you'd like smarter home comfort with an iComfort S30 smart thermostat, your local Lennox® Dealer is here to help. Find your Lennox Dealer here.
