Tag Archive for: Home Automation

A Quick Smart Home Security Checklist for Parents This Fall

Fall brings a change in schedules as school starts again. Your children’s safety is of the utmost importance since they’ll be spending some time home alone if you’re a working parent. Here is a quick security checklist that will help keep your house secure and family safe.

1.     A Video Doorbell and Smart Locks Only Give Access to the People You Choose

The beauty of integrating a video doorbell and smart locks with your security system is that you control who has access to the house. With these security products, you’ll never need to worry about lost house keys ever again. Hiding a spare key outside is an open invitation to burglars, so eliminating keys further secures your property.

A smart home security system allows you to assign every family member a unique code so that they can get into the house. Your home is safe even if someone forgot to set the alarm.

If someone forgets their code, just have them ring the video doorbell, and you can answer no matter where you are. Then just open the door using the app on your smartphone. Only you can give access to your residence, and you manage the codes.

2.     Program Your Smart Thermostat to Save on Energy Bills

If you have children, then you probably have open doors and windows at some point because the kids are in a hurry and forget to close them. However, a smart thermostat saves the day.

Put sensors on the doors and windows and connect them to your security system. You can program it to set back to energy savings mode when the system senses the windows or doors are open an extended amount of time. The system will even send you a notification about the problem, and you can tell the kids to fix it. Once the issue is corrected, the thermostat sets the temperature back to normal.

You can even program the thermostat to adjust the temperature while no one is home to save money. Then tell it to reset to your preferred temperature 30 minutes before you get home. You’ll save money while still feeling comfortable in your home.

3.     Use Image Sensors

Want to know who’s coming home with the kids after school or wondering if they made it home safe? Place image sensors in areas that you want to monitor such as the front or back door. An image sensor is essentially a motion sensor with a camera on board. When the front or back door opens, the motion activates the camera. The image sensor takes a picture and sends it to your smartphone, so you know the kids made it home and who they’re with.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned security integrator that offers numerous electronic security options. We serve thousands with commercial and home security in Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.

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Essential Smart Home Security for Busy Parents This Fall

Every year our schedules spiral out of control when the kids go back to school. With new routines, after school activities, and work, some things fall through the cracks. Let smart home security help with the most important things that protect your property and family.

Intelligent Home Security Reminders

It’s easy for everyone to forget something important like setting the security alarm when you leave. Everyone’s hurrying to get to school or work, and inevitably, the last person to leave forgets to lock the door and arm the system.

Smart home security allows you to set reminders that the whole family can receive through the smartphone app. If the alarm is off and the front door unlocked, anyone can easily secure the house by just tapping the button in the alert. The alarm system locks the front door and arms the system. No one has to run home. You can secure your home from almost anywhere.

No More Missing Keys

It’s common for kids to lose their keys, so you always leave a spare key outside. However, this simply isn’t safe. Burglars know the common places people hide their extra keys so it can cause a severe security issue.

Today’s intelligent security systems make house keys obsolete. The system allows you to set a unique access code for each member of the family. When the kids get home after school, they just key in their code, and the system unlocks the smart locks.

Worried someone will forget their code? Have them ring the video doorbell, and you can let them in the house using the smartphone app.

Smart Clips Let You Check-In on the Kids

Even as our children mature, we still worry about them. One thing parents always want to know is that their kids got home from school safe. Intelligent video surveillance lets you set actions that trigger the cameras to take a smart video clip. If you want to know when the kids get home, set a trigger for when they enter their access code, or the front door opens. You can also manage the alerts and clips right through the app on your phone, so you only monitor the things you want to.

If you don’t have a smart security system yet, contact a security integrator. They’ll  help you find the best features for your family’s needs and customize a security system that helps you secure your home intelligently.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned security integrator that offers numerous electronic security options. We serve thousands with commercial and home security in Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.

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How Smart Security Alerts Help You Run Your Home Efficiently in September

Now that school’s back in, you have to adjust to a fall schedule. The lazy summer days are gone, and sometimes it’s hard to get back into the swing of things. A smart home security system can help manage the house with customized security alerts.

