There’s no doubt smart lighting systems are the future! We all have lights in our homes, and replacing them with those that can do more than turning them on and off is easier. Smart lights have become popular over time since they are easily accessible. Not only do smart lighting systems save your energy and money, but they also make your home more comfortable and secure. So, how do you create a smart lighting system in your home?
Smart lighting technology allows you to remotely control the brightness and dimness in your home. Figuring out where to start is hard since there are many options. Here’s how to create a smart lighting system in your home, best practices, and suggestions.
What To Consider Before Installing a Smart Lighting System in Your Home
You aim to make your home as convenient as possible. A smart lighting system offers benefits, including a better night’s sleep, saving money, enhancing security, and inviting interior spaces.
Before you create a smart lighting system in your home, you need to consider the following:
- What you need for a smart lighting control system: If you want to automate the entire lighting in your house or particular lighting like lamps.
- The type of lights you want to automate: The lights in your living room or specific lights in your home.
- Whether you need to control the brightness or dimness in your home: You can have complete control of the lights in your home, including security lighting, motion sensors, or creating a perfect aura in your dining room.
Easy Steps To Get Started With Smart Lighting
A state-of-the-art whole-home automation lighting system might be costly. Well, you don’t have to worry! There are much simpler ways you can try smart home technology to integrate smart lighting into your house.
Generally, a smart home has devices connected to the internet, creating a network. Furthermore, the devices come with proprietary hubs that enable communication between your smartphone and the device.
Install a Controller
The first step is to install a smart lighting controller. The majority of these smart gadgets are designed to simplify life. Centralize smart operations using a digital assistant or controller.
The smart lighting controller is the brain of your system, and it controls all the other components. The voice-activated device is programmed to communicate with several smart lighting controls like switching on or off, brightening, and dimming.
Get Smart Lights
Once you have your controller, you must add some smart lights. You can control these lights remotely, and they come in different forms.
You can purchase smart light bulbs and screw them into your existing light sockets.
Add Smart Light Switches
The next thing you need to do to make your entire house smarter is to consider smart light switches or outlets. Once you install the smart switches, you can remotely control your fixtures, including those with basic bulbs.
After experiencing how smart switches can best suit your lifestyle, install smart light fixtures with built-in technology to control them with an app or your voice.
Add Other Accessories
Finally, you can add a few more accessories, including a smart plug. It allows you to control plugged-in devices remotely. Furthermore, a motion sensor can be a great addition. It can turn on your lights when someone enters the room.
When you harmonize your smart lights with other smart devices, there are endless possibilities. For instance, when someone rings your doorbell, the porch light turns on, or a flashing red light when your thermostat detects carbon monoxide.
With these components in place, you can create a smart lighting system that is perfect for your home.
Smart Lighting System Best Practices
A smart lighting system allows you to remotely control your lights, set schedules, and even turn them in or off with your voice. Therefore, installing this system is one of the best ways to make your home smarter.
Below are the best practices for installing a smart lighting system in your home:
You Need to Choose the Right Lights
Regarding smart lighting, not all lights have the same features. You can control some remotely while turning others on or off with a voice command. Therefore, you need to choose the right lights for your system.
The right smart lights should fully transform your home. There is a wide range of smart bulbs and light panels for every kind of illumination for your home. Whether you need lights that blend in with your favorite movies and games; or a pleasant, warm, relaxing aura for a quiet night, many options exist.
These smart light systems are convenient and can save money and energy since they use LEDs. That is, they use a minimal amount of energy than other types of bulbs and are long-lasting.
Install a Smart Hub
To control your lights remotely, you need a smart hub. Also known as a home automation hub, the device allows you to control your light bulbs and lamps within your home from a remote location.
So, instead of walking around your house flipping switches, a smart hub can digitize these steps involved in operating the lights in your home.
Connect Your Lights
Once you have your lights and hub set, connect them. You can connect the smart light bulbs through WI-FI. However, some bulbs are compatible with Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-wave. The connection process varies depending on the type of lights you have. It doesn’t require drilling or rewiring.
You only have to do the following:
- Plug in the hub: If your smart bulb has a hub, plug it into the router.
- Remove old bulbs: Remove your incandescent bulbs and screw smart light bulbs into the preferred fixture.
- Go to your app store and download the mobile application suitable for your bulb brand.
- Pair the bulb with the mobile application, and you’re good to go.
You can also label these bulbs if you pair several to clarify what bulb you control in your house.
Set Up Your Schedule
Among the best features of a smart lighting system is that you can set schedules. You can set the smart light bulbs to turn on and off at specific times automatically. You can even create a custom schedule for each day of the week.
Use Voice Commands
With a smart lighting system, you can control your smart light bulbs with voice commands. The option lets you turn the lights on and off without leaving your couch. You only need to ensure that you connect your smart lighting system to an appropriate platform during the installation process.
Most smart lighting automation systems support the major voice platforms such as Google Home Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple HomeKit/Siri.
Experiment
You can experiment with your smart lighting system in different settings to determine what works best for you.
Try out different schedules, voice commands, and colors to create your house’s perfect smart lighting system.
Types of Smart Lighting Bulbs
Several smart light bulbs correspond to different home fixtures. For example, your bedside lamp has different light bulbs from your bathroom or any other room.
The most common types of smart light bulbs include:
- Group A: They are standard and common in homes. They include A15, A19, A21, and A25. The numbers indicate the diameter of the bulb.
- Group B and C: These smart bulbs resemble a candle flame. They have a bulging base that reduces towards their round tip. B-shaped smart bulbs tend to be like a bullet, while C-shaped smart bulbs are conical.
- Group G: They are fully round and come in different sizes. The G-shaped smart bulbs include the G11, G14, G30, and G50.
- Group BR: These smart bulbs have a wide angle, downright suitable for your wide-angle lighting needs like your hallways and kitchen work surfaces. The Bulged Reflector smart light bulbs include the BR20, BR30, and BR40.
These smart light bulbs have a series of numbers of letters or letters that differentiate them, known as light bulb codes. The letters indicate their shape or special features, like types of reflectors, and the numbers are the sizes.
Where To Use Smart Light Bulbs
You can mount smart light bulbs anywhere in your house where you can use regular light bulbs. However, the most appropriate places to install smart lights include table lamps. If you have fixtures connected to wall switches, you may add smart light switches.
A Smart Lighting Systems Is a Worthwhile Investment
Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed technological advancements in smart lighting systems. It’s now easier to turn your lights on and off from the comfort of your bed with just a command. The technology gives you complete control over your lighting and other components in your home at the palm of your hand.
Smart lighting systems are a worthwhile investment. They provide the kind of ease and convenience you need in your house. Furthermore, they are a durable and cost-effective lighting option for homes.
We can help you make your home warm and bright with smart lights. Therefore, when you partner with ONIT Home, you’ll have access to some of the best deals. To learn more about smart lighting systems, visit our website or call us at 1-833-433-0331 to speak to our experts. For all your smart lighting solutions, we’ll be ONIT.