How Smart is Your Home? 3 Ways to Increase Home Intelligence
How Smart IS Your Home?
Smarthome technology has been around for a while!
Smarthome technology allows you, the homeowner, to automate recurring tasks in your home or office space and control electronics and appliance tied to your home.
Automations can include
- sound system
- alarm system
- window treatments
- lights
- thermostats
- locks
- coffeemaker
- microwave
- TV
- garage door
- and so much more!
1) Home Intelligence – How Smart Can Your Home Get with URC?
With URC, your home can perform many tasks you never thought you could automate.
That includes lighting, comfort, shades, security and high-definition audio.
In fact, let us show you what you can control!
2) Z-wave Lets You Automate EVERYTHING
Another way to increase your home’s intelligence is to connect everything with Z-wave!
Z-wave control can be added to just about anything electronic in your home, even devices that you would not think of as intelligent.
Z-wave is
- Affordable
- Easy to set up
- Easy to use
Z-wave has many uses. Here are some things to automate with Z-wave:
- Garage Doors
- Indoor Lights
- Outdoor Lights
- On/Off Outlets
- Remote Controls
- Smart Home Security Systems
- Door Locks
- Smoke Detectors
- Thermostats
- and much much more!
No matter how old your home is, adding Z-wave can seriously increase the intelligence of your home!
3) Your Home’s Brain – Honeywell Total Connect
Think of Honeywell Total Connect as the brain of your home!
Smarthomes need a center of intelligence!
The brain of the home with with Honeywell Total Connect is the technology behind this product.
“Whether you are running an errand in Myrtle Beach, at work along the Grand Strand, or on summer vacation in the upstate of South Carolina or elsewhere, you will have full access to your home and/or business through our app. You will love being able to check in from anywhere, at any time! Once you have Honeywell Total Connect™, you will fall in love forever.
With the tap of a finger, our app lets you control your security system, receive push notifications, text messages and email alerts, control thermostats, lighting and locks, locate vehicles or assets — even view live video and see, hear and speak to visitors at the front door anytime, anywhere on compatible smart devices, including iPhone, Android and iPad.”
Which Smarthome System is Right for Your Home?
What system is right for your neighbor or friend might not be right for you. Therefore we highly recommend you come talk to us at Strand Security.
A lot depends on what systems you have installed in your home, and how ‘smart’ your home is currently! We recommend using what you already have if the technology isn’t outdated!
Come talk with us!
The Best Time of Year to Adjust Your Thermostat is Now
Winter, Spring Summer or Fall…🎶
Who doesn’t know this James Taylor song? It does not matter what season it is, adjusting your thermostat at least 4 x per year, to work with the season, is always a great idea.
Therefore, the best time to adjust your thermostat is… now!
Why Should You Adjust Your Thermostat?
As seasons change, so does the barometric pressure, average temperatures and humidity levels. Weather changes rapidly and seasonally. Even in South Carolina where the weather seems to always sway between warm, hot and super hot, it is important to adjust your thermostat according to the seasons.
Before you do, grab your utility bill!
You will want to know
- What your overall usage is (electric or propane – to cool and heat your home)
- Your monthly spent
- Who is always cold or warm in the house?
- Who in your household adjusts the thermostat most, and when?
Did you know that setting your thermostat at 1 or 2 degrees higher (in summer) and lower (in winter) can lower your overall utility cost? It’s important to understand what you are paying for!
Whom to Adjust the Thermostat in Your Home For?
It might seem obvious, but here is a good guide to understanding who should adjust your thermostat, or to whom to look to adjust your thermostat. It is usually someone who spends a lot of time at home, or someone who is frail, old or sick!
- Stay-at-home-parent or work-from-home adult. The person who spends the MOST time at home should be considered.
- Infants and small children. If there are infants or kids in the home, what helps them regulate their temperature? Are they always complaining that they are hot or cold? Do they feel hot or cold after a nap? Are they asking for extra blankets or jackets?
- Older Adults. An elderly person might be cold in the winter due to bad circulation and get overheated due to their age in the summer.
- Obese family member. An overweight person in your household might also want to control the thermostat. It’s important they have a say in regulating the temperature in your home.
