Put your home into vacation mode with smart tech
Connected devices – especially smart lights and timers – can help you automate your home and give you peace of mind while you’re away.
If you've ever planned a getaway to relax and unwind, you know it's only a vacation if you can actually put the 'real world' on pause and rest easy.
Home automation can take care of at least some aspects of home maintenance while you're away, and connected devices, like smart lights and timers, are the perfect tool to provide an added layer of security and energy efficiency.
Smart lighting is key
Smart lighting controls can create the illusion of everyday activity even when you're away from home. With pre-programmed schedule templates and remote mobile access, it's easy to relax poolside knowing you have the ability to monitor your home with the swipe of a finger.
Solutions like the Ascend™ Smart 7-Day In-Wall Programmable Timer from Intermatic can be placed throughout any home – at an exterior entryway, within a hallway or inside a family room, for example – for added convenience and security.
Once installed, homeowners can choose from a variety of pre-programmed templates to align their lighting schedules with their daily routines seven days a week.
Moreover, Ascend includes a Random mode that turns lights on and off 15 minutes before or after their normal schedule, making the house appear lived in at all times.
Using geolocation information, the Ascend Smart timer also calculates astronomic dawn and dusk cycles to follow daily daylight patterns. As a result, when the sun goes down, homeowners can breathe easily knowing their outdoor and indoor lights will turn on. This avoids the telltale sign of an empty home that standard switches and non-astronomic timers can produce.
Further, Ascend Smart adjusts automatically for Daylight Saving Time to ensure your lighting schedules stay in sync if you're traveling during a changeover period. A battery backup keeps time and date information current for up to three days in the event of a power loss, while lighting schedules and other settings are saved indefinitely.
Plan ahead for smart control
Before heading out for vacation, you can download the Ascend Smart Timer app to any smartphone or tablet to maintain complete control while you're away.
Once initial setup is complete at home, the app allows you to create and update lighting schedules from practically anywhere in the world. Whether it's a weekend trip to a summer home or a months-long journey abroad, the app lets you control your home lighting programs and view the status of all connected Ascend devices from wherever you are.
Before you head out, you also may consider pairing Ascend Smart with Amazon Alexa to enable voice-activated commands, including lighting control and status check.
When you're finally back home from a late-night flight, you won't need to rustle through your luggage or fumble for keys in the dark. You can simply open the Ascend app, and with a swipe of a finger, your lights will be shining, guiding you home after a restful trip away.