Alerts for User Codes

Many children return home from school before their parents leave work. Sometimes the kids forget to let you know that they got home safe. Your security system can remedy that. Assign each family member a different access code and create an alert that notifies you when the kids come home. Now you’ll know they made it home safe.

An additional benefit is that there’s no need to hide a spare key outside. The kids have a safer way to enter the house, and you never have to worry about anyone losing a house key.

The Security System Sends You Reminders

It’s easy to forget the simplest things when your routine changes. Rely on your security system to send you reminders for the important things you forget, such as locking a door or arming the alarm.

The system notifies you on your smartphone no matter where you are. There’s no need to go home to correct the problem. Set the alarm or shut the garage using the alert on your phone. Tap the button once and the security system secures the house for you.

Always Know What’s Happening at Home with Smart Video Clips

When the kids are home alone, are they letting unapproved visitors in the house? You can check yourself using intelligent video surveillance. Use the cameras in your house to send you video clips when a certain action such as your child’s user code triggers them. Setting a specific trigger prevents your from being inundated with clips you don’t want to monitor.

Open Door Alerts

Contact sensors work with your security system to alert you when a door or window is open too long. You’ll receive a notification that a door wasn’t shut securely, and you can text the kids to let them know to shut it properly. In the meantime, the alarm system tells your thermostat to set back to save on energy in cold weather. It resets to a comfortable temperature once someone shuts the door.

Your alarm system doesn’t just keep you safe; it plays a vital role in keeping the systems in your home efficient. You’ll ease back into the school routine with a smart security system to back you up.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned security integrator that offers numerous electronic security options. We serve thousands with commercial and home security in Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.

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7 Tips To Leverage Home Security For Back To School

If you have kids you know the chaos of getting everyone out the door on time or managing daily routines so chores and schoolwork get done. As the kids get older, the schedule gets even more demanding as they add things like extracurricular activities and time with their friends to the already taxed weekly schedule. Making sure everything runs smoothly and optimally is a near impossible task and would take a team of people to get done. Fortunately, smart home technologies provide some great ways to tame a monster school schedule.

No More Snooze Alarm

If you have a reluctant student, getting them out of bed can be a long and unhappy process and one that can make them and everyone else in the house late. Get them out of bed and moving easily by using automation to turn on lights, open shades and turn on music for a wake-up they can’t ignore.

Did You Forget?

One of the most common and stress inducing parts of the morning rush is realizing that you forget to turn off the iron or coffee pot, or forgetting to lock the doors. Leaving it on or unlocked is not an option, but going back will definitely make you late—again. With smart home enabled devices, you can remotely turn off offending appliances or lock the doors from your smart phone or another internet connected device.

Make Areas Off Limits

If your kids get home before you do, they have time to get into things they shouldn’t. With access control, you can make certain places off limits and get a notification if anyone tries to gain access. This helps keep your kids, or their visiting friends out of harm’s way.

Unique Access Codes Let You know they are Home Safely

With unique access codes, you can know when each of your children gets home, and when. This prevents them from taking detours before getting homework done.

Know When or if They Leave

Are they leaving in enough time to make it to sports practice? Did they leave before their homework was done? Smart home technologies can help you manage the comings and goings by providing real time alerts if any enabled door or window is opened.

Do They have Friends Over?

If you are away at work or running errands, it is easy for your house to become the place everyone gathers to play Xbox instead of getting their homework done. You’ll know if your home is a gathering place with alerts that tell you that your doors are being opened an unusual number of times.

No Gaming Until Work is Done

Use smart technologies to help you remove the distraction of television or gaming systems by disabling them until work is done.

Video Systems Let You Keep an Eye on Things

With real-time video, you can check in anytime and see that everything is on track. Are chores getting done, is homework finished? Access to real-time video helps ensure that your student is keeping academics a priority.

If you are interested in learning more about how home automation and access control technologies can help you manage the complexities of back-to-school, give Security Instrument a call today.

