What lights get left on a lot?
One of the most-loved features of smart lighting is timers. Timers allow you to set a light to turn off automatically after a specified period of time has passed so that no light ever gets left on. Rooms you don’t use very often are sometimes the worst for left on lights because you don’t notice when a lights left on.A good example of this are those transient areas of your house like the laundry room or pantry. Kids leaving the lights on can be a headache for parents so adding timers to kids bedrooms and playrooms can give you some much needed relief. Take a moment to think about the lights in your house that get left on frequently. The ones that when you see them left on, it elicits an exasperated sigh. That’s where you want smart lighting.What lights turn on and off at around the same time every day?
Part of smart lighting is embracing your inner control freak. Since you have a daily schedule, there’s no reason your lights don’t too. Using a scheduling feature, you can set lights to turn on and then off at specific times of day. If you happen to be one of those people who come home from work only to realize they left their porch light on all day, then consider making your exterior lights smart. Doesn’t sound like you? Then it probably isn’t worth it to designate smart lighting to your exterior lights.How often do you travel?
The jet-setter lifestyle can be fun, but of course, you always want to make sure your home is safe and secure when you’re away. Having lights on does give the illusion that someone is home, but you can be a little more covert about it than leaving the same light on for 7 days in a row. Smart lighting enables remote control of your lights so you can flick them on and off from the airport lounge in Germany, the beach in Mexico, or the slopes of Colorado. Try putting smart lighting in a large, open area of your home that has a lot of windows and is easily seen from the street for the strongest “someone is home” effect.”It’s hard to know how you’ll use something before you purchase it or even see it in action, especially lighting. Smart lighting is much more than just controlling your lights from your phone. If you’re considering smart lighting or interested in the capabilities, these questions should help you figure out a good starting point for your smart lighting layout.
