Six Ways to Automate Home
Everything you need to make your house smart and safe
In an era of state-of-the-art technology, automating homes has become less about luxury, and more about security, and convenience. Home automation refers to building automatic control for daily household activities involving any sort of machinery. This is called a “Smart House,” of which lighting, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, security are all automated. Home appliances, like washer/dryers, ovens, refrigerators and freezers may also be controlled. The use of home automation systems however, is considered quite new, even by international standards. To have such technology available in a country like Nepal is simply remarkable. Since its inception, Bipassana International has been trying to simplify lives through technology by providing home automation products and services to its customers. These services are affordable, wireless, user-friendly, reliable and scalable, which makes home automation even more accessible and convenient. Listed below are some home automation products at Bipassana International:
- Automation Hub/Server:
Modern home automation system consists of switches and sensors connected to a central hub, from which the system is controlled with a user interface interacted with a mobile phone software, tablet, or computer. You can automate your home without a server, but For example, on your smartphone, you can set an option of “leaving” the house, which will close your blinds and curtains, switch your television off, turn on the motion sensor, etc., all at once. The cost is placed at Rs. 6,000, exclusive of VAT and installation charges.
- Wi-Fi Smart Plug
In the presence of an internet connection, the Wi-Fi smart plug comes in very handy. . For example, when connected to your air conditioner, with the push of a button on your phone, it can be switched on or off. It can be used to control and manage your WiFi, water purifier, television, and what not. You can also control the appliances when you are away from home as long as you have access to an internet connection. The starting price of this product is Rs. 5.000.
- Fire/Gas Leak Sensor
You can set safety options at your home such as fire and gas leak detector at home that notifies and lets you control your system even when you are away. A sensor is fitted in all your rooms, which is connected to your smartphone or tablet so that This system costs about Rs. 25,000.
- Burglar/Security Alarm
Security alarm systems have successfully saved lives and property since decades. Burglars are often scared away just by the siren going off in your security system. A fitted motion sensor will detect motion from all entryways besides your main entry, even if the burglar is able to break past the siren and enter your home. The system can also be combined with CCTV cameras to automatically record activities of intruders. Further, The starting price for this system is Rs. 38,000. On a separate note, you can also replace your doorbell with a door station that includes a video-door phone. You can view who is at the front door and talk to visitors from inside your home, and allow only certain visitors to enter with the press of a button. This phone costs Rs. 20,000.
- Occupancy Sensor
An occupancy sensor can be set to notice the presence or absence of a person in a room or space, in order to automatically turn lights on and off. You can program the lights to automatically turn on when you enter and turn off when you exit. This is useful specially in staircases where we often forget to turn off the lights after leaving a certain floor. One of these sensors cost about Rs. 3.500.
- Smart-Access Door Lock
A smart-access or digital door locking system will give you the added convenience of being able to access rooms and homes easily using fingerprint, code, or card access. You can have a standalone lock, and you can also integrate it with your automation system so that you can control it with your phone or tablet no matter where you are.
Bipassana International has come in contact with a lot of clients that are adapting fast to automation. In a country that still faces problems with internet connectivity, this option may not be pragmatic in all cases. However, with commendable advancements in technology, home automation will definitely become more popular and less costly in the days to come. Many systems have both manual and automatic options to control your appliances, so you don’t ever lose your ability to control them. Automation will definitely make daily lives more convenient, safe, enjoyable, and certainly smart.