SMART HOME CONTROL VS. AUTOMATION: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

“Smart home control” and “smart home automation” are terms that are often used interchangeably, but are they the same thing? Short answer: no. Although both technologies are part of the same overall smart home system, they are very different ways of achieving a desired result. Below, we break down the definitions of these terms and what sets them apart from each other. If you’ve been considering adding smart technology to your Houston, Texas home, then keep reading.

DEFINING SMART HOME CONTROL

A smart control system allows you to manage certain aspects of your home, like light fixtures and window shades, remotely via smartphone, tablet, hand-held remote, or a voice control device like Amazon Alexa. Instead of having to walk into every room to open the window shades, for example, you could just open an app on your phone and close them all instantly. As you leave home for the day, one voice command could cause all of the lights to turn off, the window shades to lower, and the thermostat to adjust.

Home control can be as simple as adding a remote for your lights or as comprehensive as a total solution that manages your home’s audio, video, security, climate, lighting, window treatments, and more!

SEE ALSO: HOW DOES A SMART HOME SYSTEM WORK?

DEFINING SMART HOME AUTOMATION

Smart home automation occurs when your system adjusts to keep your residence in the ideal environment without you ever having to lift a finger. Everything happens effortlessly, with no manual actions required. This technology is incredibly versatile, and you can have the system do practically anything you want, such as automatically start playing music and raising the window shades each morning to gently wake you up.

One of our favorite applications of smart home automation technology is energy management. Using smart sensors, you can have your lights turn on when someone enters the room and turn off when they leave. You can also use sensors to automatically lower the window shades on hot days and brighten the artificial light fixtures to keep your home from overheating while still keeping the room well lit.

AUTOMATION VS. CONTROL: WHICH IS BETTER?

Smart home automation is usually treated as the upgrade to a basic smart home control system. If you have automation technology, the odds are likely that you’ll also have control technology.

We’ve found that the best home technology solutions are usually a mixture of the two approaches. While it’s nice to have your home automatically brighten the lights for you, there are times when you’ll want to adjust lighting levels yourself. Having both approaches as part of the same system makes it easy to set up your home the way you want. We’ll add in the control technology and then design the automation to fit your lifestyle.

If you’d like to learn more about these technologies and how they can fit into your Houston property, please contact us by calling (281) 907-9620, clicking the live chat window at the bottom of the screen, or filling out this quick questionnaire.