Summer vacation is the time to recharge while away from home. Staying connected to your home with smart home products can give you the peace of mind you need to completely relax knowing your home is safe and running efficiently while you’re away.
Keep reading to see our checklist for preparing your smart home ahead of a vacation, then check for Quantum Fiber availability in your area to connect your smart home to ultra-fast and reliable fiber internet.
Prep your smart home thermostat for maximum efficiency
Summer heat can send electric bills through the roof since your air conditioning has to work harder to cool your home. Smart thermostats can help by adjusting their settings while you’re away from home.
They can also regulate themselves based on your schedule, so if you regularly work away from home, they can lower their energy consumption while you’re gone and adjust the temperature before you come home.
The traditional advice for setting your thermostat ahead of a summer vacation is to raise the temperature by 10 degrees or so to lower energy consumption. Consider the following with a smart thermostat:
- Does your smart thermostat have an eco or vacation setting? These settings are specifically designed to operate at maximum efficiency while you’re away.
- Are pets staying behind at home? You must consider their comfort before energy savings.
- Can you help your energy costs in other ways? Turning off unnecessary appliances and closing the shades over your windows can keep your home cooler.
Set outdoor lighting for smart home security
Did you know that summer averages the highest number of burglaries?
Whether it’s because people are taking more daily trips to enjoy the weather or are going on vacation, the fact is that more homes are vacant in summer. Smart home security products like video doorbells and motion activated lights that notify you when triggered can help. You can also set timers on your smart lights so that they turn on and off at certain times of day to make it appear as if someone is home.
Motion sensor lights and video doorbells accessible through a smart home app only scratch the surface of what’s available for smart home security. Get started with a smart home security package that bundles several devices into one system if you’re starting from scratch.
Check batteries in smart home security devices
You should also check if any of your smart home security devices are battery powered or have a battery back up in case of a power outage. If they do, then the days before a vacation are a great time to replace them.
Replacing any batteries in smart home products will make sure your home is connected and protected in case of a power outage. You’ll especially want to check the batteries on any cameras you use to watch your pets while you’re away!
Lastly, don’t forget to check the batteries in other home devices like:
- Smoke and fire alarms
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Any pumps used to prevent flooding
Update your smart home products
Lastly, check each of your smart home products for important updates before hitting the road.
Software updates can add everything from new features to fixes for bugs that could keep you from connecting while away. Plus, they can also add security updates that give even more protection against cybercriminals.
Checking for updates on smart home products generally involves the following:
- Opening the device menu
- Opening device settings or device information
- Installing available updates
Installing an update may pause service and restart your device, so choose a time you don’t need the device for updating.
Connect your smart home to Quantum Fiber
Smart home devices can only perform as well as the network they’re connected to. That’s why Quantum Fiber and its ultra-fast and reliable fiber internet is an excellent choice for your smart home network.
Quantum Fiber is an especially good choice for homes with many connected gadgets since speeds of up to 940 Mbps, up to 1 Gbps, up to 3 Gbps, and even up to 8 Gbps can support a mountain of devices. Check for Quantum Fiber availability in your area to connect to fiber.
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