Creating a smart home doesn’t have to involve the purchase of all new appliances or the complete rewiring of your home.
Often smart home features can be achieved through the use of simple additions which transform your existing products and items into part of a smart home ecosystem.
And one of these nifty little devices is the Aeotec Smart Switch 6.
So, let’s take a detailed look at the Smart Switch 6 and a couple of other plug and play products that can help you easily embrace the convenience of a smart home.
What is the Aeotec Smart Switch 6?
In a nutshell, the Aeotec Smart Switch transforms any power point within your home or office into a smart power outlet.
You can then control that powerpoint wirelessly, turn it off and on or even understand how much power the outlet is drawing.
It can also be integrated into a smart home ecosystem, allowing the power point to play a role in setting scenes and routines.
Let’s delve a little deeper…
How it works
Simply plug the Aeotec Smart Switch into a power socket and it quickly sets to work, using Z-Wave technology to connect with your smart home infrastructure.
Aeotec notes you can then effortlessly control whatever is plugged into your socket.
“You can do that via remote control or a smart phone, and from an automation schedule or from the power outlet itself,” they explain.
Features
From its compact size to its inbuilt overload protection, the Aerotec Smart Switch offers a range of features that ensure it’s both practical and user friendly.
Wireless control
The Aerotec Smart Switch can be controlled from up to 150m away using remote, from anywhere in the world using smart phone/tablet or via automation and your Z-Wave gateway.
Scheduling
Once the Smart Switch is plugged in you can control whatever is plugged into it via a schedule that ensures your devices are turned on or off only when you need them, according to the schedule you choose.
This scheduling also allows you to better monitor control the use of specific devices like gaming systems and computers in your home. So, if your teens aren’t allowed to use their X-Box during study time, you can set it so they can’t be switched on when they’re not meant to be.
Safety
In a welcome safety feature, the Smart Switch 6 lets you automatically turn off devices, such as leaking air conditioners and fridges, when they fail. You can do this when you’re home or even when your not there using your mobile phone.
Power consumption
The Smart Switch lets you monitor and understand exactly how much money the devices plugged into Smart Switch 6 are costing you to run, then you can create a schedule to reduce your electricity bill.
It does this by reporting back to your Z-Wave gateway in real-time.
You can then see which devices are turned on and how much they’re costing you from anywhere in the world using your smart phone or tablet.
In another particularly user-friendly little feature, the Smart Switch offers different coloured lighting to indicate how much power an appliance is drawing, and users can configure it to their own requirements.
Say for example an appliance is drawing only 400W, the switch might light up blue, at 1900W it might turn orange and at 2400W it might glow with a red band.
This allows you a visual indication of how much electricity an appliance is drawing. You can turn this lighting off if you choose, or set it to colour tones you prefer.
Inbuilt surge protector
With the Smart Switch 6, electronics are guarded against power fluctuations with an inbuilt surge protector and over-current protector.
Compact
Aeotec first released a smart switch in 2006, but in the years since they have dedicated some serious time and effort to improving both its look and functionality.
Now the Smart Switch 6 is smaller and more user-friendly than ever before. It is so compact it allows you to plug multiple switches into power boards and outlets right next to each other.
USB Port
The modern home is becoming more and more dependent on USB as a charging outlet, and Aeotec’s Smart Switch 6 caters to this trend with USB ports in each of their switches.
Part of the effortless Lera Smart Home
At Lera Smart Home Solutions we specialise in installing smart home systems into both new homes and existing properties.
In existing properties, we take particular pride in our ability to use the wiring already in place to retrofit homes with smart technology in a process that is streamlined and affordable. Products like the Aeotec Smart Switch 6 are among the state-of-the-art devices we use to achieve that aim.
They ensure you don’t have to alter your wiring, you don’t have to buy new appliances, but you still enjoy all the benefits of smart home living.
We then integrate these smart switches into your smart home ecosystem to allow you to create scenes and routines that accommodate your lifestyle.
Here’s a quick example of how that might occur…
Say your morning routine involves waking up at 6am. You can establish a scene that sees your automated lights turn on at 6am, the radio begin to play, and using a smart switch, your coffee machine even turns on.
Meanwhile, we have a host of other products that we employ to facilitate this seamless lifestyle. You can learn more about just some of them here, or take a look at other ways we make your old appliances like treasured sound systems all new and smart.
About Lera Smart Home Solutions
Lera Smart Home Solutions is a leading installer of smart home technology in the greater Sydney region. Our team boasts over 20 years’ experience in IT networking, programming and the electrical industry.
We have sourced the most reliable and cost efficient solutions from around the world to provide the very best in smart home solutions, and work with our clients to understand their needs.
You can learn more about transforming your house into a smart home here, access our smart home calculators here or contact us directly for further advice.
