Back on the road this holiday? Here is how to set up your smart home to achieve success, safety and energy saving.

Part of the appeal of the smart home lies in the management and monitoring that may occur when you go out to do errands or work. If you are away for days or even weeks, as long as the settings are correct, your smart home can do the same.

If you are on the road this holiday season, we provide the skills you need to confidently leave your smart home. 

Read more: The best travel gifts | The best DIY home security system to buy in 2021

The new Amazon smart thermostat is currently the first choice for our smart home climate control. 

If you have a smart thermostat, most types will detect your absence and provide a way to replace the thermostat remotely. After all, this may be the reason you bought the item in the first place. This is a nice bonus when you are out for a few hours or working day.

For thermostats that are longer or contain holiday modes, it is best to check the threshold settings before long absences. These temperatures are the minimum and maximum temperatures that your system allows before starting. To save energy, set them to be colder and warmer than when you are at home.

Of course, you can adjust the temperature remotely, but the whole idea here is to set it up and run. Therefore, before you leave, please set the temperature range on the thermostat so that you can save money and keep your home safe. 

Read more: Amazon Smart Thermostat review: $60 theft

When the high and low temperature thresholds are set closer to the outdoor temperature, they can save the most energy compared to the temperature you might prefer when you are at home. However, they are still safe enough for your home. 

If you have curtains or curtains, it is best to lower them when you are away.

When we are away, my parents always turn on the TV so that people will think we are at home. When I was a kid I thought it was a weird pretend game, but now as a homeowner, it makes sense. Lighting is not a fail-safe protection against intruders, but letting your lights or television imitate human activities is a good start. Smart switches and schedules can do this.

Read more: Our review of Lutron Serena remote control lampshades

A good rule of thumb is that outdoor lights should be turned on at night and turned off during the day, while indoor lights should be turned on and off in different rooms. If you have a smart switch, consider creating a schedule based on the time of day to replicate what you usually do when you are at home. You can also set the smart bulb to turn on and off intermittently. 

If you have automatic curtains, consider setting them to stay closed when you leave. Turning on the lights may prevent crime, but opening the curtains may turn your living room into a window display for thieves.

Ring Alarm Pro is our first choice for DIY smart home security. 

In terms of DIY smart home security system and professional monitoring system, you have many choices. Although they will do most of the work for you out of the box, it is important to quickly check your status before you leave. The security settings will vary depending on the product you have.

Regardless of the brand, it is best to ensure that all integrated motion sensors, cameras, locks, and doorbells have new or fully charged batteries, and that notifications are properly enabled to contact the correct emergency contact. 

Read more: Our review of Ring Video Doorbell 4

For cameras and smart doorbells, please make sure that the lens is free of dust, cobwebs, or decorations that may obstruct your vision. If you have lowered your motion sensitivity or set your camera to ignore motion in certain areas of your home, now is a good time to restore these features to maximum vigilance. Finally, make sure that all notification settings are set to notify the right people at the right time.

Make sure that the detectors and sensors are powered on and ready to notify you in the event of an accident. 

Leak, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can give you peace of mind every day, especially when you are out. Before you get on the road, it’s worth your time to make sure that all of them are equipped with new batteries, a stable Wi-Fi connection, updated apps or firmware, and correct notification settings. 

Read more: Smoke detector placement guide: where and how to install the sensor

If your probe is not connected to a real-time monitoring service, it is more important to send the notification to the correct mobile device. This way, you can ask friends or neighbors to check for any suspicious alarms.  

iRobot Roomba S9 is our favorite robot assistant.

There are several versions of the robot vacuum cleaner with scheduling options. If this is a feature you use frequently, turn it off when you leave. If no one is making trouble at home, the vacuum does not need to be running. In addition, if you increase the sensitivity of the motion detector part of the safety system, the robot vacuum cleaner may trigger false alarms.

Read more: Our review of iRobot Roomba S9 Plus and Neato Botvac D7 Connected

By ensuring that it does not run when it is not needed, you will save battery life and reduce vacuum cleaner wear. The same is true for other small appliances that may operate on smart plans or smart switches. Browse your list of managed devices to make sure everything is turned on or off accordingly. 

Yes, smart homes are cool. They can do many things for you every day, and they can keep you in touch with your home even if you are hundreds of miles away. Still, smart homes are not perfect, and it is a good idea to have one or two very trustworthy (and tech-savvy) people pay close attention to things.

Whether it’s a shared camera, a security code, or a normal house key, knowing that someone can personally check your house for anything suspicious will help you travel happily.

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