We often get asked what we think home automation is for. Some of the answers we give are obvious: It allows you to access your home more easily. Or it lets you manage your energy use more efficiently. Both of these are good answers, but we’d like to explore one aspect of home automation that people sometimes forget: security.
Using home automation as a security tool is easy, and we aren’t just talking about the security system that may come with your home automation package. Here are five specific home automation technologies that have really enhanced the safety of your home:
- Door locks—Automatic door locks are good for much more than locking your doors from anywhere. It’s great to glance at your phone and know for sure that the house is locked up when not there. Your door locks can send me notifications if anything changes. If one of the kids unlocks a door, you get a text message telling you exactly who is home and which door they used. That’s the beauty of personal codes for your locks: each family member or friend has their own number to get in, so you know exactly who’s in your house and when.
- Lights—Can your lights be a tool to prevent break-ins? Absolutely. The biggest deterrent for intruders is someone being home, so you can program your lighting/small appliance controls to turn lights on and off automatically. Whether the family is on vacation or just out for the night, arming the system after dark triggers lights to turn on in different parts of the house at different times so it looks like someone is actually walking through the house.
- Motion Detectors with Built in Camera- A recent development is the general availability of Motion detectors with built in cameras, allowing homeowners to view “snapshots” of what’s happening in their homes from their smartphones or other devices. Now if the motion detector is tripped, you will get a photograph of what tripped it.
- Geofencing-See our article on alarm.com’s new “Geo-fencing” program which reminds you to arm your system when you leave home
- Cameras—Cameras are a great way to keep an eye on your home and always know what’s going on. You can check in on your kids or pets, take a look at the house while you’re on vacation, and much more. Your security system will most likely scare off an intruder, but having security camera footage increases your chances of knowing who broke into your house. That means you’ll be able to take appropriate action against home intruders and prevent them from breaking into other houses.
All of these tools give families and parents a valuable chance to stay connected with their homes. Home automation can help you experience the emotional safety of knowing what your kids are doing and when they’re coming and going. Yes, home automation is about connecting technology and making your life more convenient and simple, but we want people to realize how versatile home automation can be. You can use your system in many different ways, so get creative and explore the possibilities.
About Burns & McBride
Our job is to provide essential services to homeowners. one of those essential services is home security and automation. We provide affordable home automation to help protect families, allow them to use energy more wisely and simplify their lives.The Burns & McBride Smart, Safe Home system uses Z-wave technology to tie things like locks, thermostats and lights together so that you can control them whether you are home or away. Burns & McBride has been providing essential home services since 1949. To learn more about Burns & McBride’s Smart, Safe Home can help you – call us at 302-656-5110 or visit our website at www.burnsandmcbride.com
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