Security Lighting

Everyone wants their home to be a secure environment. For centuries light has provided warmth and comfort. The first thing people do at night when they’re in bed and hear a noise is go for a light. (OK maybe the second thing after nudging their significant other and saying did you hear that?)

The invention of sensor lights for outside the home provided another level of comfort, and they have scared off many an intruder. They have also provided a guiding light when you get home at night and you’re fumbling with your keys.

Home automation provides for a new level of light control to expand on the good old sensor light. Sure, you can combine a motion sensor and use that to trigger any light in your configuration. You can even use a sensor to turn off a light after a period of time, which is perfect for a house full of kids. Better yet you can create a geo fence around your home so when your near home your welcome home light routine kicks in.

Beyond standard motion sensor lighting, home automation provides the user with endless security lighting possibilities.

Today for example is Easter and across the country many Australians are away enjoying the Easter weekend with friends and family. It’s the perfect time for some lowlife to case your home and make off with your prized possessions.

In a previous blog we touched on automating lights to come on at Sunset. You can use this type of rule with a few other random on off schedules to make it look like you’re home. Have your front lights come on at Sunset just like you do when you’re at home but throw in a bedroom light and kitchen light as well. Turn the toilet light on and off a couple of times throughout the night and turn on a lamp at bedtime. Throw in a radio via a controlled powerpoint and your house will look lived in.

If you’ve got a robot vacuum schedule that run during the day too. Lastly chuck in a video door bell and you can even answer the front door via your phone. “No thanks, none today I’m not interested”

If we go back to the start of this blog and the scenario of going for a light when we hear something at night, home automation makes this one a no brainier. Hey Google turn on all the lights. Or create scene on your phone so one touch delivers the same result.

Our test home has even automated emergency lighting. By pairing the homes Nest Protect Smoke detectors with the iSwitchoz switches using IFTTT all lights automatically turn on when ever the smoke alarm sounds. So if this happens in the middle of the night not only do you get an audible alarm but you also get woken by the lights which also aluminate your way to safety.

Lastly if you’re using door and window switches together with motion sensors and a siren for an alarm system,  automating the lights to work in unison is also another great way scare off an intruder and provide extra light so your security cameras can get a better image of your offender.