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Useful, practical, and inexpensive, smart plugs are quickly becoming one of the most popular home devices. Have you wondered about making your home more automated?
Maybe you’ve thought about it but didn’t want the hassle of learning how “smart” items work. Smart plugs are a great introduction to home automation.
Let’s take a quick look at what they are quickly becoming popular devices in smart homes.
Smart plugs plug directly into an electrical outlet. They work with devices that can be turned off and on with a switch. Using an app or voice commands, you can turn items off and on as needed.
An app is used to schedule when the power comes on or goes off, giving you the ability to managed devices remotely.
What is a smart plug?
Smart plugs are similar to an adapter. They fit between the item you plugin and the power socket. Simply put, you use a smart plug to turn things on and off. But, when it is connected to a smart home via the Internet, it becomes a handy device.
What makes them so “smart”?
The “smart” part comes from being able to control appliances from anywhere using an app on your smartphone. Some apps include features that let you schedule smart plugs. They will turn off or on at specific times on certain days.
Another feature about smart plugs is that they can collect information about each device and how much energy it is consuming. This can help you save on energy bills by purchasing more energy-efficient devices.
How do you control them?
Smart plugs communicate using a central control hub through your wi fi network. The plug sends information to the hub via your wi-fi and that information is then sent to the app on your phone.
Likewise, you can change or schedule settings using your phone app, and It will send the signal back to the device.
Benefits of Using Smart Plugs
It’s pretty cool to think about talking to your house and having it respond with certain actions. But you’ll find smart plugs to provide several benefits. Firstly, they can help you save money on energy bills.
Scheduling specific appliances to come on or go off during certain times of the day is useful.
For instance, you can program your lights, so they only come on during certain hours while you are home. This keeps you from wasting energy.
They can also help prevent fire hazards. If you use items like a clothes iron or a curling iron, you can turn them off remotely using your phone.
Just in case you left for work early and can’t remember if you turned your curling iron off, you can turn it off from work, at a movie, or at a friend’s house to ease your worries.
Being able to turn off appliances remotely can help you save energy. This can make a noticeable difference in your electric bill. There are also many other benefits and used for smart plugs.
A coffee maker can be plugged into a smart plug and scheduled to turn on 10 minutes before your alarm in the morning. You’ll get up to a nice warm, fresh cup of coffee.
Ever gone to bed at night and realized you forgot to turn the living room lights off? Turn them off without getting back up out of your warm bed. You can also turn lights on before you get up, so you don’t stumble through a dark house.
Coolest Things to Use With Smart Plugs
Lights, TVs, and Radios
Thieves are opportunistic and usually hit a home when they suspect no one is home. Scheduling lights to go on or off in various rooms of your house can be a deterrent.
You can also schedule your TV or radio to come on in the evening when you leave the house to make it look like someone is home.
Kid’s Game Consoles and TVs
Kid’s gaming consoles or TVs can be set on a schedule to be shut down at certain times. For example, you may want to have them turn on after supper hours when your children have completed their homework.
Or, you may have them turn off after supper so homework and chores can be completed. Turn the power off remotely before bedtime to be sure no one is getting up in the night to finish their games.
Comfort Devices
During the warmer months, many of us go to bed with the fan on because it’s so hot. But then, just a few hours later, it’s cooled down, and you have to get back up to turn the fan off.
Maybe you live where it’s cooler, and when you go to bed, you feel like you are freezing.
An electric blanket can make you cozy and warm so you can fall asleep faster. But a couple of hours later, you wake up feeling like a piece of bread in a toaster oven.
Smart plugs can control fans and electric blankets. You can program these comfort devices, so they go off at a certain time, and you don’t have to wake up to change any settings.
Wi-Fi Routers
Resetting your router is probably not on your list of fun things to do. You have to unplug it. Wait for two or three minutes, then plug it back in. But with a smart plug, you can remotely turn it off and then back on again when you are ready. It’s a matter of convenience.
Christmas Lights
Christmas lights are fun to have and more fun to share. But they can drive up your energy bills if you forget to turn them off during the day.
Using a smart plug, you can schedule them to go off before bedtime and come on just before dusk each evening. Remember that if you plug your holiday lights in outside, you’ll need an outdoor smart plug.
Other Appliances
Think beyond the kitchen, coffee pots, and slow cookers. You can use a smart plug to make any appliance into a smart home device. We’re talking space heaters to help keep you warm to air conditioners to keep you cool.
When you use a kasa smart plug any electrical appliance can be turned into a smart device with the ability to turn them on and off with an app or voice control. You can have Google assistant, Google nest, or Alexa turn devices on or off.
Final Thoughts
Using smart plugs to control devices throughout your house can make many aspects of your life a lot easier. You can use them to manage almost any electrical device or appliance, saving you precious time and money. They are a little bit fun, but a whole lot of smart.
