I ‘hacked’ my home with 7 smart plug tips – here’s the setup (and why it works)

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite source On Google.

Memorization clapperThe plug-in staple may have made for a catchy jingle in the 1980s, but it can also be considered a primitive ancestor of today’s smart plugs — that is, if you can call anything from a few decades ago primitive. Smart plugs offer more convenience than The Clapper, letting you control your device with your phone, your voice, or an app on a schedule.

Also: Unplugging these 7 common household appliances drastically reduced my electric bill

There are many ways to use smart plugs to automate your home, including turning useless appliances into smart ones, using them to strengthen your home security, or letting them bring more convenience to your life. In addition to using smart plugs for old table lamps, you can also use them strategically to save on your utility bills, monitor your energy consumption, or increase your home’s fire safety.

1. Block potential intruders

You can use a smart plug to automate the lights so they come on every night when you’re out of town to make it seem as if it’s someone’s home. Many people also use them to control outdoor lighting from time to time, ensuring that the exterior of their home is well lit for safety. Increasing home security is a popular use of smart plugs. However, there are other ways to use them beyond the obvious.

Also: Knowing these 7 rules helped me optimize my home security camera for the best footage

A smart plug can turn off your garage door opener so you can cut off power to it during the night or whenever you’re away. This strategy can prevent a thief from using the entry code or a stolen remote to enter your home. If you have a compatible motion sensor, you can set up an automation with your smart plug to turn on the lights whenever the sensor detects motion.

2. Create a motion-activated lighting setup

I added motion-activated lighting to my bathroom without using a motion sensor wall switch so that my lights turn on as soon as I enter. Instead of using a dedicated motion sensor attached to a light, I have a echo dot On the way to the bathroom, which has an occupancy sensor that turns on my lights via Alexa when someone walks in. You can do the same with any smart plug, Alexa, and an Echo Dot, which acts as not only an occupancy sensor but also a smart speaker and platform to communicate with the voice assistant.

Also: I tested the Ferrari of robot mowers for a month – this is my verdict

When someone enters the bathroom, Alexa on my Echo Dot says, “Hello, gorgeous,” and turns on the lights. The lights are set up with a smart switch, but you can do the same with smart plugs and lamps. Additionally, you can also add a time for the lights to be on or an automation to turn off the plugs when no people are present. I leave my bathroom lights on for 15 minutes at a time, which ensures they’re always off, and I don’t have to walk around my house turning off all the lights my kids have left on.

Occupancy and presence sensors are more accurate than a simple motion sensor, as the latter can be detected by any motion, even wind or car headlights in the window. In addition, other presence sensors are also available Aqara FP2Which can also detect people falling to alert another user.

3. Increase climate control

Smart plugs are useful for keeping your home comfortable, especially when the weather is very hot. I have a dumb fan connected to a smart plug, so I can ask Alexa to turn on my fan when it’s too hot and I don’t want to lower the A/C temperature. While the fan does not reduce the temperature, it circulates air, making you feel cool. This approach means you can save on your utility bills by running your A/C a little warmer and running a fan, which consumes fewer kWh than a central unit.

Also: Why I recommend this Garmin watch over competing Apple, Samsung, and Google models

If you have a smart thermostat or temperature sensor, you can also program your smart plug to automatically turn on your fan when the room gets too hot. A space heater on a smart plug will serve the same purpose during the winter, and a smart plug can automatically turn it off when it reaches the desired temperature.

4. Plug in your hot tools

Whether you have a curling iron that you forget to turn off, or have someone at home who constantly leaves their hot appliances on, a smart plug is a perfect solution. I use a smart plug for my flat iron, and I’m never surprised if I forget to turn it off — I can check my smartphone and confirm it’s off. If I leave the iron on, I can turn off the smart plug remotely. You can also set your hair appliances to turn on in the morning while you’re getting ready for the day.

Also: Why I Travel With 3 Different Portable Power Stations (And Can’t Get Out of This Habit)

If you are a skilled or proficient person who has soldering equipment and a hot glue gun, smart plugs may also become your favorite safety device. Plugging these appliances with a smart plug allows you to easily turn them on and off, with the added security of controlling them from your smartphone. You can also control them using your voice with a virtual assistant like Amazon Alexa, Siri, or Google Gemini Assistant, for example, “Alexa, turn on the glue gun.”

5. Limit screen time at home

Limiting your kids’ screen time is one of the most recent uses I’ve found for my smart plug. I have their playroom TV plugged into a smart plug and can then set schedules, control the device with my voice through Alexa, and turn it on and off from my phone according to their screen time.

While this strategy may not work with tablets, it can also be applied to other electronics, like gaming consoles and even your router, allowing you to go as far as turning off Wi-Fi to limit your kids’ screen time.

During the week, my kids have to do homework and take a bath before they can watch TV, so I turn off the TV’s smart plug until they’re done. I’ve also plugged the plug into the back of the TV using an extension cord so they can’t press the button on it when no one is watching.

6. Save on utility bills

A smart plug gives you more control over which appliances are drawing power and when to turn them off. Smart plugs allow you to turn off the power to vampire devices, which consume more power than smart plugs when they are plugged in but not in use. They also let you set the time of day when these appliances should turn on, so that, for example, your coffee maker doesn’t draw power during the night.

Also: Can portable wind generators replace solar power? My advice after testing at home

Many smart plugs offer energy monitoring, providing information about which devices in your home consume the most power. This information helps you make an informed decision about turning off the device.

Smart plugs draw power even when they’re off, but it’s about 1 to 2 watts for Wi-Fi-enabled devices, not the 5 to 10 watts that TVs and some gaming consoles draw when they’re off. Smart plugs need to draw a small amount of power when turned off to maintain a network connection. However, plugs with low-energy connectivity protocols, such as Zigbee or Z-Wave, can draw as little as 0.3 watts when idle.

7. Make old appliances smart

Making older appliances smart is one of the best uses of smart plugs and why they were initially created. Every year I hook up my holiday lights to a smart plug, so I can set them on a schedule or ask a virtual assistant in my home to turn them on and off.

Coffee makers are great candidates for smart plugs. Simply leave them ready overnight and have them turn on automatically every morning when you’re getting ready for the day. This ensures that there is always hot coffee waiting for you when you enter your kitchen.

Plus: Your smart home devices get a performance and security boost for free

Using the Smart Plug with an older router allows you to remotely reset your Wi-Fi network, without unplugging your router and plugging it back in. However, if your smart plug does not use a non-Wi-Fi connectivity protocol like Bluetooth, you may lose the connection.

I have it too outdoor smart plug String lights were installed outside for my patio, which come on at sunset every day, ensuring the deck is always lit.