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4 Outdoor Essentials To Make Your Home Smart For The Summer

Summertime means warm weather and fun vacations. It’s also the peak time for break-ins and burglaries. Nothing could be worse than coming home after a peaceful vacation only to find that someone broke into your house.

Installing outdoor security protects your property and family even when no one is home. Security systems give you peace of mind by guarding what’s important to you.

1.     Install a Doorbell Camera

Doorbell cameras are quite convenient, especially when you’re not home. Motion triggered alerts, two-way voice, and a video feed allow you to see if it’s the delivery man on your porch or an intruder. It’s an excellent crime deterrent because criminals don’t want to be caught on camera.

2.     Use Smart Cameras to Enhance the Security of Your Property

Today’s security cameras don’t just alert when there’s motion outside, they can differentiate between animals, vehicles, and people. Smart security cameras can also tell if someone is on your property. You can even customize the alerts so that you only monitor what you want to.

These cameras show intruders that you mean business. Would-be thieves will pass right on by.

3.     Contact Sensors

Install wireless contact sensors on your doors and windows to get alerts that notify you if there’s a break-in. These sensors also remind you to set your alarm and lock up for the evening. Monitoring your children when they’re in the yard is another asset of a wireless contact sensor.

Intelligent home security lets you control your home. Sensors also help you watch who opens the gate to the yard, pool, or tool shed. They also monitor other off-limit areas that you don’t want the kids exploring. Kids are naturally curious and they’ll test the limits, especially when they’re out of school for the summer.

4.     Smart Outside Lighting

Criminals like to hide in dark places. Illuminate your property so there is nowhere for them to hide. Smart security image sensors and security cameras trigger lighting to come on when they sense motion and deem it a possible threat. You can also create a custom schedule with smart lighting so that when you’re away on vacation, the lights still come on every night. It looks like someone’s home to possible thieves.

You can customize automated smart home security systems to meet your needs. Rest easy knowing that an excellent security system has your back.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned security integrator that offers numerous electronic security options. We serve thousands with commercial and home security in Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.

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5 Ways to Get The Most Out of Home Automation

If you are new to having a smart home, you definitely want to know how to to get the most out of home automation. Home automation is one of the most exciting advances in home technologies ever, and also the most useful. A well designed and integrated smart home system offers so much more than mere convenience; it also offers improved home security, increased energy savings, and allows you to manage safety as well as provides greater insights on daily activities at home. But, you need to know how.

1: Have a System Designed to Meet Your Needs

The first and most important step in getting the most out of home automation is to have the system professionally designed to meet your needs. A professionally installed system will cover all of your needs and concerns and gear them to the specifications of your home. This will ensure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, motion sensors, security cameras and locks are all exactly where they are most needed. It will also ensure that all your expectations are met, whether it is being able to access security footage remotely, or having 24/7 monitoring. Professionally installed systems also ensure compatibility among products in a constantly evolving industry.

2: Invest in the Right Products

There are a ton of home automation options on the market, and all of them are compelling. That doesn’t mean they will all serve your unique needs. Look for smart devices and services that truly benefit you. For example, smart thermostats and smart lighting are convenient and provide energy and money savings and that is a high priority. For another, being able to access as many systems as possible remotely may not be a convenience, but a matter of necessity. Opt in to what meets your needs.

3: Program it Properly

Ok, so early versions of smart home technologies were complex and difficult to program. But that is not true today. In fact, smart home technologies are so smart that you can easily program your preferences into the system and have the system itself learn your usage patterns and adjust accordingly.

4: Think of Each Element as a Tool

When you think of each individual element of home automation as a tool, you start to think of all of the ways it can be used. Smart lighting goes from just turning on lights in the morning and off at light to being used as a crime deterrent, and safety feature. Motion sensors go from detecting intruders to monitoring the movements of the sick or infirmed.

5: Choose the Right Company

To get the most out of home automation, you need a company with great service and support. The industry is always evolving and offering new options and a reputable company with experienced technicians will help you stay ahead of the trends.

