054: Control Your Home with Your Smartphone and SmartThings Home Automation

Home automation allows you to control and monitor your home from your smartphone.   This is totally awesome.   Have you ever left home and forgot to turn off the lights or garage door? Well, now you can turn off lights, close doors, or open doors, monitor moisture and more with sensors that communicate with your phone.   SmartThings is one brand of home automation that I recently reviewed on Home Repair Tutor.   They were kind enough to send the SmartThings Smarter Home Starter Kit which comes with 6 different Things or devices   -Hub -SmartPower Outlet -SmartSense Motion Sensor -SmartSense Open/Closed Sensors x 2 -SmartSense Presence Sensor   WIFI, internet, and a smartphone are all you need to use this system.   The Hub needs to be hooked up to the WIFI router and plugged into a wall outlet. It’s super easy to setup, seriously, I’m no tech nerd and did it in 5 minutes.   The outlet and motion sensor allow you to control lights, fans, and AC units with your phone. But what I like best is the ability to program actions or Uses. You can have these the lights turn on in the morning when you enter the room or the coffee start brewing when you open the door to the kitchen cabinet.    Yep, way cool.   Open/Closed sensors can serve as a home security system and the best part is there’s NO MONTHLY FEE.    Sweet.   You can check out the SmartThings home automation system on their website   http://www.smartthings.com/   It could be a great solution for you home needs.     Do you have a DIY question or suggested show topic? Submit it by…   Calling me at 800-965-0023   Visiting http://www.homerepairtutor.com/podcast/ and use the SpeakPipe recorder   Or signing up to my email newsletter and responding back to me       Does your bathroom need help?   Check out Bathroom Repair Tutor   http://bathroomrepairtutor.com/   Our memberships are limited to 100 people on a monthly basis. You get access to the video tutorial library and our great private Facebook group where you can post questions and get answers.    This is a passion project meant to help people with their bathroom problems, hope you like it