6 GREAT WAYS TO USE MOTION SENSORS IN YOUR SMART HOME
How to integrate your Motion Sensor with your Smart Home Devices
Power down a room when there’s no motion detected
When you leave home for an extended amount of time and want to save on your energy bills, a motion sensor is a great device to help you cut down on power usage. To achieve this, you need a system that has the ability to wait until there’s no movement detected for a set amount of time, which Amazon Alexa does.
This is easy to implement with a motion sensor with Alexa, and the free Yonomi App. For example, when there’s no motion detected for one hour, Alexa triggers a Yonomi Routine which could look something like this:
Turn off smart lights
Set smart temperature to Eco mode
Turn off Sonos speaker
Then, you can set a Routine for when you plan on being back in the room, so you’ll need to choose which actions you’d like to trigger. So, you might want to turn the temperature up a few degrees, but you may not want your Sonos speaker to play every time you enter the room.
Monitor for frozen pipes or water leaks
Frozen pipes or a leak can leave you with a costly, inconvenient mess on your hands. That’s where smart sensors come in to save the day.
With temperature sensors, you can be pre-warned of issues that may arise, alerting you before your pipes freeze. You can simply place a temperature sensor under the floor where your pipes are and set up a notification to tell you if the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other side of the extreme, a sensor can warn you if temperatures reach above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, as it could mean there is a fire.
Water leak sensors can be a godsend to notify you of flooding or standing water before it gets under control. It’s an excellent idea to place these sensors under appliances that are prone to leaking, such as under a dishwasher or washing machine, near a boiler, or under kitchen sinks and toilets. Save yourself the headache now with a little forward-thinking.
Make sure doors and windows are closed
If you’ve ever left the house only to wonder if you’ve left a window or door open, smart/open close sensors can save you time and give you peace of mind. Simply attach the sensors to any door or window you want, and simply check the app to check the status of each.
This can save you a lot of uneasiness as well as a trip back home to check and see if you really did leave that window ajar.
Improve your security system
If your alarm system isn’t smart, smart sensors can enhance your existing setup.
Simply place smart open/close sensors on the doors and windows of your choice, and you can be alerted of any activity via your smartphone. You can also trigger lights to turn on to potentially scare off intruders.
You can also use an open/close sensor on a safe, filing cabinet, or cupboard that contains valuables in it for an extra layer of protection, and receive an alert whenever there’s activity.
Try this Routine called “Vacation Security”:
When the front door is opened,
Turn outside lights on
Turn living room lights on
Turn hallway lights on
Sonos Announcement plays “Air Horn”
Need help with this and other similar routines, see here for more information.