- Anyone with a chronic disease. If there is someone in your household who is taking medication for a chronic disease, please adjust your thermostat according to their needs.
- Pets. Pets can get overheated if the air conditioner is not adjusted for them. If you are not home, but your pet is home all day, make sure you know your pet is comfortable.
Keeping an eye on those at home in-real-time, with security cameras is a great way to assure the temperature is set right!
Things to Avoid When Adjusting the Thermostat in Your Home
Here are some things you should not do when it comes to adjusting your thermostat.
- Ignore a broken thermostat
- Ignore a broken heating and cooling system
- Let guests fiddle with your thermostat
- Set it too cold or too hot for the season just to try save a few dollars
- Fail to adjust your thermostat when you go on vacation
- Forget to adjust the thermostat for the next season
- Never look at your utility bill
- Ignore a higher-than-usual utility bill
- Fail to service your heating and cooling system
- Fail to change out filters to your system
- Open windows and doors when the system is running
Automate To Dominate Your Home Thermostat Settings!
The BEST way to keep as many people in your household comfortable AND at the same time be energy efficient it to let smart technology help you out! Strand Security works with brands like URC and Honeywell who can take a lot of the guesswork out of this task. Use thermostat automation to dominate your home thermostat!
Adjust Your Thermostat Now
If you can’t remember the last time you checked your thermostat, do it today. Have a family meeting and involve everyone. Ask them how they feel and if they are ever hot or cold.
If your family can’t agree on a temperature that is ‘just right’ consider adding ceiling fans to bedrooms to cool off someone who is often hot, and buying robes and winter slippers for someone who is frequently cold!
Simple changes like that might make a big difference in the comfort you get at home.
Introducing the Honeywell Smart Home Security System!
Amazon Alexa™ and Honeywell Have Teamed Up!
This could very well be one of the most in-demand holiday gifts for 2018! You heard it here, alright? 😉
Honeywell and Amazon Alexa™ have teamed up to give you the best of home security and technology; introducing one smart system called the Honeywell Smart Home Security System!
This is great for any homeowner, on the Grand Strand, or elsewhere!
Is The Honeywell Smart Home Security System Right For You?
To find out if the Honeywell Smart Home (Security) System is right for you, watch this video.
We find it super exciting to see an amazing brand we love, use and recommend to our customers here at Strand Security aka Honeywell, move forward with a partnership of this magnitude, with Amazon Alexa™, and serve their customers even better!
The Honeywell Smart Home Security System is an all-in-one home security system that is expandable to fit your life and home, now and in the future. Easy to set up, use and featuring Amazon Alexa™ built in it sends smart alerts to your mobile device.
How is this different from Honeywell Total Connect?
“Security just got smarter”
The all-in-one system with facial recognition and Amazon Alexa™ built-in sends smart alerts to your mobile device. Easy to set up and use, it grows with your needs thanks to a range of sensors and services.
Making Your Home a Honeywell Smart Home!
Whether your home is large, medium or you live in an apartment; your home can be a Smart Home too!
The same protection and security features, now linked with Amazon Alexa™ to make your home smart and interactive!
Exciting Honeywell Smart Home Security Features!
The new Honeywell Smart Home Security System starts with the purchase and installation of a camera base station.
Additional accessories to enhance the system include
- indoor motion viewer
- outdoor motion viewer
- motion sensor
- access sensor
- key fob
The best part about this new system?
You can control it all with the Honeywell Home app!
Get it for your Apple Devices here.
Get is for your Android Devices here.
One place, one app.
Everyone in your family has access and full control over your safety and security, in real time.
Strand Security and Honeywell Smart Home Security
We understand that some of our customers will be able to set up and install the Honeywell Smart Home System on their own.
However, we wanted to make sure that you know that we offer installation of the Honeywell Smart Home System and help with integrating it with your current home alarm system.
Why struggle with the set up if we can do it effortlessly, right?
For those who choose to ask for help with set up and installation, we will make sure you receive a demo and understand how your Honeywell Smart Home works before we leave.
We want to make sure you understand your system and know how to operate it!
Give us a call to purchase a system, or to ask for installation and set up if you already have a system but need help.
Like Us On Facebook
