Smart homes are very popular these days as homeowners look for new ways to increase comfort, improve energy efficiency, decrease inefficiencies, and cut down on utility costs through automation and remote control functionality. Whether you’re remodeling your home or building from scratch, it’s worth considering how certain electrical upgrades might benefit your home and your family. Here, we’ll take a deeper look at some popular and innovative smart home modifications that can help bring your home into the 21st century.
Humidity Sensors
Bathrooms are uniquely susceptible to mold and mildew due to the constantly changing humidity levels caused by warm showers. The vast majority of Boston homeowners have bathroom exhaust fans that counteract this effect by controlling moisture levels. To work effectively, these fans should run for at least a few minutes after someone is finished showering. Unfortunately, many people simply switch off their bathroom fan and light when leaving the bathroom. Having a humidity sensor installed and connected to your bathroom fan can make sure it runs for the ideal amount of time to remove humidity while cutting down on energy costs.
Jamb Switches
Imagine having the lights come on automatically every time you open your closet door. No more fumbling around in the dark to find what you need or feeling around for the switch on the outside of the closet. Sounds pretty good, huh? Well, it’s easy to achieve. All you need is what’s known as a jamb switch – essentially a light switch installed on a door designed to switch on when the door is opened and off when closed. Closets are common places for jamb switches, but they can be installed anywhere you want automatic lighting such as pantries or cabinets. You’ve already seen this technology used in refrigerators and cars. It’s one of the easiest ways to bring automatic lighting to smaller spaces in your home without breaking the bank.
Motion Sensor Lighting
There’s no better way to be greeted when entering a room than to have the lights switch on automatically. Many Boston homeowners already utilize this technology on the outside of their property with floodlights that illuminate the yard whenever someone is around. Modern homes are starting to bring this functionality inside to automatically control lighting when someone enters and leaves a room.
You can take advantage of motion sensor lighting in any room although hallways, living rooms, garages, and other high-traffic areas are excellent choices. You don’t have to find the light switch before coming into the space, and you don’t have to worry about leaving the light on when leaving. It’s a win-win!
Electric Wiring & Panel Updates
Investing in advanced technology is only half the battle when it comes to modernizing your home’s electrical capabilities. To maximize the impact of new electronics and appliances, you may need to upgrade your home’s electrical panel to support the increased demand. Despite their ability to improve your home’s energy efficiency, these additions could require greater capacity than your home’s current electrical panel can handle. In reality, many Boston homes have electrical panels that simply don’t suffice when it comes to handling modern appliances. Upgrading your panel can keep your appliances running optimally while reducing the chances of circuit breaker trips and power surges. Some older homes might also require entire electrical wiring upgrades to prevent overloads and potentially hazardous consequences.
If you’re interested in updating your home’s electrical system with energy-efficient, automatic, or other smart home innovations, contact Boston Standard Plumbing to book an appointment. We offer a host of professional electrical services for Boston homeowners.
Categories:
Energy Efficiency
