Own suburban housing is the dream of many, while it is very important that it be carefully thought out and comfortable for living. For example, many people want to make a "smart home" with their own hands. What is it and how to think about it so that your home is not only beautiful and well-planned, but also functional?
"Smart home": what is it?
Experts say that such a system is based on the full automation of all components of housing. For example, if you do not want to get up at night and turn off the lights in the corridor, you can do it much easier: several problems are solved at once with one remote control. To make a “smart home” with your own hands, you will have to work hard, and therefore many people prefer ready-made systems offered by various companies. For example, with the help of a variety of controllers, sensors, wires, actuators that are hidden in the walls of the building, you can simultaneously control all the components of your home: electricity and water supply, lighting andventilation. At the same time, the participation of the owner in this process is minimal - control is carried out exclusively by the remote control.
How is it done?
Modern "Smart Home" system is thought out to the smallest detail. That is, the owner of such housing can control all the vital components of his cottage or apartment. At the same time, most companies that specialize in such structures perform the installation of the Smart Home system, taking into account the wishes of customers. It is noteworthy that each such development is individual, it is created for a specific object, respectively, and the design solution is completely different for each specific case.
The "Smart Home" system for an apartment or a country cottage assumes that the object will be filled with a kind of "electronic servants". And this is not only and not so much TVs, refrigerators and home theaters, but warm floors, air conditioning and ventilation systems, boilers and pumps. Plus uninterruptible power supplies. Of course, installing all these systems yourself is not so easy, but it's still worth trying to make your home "smart".
Where to start?
Our house is a kind of puzzle that needs to be correctly assembled. That is, we must saturate it with the help of various technical devices, communications that will work for our own convenience. To make a "Smart Home" with our own hands, we need to combine a number of components into a single stable system. Moreover, it is quite possible to create an elementary design on your own. For thisyou only need to have certain skills:
- Know electrician and be able to operate various electrical appliances, work with current.
- To understand the principles of building automatic systems, that is, to understand what controllers are, what signals they give.
- Know how to code to create a desktop or mobile operating system and interface through which to manage.
- Clearly understand the algorithms by which the Smart Home system will work.
- Know the equipment well.
That is, our task is to combine all solutions into one in order to control the entire building through a computer or mobile device. Let's try to figure out what equipment is needed for the Smart Home system.
First: warning system
Timely warning of accidents is a guarantee that the owner will not worry about the breakdown of any structure or leaking pipes. If you install an automatic power supply system in your home, you can control the permissible load on the power supply network. In this case, even in the event of a short circuit, the supply of electricity will be turned off, and the equipment itself will be safe and sound. If you suddenly forget to turn off the iron or tap, the sensor will definitely warn you about this, and, if necessary, will shut off all systems.
Second: power supply
"Smart Home" system (do it yourself completelyit is possible to install certain parts of it) suggests that there must be a reliable power supply, especially if the lights in your area turn off quite often. To protect your equipment and housing in general, you should install stabilized power supplies with a built-in battery in your smart home. This will keep all systems operational in the event of an emergency. In order not to think about possible power outages, you can install a diesel generator and backup power units in your home. Thanks to automatic control, the fuel level in the generator will be constantly monitored, and the load on the network will be evenly distributed.
Third: burglar alarm
Protecting your home plays an important role, including in the Smart Home system. Installing an alarm with your own hands will not be difficult. For example, sensors can be placed along a fence that encloses an area, on walls, windows, doors, and also in rooms. If at least one of them suddenly works, all warning systems that are programmed in a specific algorithm are activated. Such a system will consist of a presence detector, a control panel, an uninterruptible power supply with a battery (in the event of a power outage, it will work for about 6-7 hours), a siren, a tablet key reader.
Fourth: lighting control
It is necessary to correctly manage the Smart Home system. With your own hands (the scheme must be drawn uptogether with competent designers), it is possible to develop a lighting control system, thanks to which it will be possible to significantly save on the maintenance of the house and create comfort in it. It is necessary to select the number and types of lighting fixtures depending on the room in which they will be installed, how the interior will be designed in it, and so on. At the same time, everyone can arrange the lighting system as he likes and needs. The main thing is automatic control, when the owner of the house may not think about whether he turned off the light or not. You can set the system so that the lights will turn on when a person approaches and go out when he leaves.
Fifth: power consumption
In order to limit the power your home consumes, you should definitely install an energy management system. Thanks to this solution, serious problems that can arise if the power reaches its peak can be avoided. For example, if your cottage has underfloor heating powered by electricity, an overload of the power supply may occur. If you create an intelligent system, you can achieve smooth switching on of floors in different rooms until the house warms up completely. This will avoid sudden surges and network congestion. In addition, the presence of such a system will lead to the fact that as the power approaches the peak, the generator will turn on by itself, and as soon as it decreases, it will turn off.
Sixth: sockets must be normal
The easiest thing you can do for the system"Smart home" - do-it-yourself equipment of sockets. This solution is economical, since it is enough to have an antenna and the ability to control it from a distance using a key fob. The essence of such a system is that all sockets in the house are connected through a single electrical circuit. Accordingly, when receiving a command to turn on, for example, a kettle or a toaster, the appliances start working at a certain time you set. In addition, the presence of such a centralized system allows you to turn off all the included electrical appliances at the touch of a button on the key fob.
Seventh: underfloor heating
Today, such floor coverings are very popular, and this despite the fact that installation is not cheap. It is comfortable and pleasant to walk on such a floor, it is always warm and safe on it. Modern warm coatings can be water or electric. If you install a Smart Home system in your home, you can constantly control the temperature in the room. Moreover, it is controlled by remote control. An intelligent system is a guarantee that the temperature in the house or apartment will be maintained at the optimum temperature for living. At the same time, energy consumption will be rational, and therefore beneficial for owners.
Eighth: heating system
Agree, the ability to independently regulate the state and degree of heating of the batteries in the house is worth a lot. In ordinary apartments, we cannot just turn them off and turn them off, for example, if it gets too hot. In a smart home, this is easy to do, since radiator heating has built-inintelligent modules. Thanks to them, a certain temperature is maintained in the room, which is automatically changed using the remote control. This system can be easily integrated into any interior without any harm.
This is done simply: control valves are installed on ordinary radiators. They can be controlled automatically by means of a control panel, which has a built-in temperature sensor. If you make a more complex configuration, then in it the valves and consoles communicate using a radio channel, and adjustment and control can be carried out via a computer or the Internet.
There are a huge number of solutions, technologies to make your home "smart", that is, functional and well-equipped. Many of them are quite simple. Something you can do yourself, such as installing an anti-icing system for roofs and stairs, or an automatic water supply structure. And some systems should only be installed with professionals, for example, when it comes to power supplies. In any case, it is worth spending money and making your home meet all modern requirements for reliability, safety, and quality.
