SEM Security Systems
a division of Southeast Mobility
Inc
What is Home Automation? Ever watch the Jetsons when
you were a kid? Well, home automation hasn't quite
reached that level yet but let your imagination be your limit.
A home automation system can perform many functions for
you. Most everyone has heard of or has a programmable
thermostat, with home automation your thermostat is tied
into your alarm system with many alternative programming
possibilities. You can still set the thermostat to change
temperatures based on the time and day of the week, but
what if you come home from work early? With home
automation the alarm system will tell the thermostat that
you are home and the temperature will be adjusted
automatically. It can also adjust the temperature when the
system is armed in the away mode, meaning you are not
home so the thermostat gets adjusted up or down
automatically. You can even call your home automation
system from your cell phone on the way home and tell it to
adjust the temperature so that your home is already at the
temperature that you like when you walk in the door.
Home automation can do much more than just thermostat
control. It can turn on your porch light when it starts to get
dark outside, no big deal a light sensor can do that. But
with home automation you can program the light to come at
5:30, since you get home at 5:45, and stay on for an hour if
it happens to be dark at 5:30. If it's not already dark at
5:30, then the light won't be turned on. If it's after dark and
you unarm your system, home automation can turn on the
kitchen and hallway lights, if you are unarming it with a
remote from outside the home then the lights will already be
on when you open the door.
Back to heating and cooling: Did you know that the primary
cause of death in a fire is not the fire itself but rather smoke
inhalation? Let's think about what happens. First the fire
starts, raises the temperature in the home, the thermostat
tells the air-conditioner to come on and cool the house
down. What the ac actually does is provide fresh air to the
fire and distribute the smoke throughout the home. With
home automation the smoke alarms will go off, sounding
the alarm, telling the ac unit to shut down, and just to make
it easier for the fire department to find your home we can
have it flash the front porch light off and on.
Home automation can use the motion detectors in your
home to turn the lights on in the room when you walk in,
and then after a predetermined time of non activity, turn the
lights back off again.
If you're ready to step into the future, give us a call and ask
us about home automation, and before you ask, no we do
not have a robot maid but we do have a robot vacuum
cleaner.