Should I DIY my Smart Home Guide
Integrating Smart Home features into your home can be complex. Here at Top Home Tech, we will ponder the question of whether you should do it yourself, or get someone in to install it. This is an overall guide as everyone’s home and the set up you might require will differ. Here we tried to give you an overview.
Now comes the real question: to DIY, or not to DIY?
If you can follow instructions and consider yourself a bit of a handyman, you may be able to install your home automation system yourself – depending on how complex the system is. If you plan on creating a system with plenty of bells and whistles, you’ll need to have a basic understanding of electronics or programming in addition to your soldering and general DIY construction skills.
When installing your home automation system, there are three steps you need to follow:
1. Software
To begin with, you need to give your home automation system a “brain”. There are several options available to you, depending on your budget from simple, less expensive versions, to comprehensive, fully-supported programs. (Here you could link to software providers?)
2. Hardware
There are plenty of plug-in timers and controllers on the market if you wish to avoid the use of software, but to have a truly integrated and powerful system, you need control software and a computer that is connected to the internet. Depending on the complexity of your home automation system, you may want to invest in a dedicated computer to use as the control base.
3. Modules
The modules you install will depend on the protocol you’re using. Essentially, most home automation modules work like remote controls: a button or switch sends a signal, and they respond by turning on or off, dimming, closing, etc.
Be careful
The main benefit of self-installation is obviously the cost savings, as you won’t need to pay an exorbitant hourly rate to a technician. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that mistakes can be costly. For instance, if you install a lighting control system and make a calculation error, you could overload the switches and burn them out.
So, don’t attempt a DIY install if you’re not confident of your domestic prowess!
