HOW TO SET UP YOUR SMART HOME

OK, homeowners! Look to the future with connected appliances and systems designed to make your life easier

It’s time to step into a brave new world of technology and get connected

We’re calling it: 2019 will be the year you adopt smart home technology. The heart of the home is fast becoming the hub of the home, with a range of high-tech devices available to keep you connected and in control of your appliances, your lighting, heating, cooling, home security, music and more. It can be a confusing road to navigate, and technology is moving fast. Here’s what you need to know.

check your connection

Let’s start with the good news. You can now implement a lot of smart home technology using just your wireless network, without any need for hard wiring and the attendant electrician’s bill. This does mean, of course, that you need a good wi-fi system. If you don’t have that, it might be time to upgrade your wireless router or invest in a booster, repeater or extender to avoid any dead spots throughout your house.

choose your hub

Each smart element of your home is likely to have its own control system, operated either on the appliance or device itself, or through its own app on your smartphone. That’s fine if you just have one or two, but before long you’ll need help. And that’s where a smart home hub makes its entrance. The most popular and useful, with many doubling as high-quality speakers, are the Google Home devices, powered by the Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Echo series, powered by Alexa. Apple’s HomePod with Siri is a contender, but mostly limited to the Apple ecosystem. Or, you could look to a whole home solution that can be retrofitted, such as Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s Nero system that allows smart control of lights to be added behind existing switches, and smart plugs that allow the appliances plugged into them to be wirelessly controlled.

lights, camera, action

Next it’s time to upgrade some of your ‘dumb’ appliances or systems to be smarter. Here are some ideas to get you started – but before you buy, check that your chosen system is compatible with your hub. LIGHTING Replacing your bulbs with smart light bulbs will open up a world of possibilities, including turning lights on and off using your voice, and pre-setting scenes to suit your daily routine. Check out the Philips ‘Hue’ system for indoors and outdoors

(meethue.com), the LED bulbs by Lifx (lifx.com.au) which are wi-fi enabled, and Beacon Lighting’s Lucci Connect bulbs and app, which work in a similar way.

WINDOW COVERINGS Luxaflex offers a motorisation system that means your blinds can be operated remotely through your phone or through a home hub such as Google Home. Blinds can also be automated to rise or fall at particular times – either to work with the natural light or as a security measure while you’re away.

SECURITY Brands including Arlo, Ring, D-Link and Nest produce security cameras or doorbells that operate using wi-fi and can record video or images that can be viewed on your phone. You can see who’s at the door or inside or outside your house, even if you’re not at home. When combined with smart window coverings and lightings, it’s easy to make your home appear as if it’s occupied while you’re out or on holidays.

COOLING Ever forget to turn your air conditioner off, or wish you could turn it on 15 minutes before arriving home? Look for smart split systems that can be controlled from a smartphone from Samsung, Fujitsu, Mitsubish Electric and LG.

APPLIANCES Both Samsung and LG have families of smart appliances, with Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator able to facilitate your Woolworths order or show you a picture of the inside of your fridge if you’re at the shops and can’t remember whether you have milk. Washing machines from LG and Samsung can be controlled using apps from your phone or using Google Home or Alexa. iRobot’s Roomba (vacuum) and Braava (sweeping and mopping) robots can be scheduled from your phone or controlled using Google Home or Alexa.

“You can now implement smart home technology without any hard wiring”