Is Your Home Smart?
Emerging Technology makes life a little easier
Maybe you’ve jumped into smart home technology with your Amazon Echo. Or, you’ve hooked up Google Home to feel connected and in control, from anywhere. This technology is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to high-tech additions that can make life a little easier.
Smart home technology has come a long way over the past decade. You might have a clothes washer that automatically senses your load size, or an oven that has a built-in air fryer and microwave oven that can be controlled with an app. With so much on the market, we had some of the local industry experts weigh in on some of the innovations in home technology and give us the inside scoop on where they might be headed.
LET’S START WITH COMFORT
Jeff and Tony Scherr, the owners of Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning, love the advances they’ve seen in their corner of heating and cooling.
“You can now remotely control your HVAC products along with the ability to receive notifications if something should go wrong,” Jeff says. “No more wondering if things are operating correctly, as the communication system will tell you in advance of an emergency.” On top of that, each system can be fine-tuned based on a customer’s needs.
Some of the company’s thermostats, for instance, come with what’s called geofencing technology. It uses your phone’s GPS to know when you’re not home. The system will then heat or cool your home accordingly, helping to cash in on energy savings while you’re away or maximize your comfort when you’re home.
“We can now customize a system to a home rather than the one-size-fits-all mentality of the past,” Jeff says.
In time, Jeff believes, all heating and cooling systems will be wireless, meaning no matter the age of your home, you’ll be able to have the latest technology. “All great news for older homes,” he says.
Jeff doesn’t doubt that there will be a day when these energy efficient systems will be able to control the temperature with greater precision.
“The ability to control every room individually is close to being a reality,” Jeff says.
LIGHT UP YOUR WORLD
What if we told you that there was a piece of smart home technology that could improve your mood and help you to sleep better? If you ask Craig Kahnke, owner of CK Tech & Security, he can make that happen with his smart lighting technology.
“The system automatically adjusts based on the time of day,” Craig says. “They are the tunable light fixtures that go from a warm white to a cool white throughout the day. It’s all powered on a Cat 6 cable and tied into the smart home platform that you can adjust by the date and the time of day.”
Craig adds that switching from a warm light in the morning to a cool light mid-day and then back to a warm light in the evening has proven health benefits. “There are a lot of studies that show this helps your circadian rhythm,” Craig says. “It’s less stressful on the body.”
Lighting is just one piece of technology that Craig likes to tie into every smart home he helps build.
“We sell smart blinds that can be opened and closed at sunrise and sunset,” he says, and this can be controlled from the light switches in the room. Audio and video can be tied into a smart home panel, and that’s not all, he says. “The alarm system is on that panel. Outdoor lighting is on that panel. Smart door locks can be seen and controlled from that panel. If you have a pool or a sauna, we can tie that in as well,” Craig says. Each smart home panel has icons built in to help control different areas of the home with ease.
You might think that this kind of technology comes with a high price tag or can only be added with new construction. Craig says many of these things can be retrofitted into an existing home and you can install an entry level smart home panel for as little as $1,500.
“We have options for everyone,” Craig says.
CONTROLLING ACCESS
Remember when you could only open your garage door by using a little muscle and the help of two giant springs at the bottom? Or, maybe you locked with a key on the side? Those days are long gone. Thanks to smart home innovation, garage doors have even more of a focus on safety and security.
Matt Weber, owner of Alpha Overhead Door says the new technology his company uses makes it even easier for homeowners to control their garage doors with flexibility and peace of mind. Not only does his system support smartphone connectivity with a dedicated app, it enables the homeowner to control their garage door from anywhere in the world.
Do you need something delivered but don’t want to give a person or company full access to your home? This system has that covered as well.
“It lets them generate a temporary or one-time access code through the smartphone app or wall-mounted keypad,” Matt says. “This allows delivery services to partially open the door for a brief period to place packages in your secure garage.”
This type of system is also equipped with an encrypted rolling code technology, which changes the access code each time the remote is used. That means you’ve got an extra level of security with the click of a button.
“The garage door and opener industry is on the verge of adopting cutting-edge technologies that will enhance security, convenience and user experience. Innovations such as predictive maintenance using AI, solar-powered openers, and customizable systems will likely make garage doors even more efficient, eco-friendly and user-centric. ~ Matt, Alpha Overhead Door
KEEPING IT CLEAN
Central vacuum systems have been around for decades, but if you ask Sandy Berkshire with Stuart’s House of Vacuums, she tell you that thanks to technology, you no longer have to lug that heavy hose from room to room.
“The vacuum’s hose retracts into the tubing that we lay out in the house,” Sandy says. “There’s no bulky hose to carry around.” When you’re finished, the suction from the central vacuum power unit retracts the hose right back into the wall.
As if that weren’t enough, this central vac system offers a patented dual-seal system to make sure you have enough power for your cleaning jobs. There’s a built in 360-degree swivel handle to make vacuuming a breeze. And, with an automatic lock, you can pull out the amount of hose you need and it will automatically lock to prevent the release of the full length of hose. Worried you might not have enough hose? Fear not.
“Each hose covers up to 2,200 square feet of living space,” she says.
Craig, CK Tech & Security – “I think we will see the DIY market get better as far as allowing end users to consolidate more into one platform like Apple HomeKit, allowing users to avoid using multiple apps to control products from hundreds of different manufacturers.” ~Craig, CK Tech & Security