Your life is individual, and your home automation and security system should be, too. Security Instrument Corp. Offers a full line of electronic security, life safety, and home automation products and services and unparalleled support.
With Security Instrument, we have professionally trained agents at the 24/7 alarm monitoring station, delivering personalized, comprehensive, monitoring, information, and support services 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

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Environmental Protection at Home with Your Security System

We’re in the thick of the storm season, making this the perfect time to talk about environmental protection with the help of your security system. Whether it’s a thunderstorm or bonafide hurricane conditions, harsh weather is risky weather. It can get unsafe outside, and homeowners need all the help they can to secure their homes and families.

Help for Protecting Loved Ones

Your smart home security system can indeed help. With real-time weather alerts that come straight from the National Weather Service, we send notifications to your security panel and smartphone so you can get ahead of what’s about to happen outside. Ideally, it will give you time to make sure the whole family’s safe in the house or another shelter location. Likewise, you’ll receive an alert when these weather conditions have passed.

Help for Protecting Homes

First, you want to protect your family; next, you want to protect your home. Smart home security systems protect both. Your home can be spared the damage that comes with leaky roofs, frozen pipes, and other byproducts of severe weather. The features that enable this are the low temperature alerts (to alert you to impending freezing) and water detection (to alert you to possible flooding on the floor). With the low temperature alert, you can heat the basement near the pipes to keep them from freezing, with the goal being to prevent the pipes from freezing. With the water detection, you can avoid paying thousands of dollars to repair flooded rooms in the home.

Environmental protection isn’t just for the outdoors; it’s for inside the home as well. To learn more about a smart home security system that provides this, contact Security Instrument for a free home security consultation.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is a full-service, independently-owned integrator that offers numerous home security options, including security systems for senior citizens. In Delaware Valley, Security Instrument serves thousands of customers located throughout Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.

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How To Enjoy A Safer Superbowl This Year

The Superbowl only happens once a year, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to take a day off from home security. Fortunately, it’s easy to keep your home securely monitored when you have a home control system.

If you have an outdated alarm system at home, there’s only so much it can do on a big day like the Superbowl. Having friends over? Don’t forget to disarm the system before they come in, using your “last generation” alarm keypad. With a home control system, you can disarm the alarm with a tap on your phone – and you don’t even need to be home to do it! Arm your system when you run out for game day snacks or go to church in the morning, and then disarm it as you pull back into the driveway. When company’s coming over and the pressure is on to get everything “just right,” that’s the kind of convenience a home control security system offers.

PREVENT AN OPEN HOUSE CATASTROPHE

And the convenience doesn’t stop once everyone arrives. The Superbowl tends to be an occasion that lends itself to “open house” style parties, whether or not the host says it is.

Before you know it, your friends have brought their friends – and you don’t know half the people on your property. That’s when your home control security system can be a life saver.

Without ever getting off the couch, you can check on that couple who wandered out into the backyard or the kids who are spending a little too much time near the baby’s room. You can find out what they’re doing discreetly and proceed as you see fit, thanks to your convenient home control app.

WATCH AWAY FROM HOME IN COMFORT

But what if you’re watching the Superbowl from the local sports bar? Arm your system with your phone before you leave, and rest assured that anyone who’s been staking out the house is going to get a noisy reality check if they try to break in. You can even check on your live video from the comfort of your bar stool. For this year’s Superbowl, you’ll have the safest fun you’ve had in years thanks to your home control security system. To learn more, contact Security Instrument for a home security consultation.

ABOUT SECURITY INSTRUMENT

Security Instrument is Delaware’s largest full-service independently-owned security company, serving thousands of customers throughout Delaware, MD, NJ & PA.

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4 Ways Investing in Smart Home Technology Saves You Money

We all know that smart home technologies are widely available, affordable and effective, but can they also save you money?  Yes, and in ways you may not have guessed. Here are 4 reasons to opt into smart home and automation technologies.

