Smart home-instructions for dummies

04 September 2021

A modern smart home is no longer the distant future, but the present. Such systems regularly appear in apartments and houses. Many people who are looking at this technology are concerned about the questions: “Are there such devices that you can buy and not overpay for installation?” Let’s figure it out together.

Where to start?

There are a great many technical solutions for a smart home, so a large selection of devices for any task has been formed. If you have knowledge in IT and a concept of the technical subtleties of electrical engineering, then you can save money and design everything yourself for your tasks.

The connection of the smart home system can be wired and wireless. A wired connection is more reliable, because it does not depend on battery discharge or Internet connection interruptions. If you plan such a system at the stage of building a house, the wires will not be noticeable at all. At the start of construction or repair, it is possible to think through everything and hide the wiring in the baseboards, shields, walls. But when choosing built-in solutions, you should take into account the significant costs of construction work. If the house has already been renovated, it is better to stop at the wireless technology, which is installed arbitrarily.

The purpose of implementing a smart home

A home smart system is being created to solve the following tasks:

  • Housing security. Unauthorized intruders, fire, water leakage, etc. are prevented.
  • Saving resources. You can adjust the power supply of electrical appliances, adjust the heating.
  • Adjusting the parameters. The humidity of the air, the temperature, the degree of brightness of the lighting are adjusted.
  • Convenience. Easy control of lighting, curtains, TV, tape recorder, kitchen and household appliances, even without being at home.

The smart home will turn on the underfloor heating so that it is already warm by the time the owners wake up, take care of night washing and washing dishes. For safety reasons, he will turn off unnecessary electrical appliances when no one is at home. Security and resource savings are obvious.

Organization methods

Regardless of the communication method, the smart home includes the following elements:

The controller (hub) is a control center that connects the system elements into one whole and with devices outside the smart home system.

Sensor (sensor) — a device that detects deviations from the norm (threats) and sends alarms.

An actuator is a device that executes commands. The controller for pipes, a smart kettle and much more works from actuators.

The smart home system uses different communications: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-wave and Zigbee protocols. Therefore, some types of devices often run on a battery for a year or more.

Types of sensors

To implement smart home scenarios, multidirectional sensors are used, including:

Motion sensors. In most cases, they are responsible for automatically turning on the light, opening doors, gates.

Sensors for opening doors or windows. They are designed to send alarm signals to the hub at an event, to signal immediately to the remote control of the security company.

Leak sensors. They are responsible for problem areas in the house, where a leak may appear. When water gets on the sensor, it emits an alarm signal. And if a smart switch is installed, it even blocks the water.

Smoke detectors. In all new houses, they are already installed by the developer by default.

Sensors responsible for temperature, lighting, humidity. Such devices are responsible for a comfortable home atmosphere. For example, they dim the lights or water the flowers.

Ready-made or prefabricated solutions to choose?

You can create a smart home from different equipment or use ready-made solutions. Only advanced users can cope with the equipment of such manufacturers as Home Assistant, Majordomo, Schneider, Openhab, ioBroker, ABB, Domoticz, HomeBridge. If you do not have such a level of knowledge, it is better to use one of the ready-made solutions. Which one? It depends on the taste. Everyone has their own preferences in technology.

Voice assistants should be singled out separately. With their help, it is easy to manage a smart home, and smart speakers as part of such assistants can work as a hub. Russian is currently well recognized by Yandex.Alice. The rest do not understand all the words correctly.

Which solution is cheaper?

The system for a smart home costs differently. It all depends on the tasks assigned to it. Approximate costs:

  • Hidden wired system — 2-5 thousand UAH. per square meter of area.
  • Sensors of leaks, smoke, closing / opening of windows — 1-1. 5 thousand UAH/piece.
  • Smart sockets, light bulbs, other gadgets — 1-2 thousand UAH/piece.
  • Local server — new about 10 thousand UAH, used-2 thousand UAH.
  • The controller — no more than 1-2 thousand UAH.

The minimum price of ready-made kits from vendors and Internet service providers varies from 3 and up to 20 thousand UAH. depending on the completeness.

Conclusion

To create a smart home, you should take into account not only how everything will be bought, individually or as a whole set, but also the degree of knowledge of the owners in the field of electrical engineering and information technology. A smart home in a simple design with self-installation costs somewhere 3-7 thousand dollars.. In general, who has what appetites. Having started automation once, it is very difficult to stop.

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