Smart Thermostats

Investing in a smart thermostat is a smart, cost-saving decision for a number of reasons. Heating and cooling account for nearly half of a home’s energy costs, so getting that under control can provide substantial savings. Smart thermostats can do this by learning your usage and preferences and adjust accordingly so you are never heating and cooling unnecessarily. You can also use it to turn on your heating or cooling from afar, so you can adjust the temperature just before you get home, rather than leaving it on all day so that you can come home to a comfortable home.

Smart Lighting

Smart lighting lets you upgrade your space with features such as motion sensors, dimmers, and app access, but even better -these features save money on your utility bill.

  • Using LED lighting, dimmers save money on a 1:1 ratio so dimming 50%  reduces energy usage by 50%.
  • Motion sensors ensure that lights go off when not in use and on when you need them.
  • App Control provides a way to turn off and on lights from anywhere, so you can still return home to a well-lit home without having to leave them on while away.

Remote Power Management

We’d probably be quite surprised if we could add up all of the wasted energy we use and measure it against our actual needful usage. Leaving lights, fans, electronics, appliances, and things like curling irons is a huge and costly waste. Energy consumption by televisions and other electronics that are in the “always on” mode (but look off) is also a big contributor of wasted energy. With smart home technology, you can control all of these things from an app on your smartphone or tablet, and precisely manage your energy use.

Pro Tip: Energy consumption by televisions and other electronics that are in the “always on” mode (but look off) is also a big contributor of wasted energy.

 

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

It may seem like a small thing, but when all of the peripheral things are working efficiently, automatically, and smartly then you can, too. By using these things as a tool you can keep yourself on track, on time, and motivated. For example, using lighting and temperature controls can help you wake up on time, while enabled appliances are already at work so that you can get to work more quickly. You can also eliminate distractions with smart technologies like video doorbells so that you can accomplish your tasks without interruptions. All of these things ultimately make and save you money.

Adopting smart technologies for a truly connected home not only puts a lot of cool features and conveniences in your hand, it keeps money in your pocket.

About Security Instrument

Security Instrument is Delaware’s largest full-service independently owned security firm, serving Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland with safety, security, and smart home technologies.

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How to Banish Fall Scheduling Horrors Using Home Security and Mobile Control

After a relaxing summer break, the fall season hits many of us like a Mac truck. The schedules are suddenly filled with an increase of activities and responsibilities and end up a tangled mess with plenty of room for error. But before your fall season turns into something out of a horror movie, get everything under control using the tools afforded by home security and mobile control.

Competing Events

You have a teen that needs to be at cheerleading practice and a 4th grader who needs to be at an open house at the exact same time. Getting them there is the first problem. Getting them home is another. So, you take the younger to open house and have the teen ride with a friend to and from practice. When your oldest uses her own code to get into the house, you know she made it home safely.

Who Forgot to Lock the Door?

It happens. With everyone running out the door in one tidal wave of activity, something is bound not to get done. The problem is, some of those things that may get forgotten to be done can cause a real security risk; like not locking the door, or leaving the garage door open, or the stove on. Home automation and security technology help you make sure that forgetfulness doesn’t lead to disaster. An alert to your phone notifies you about the open garage, unlocked door, and the stove. With just a few taps, you can take care of all the issues from wherever you are without having to make the long trek back home.

Everything Else is Held Up Waiting on Someone Else

You’ve been waiting for hours for a visiting friend, family member, or service provider and waiting any longer could jeopardize your job. With secure entry from a smart lock, you can safely and easily let anyone in or out even if you are not home.

Keeping Everyone on Schedule

Keeping everyone on schedule because if one person is late, usually everyone else ends up late as well. By using home automation and mobile control you can prompt action and keep tasks moving along well. For example, use temperature control to create the best climate for sleeping or waking, have the lights come on to wake you up, and the coffee brewing so you can grab it on the way out.

When you use home security and mobile control technologies from Security Instrument, you never have to sacrifice time, convenience, or safety no matter how busy life gets.

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