2024’s winter polar vortices brought freezing temperatures and precipitation to subtropical zones such as Florida and Texas, causing many Americans to experience a trial by fire for their homes. Many residential homes in the southern part of the United States are designed with extreme heat being the main concern in regards to climate control. Abrupt temperature drops, snow and freezing rain and their effects on your home may bring some cause for concern and new hurdles to prepare for. As seen in 2020 in Texas, state level standards of construction do not require water pipes to be insulated for freezing conditions, an oversight that left many Texans without water, or with thousands of dollars in property damage.
Protecting your property
Structural overhauls to your home can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is a very difficult purchase for many. So how can we find a low cost method in investing in the safety of our homes? Smart-Home technology may have a solution and its part to play. Utilizing sensors and centralized heating it is possible to mitigate the risk of flooding and burst pipes. Temperature sensors are an inexpensive investment. Ranging from around $25 dollars for a single purpose sensor to $40 for the HSM200 multi-sensor that also functions as a motion and light level sensor, clever homeowners can track the temperature around their homes.
New Z-Wave switches are in the works. These are very similar to the original WS200+ in that it will include a single RGB LED. The LED is controllable from HS4 in that you can set the color to one of 7 colors and use it as a generic indicator. The firmware will be developed by HomeSeer in the US! We are looking at availability around April.
A Simple Breakdown
How does this help? Simple, your standard thermostat typically has one temperature sensor, on multi floor homes it would just be 2. This in practice severely limits your heating systems functionality, in effect it only measures the temperature approximately 4-5 feet above the ground in that one spot in your home. But the reality is that your home has a dynamic thermo-ecosystem. It is of course hotter in your home near vents and radiators, it’s cooler near windows, and as heat transfers through radiation there are complex convection currents all over your residence
Even in open areas the temperature on the ground will be many degrees different than on the ceiling, even in drop ceiling arrangements. Let alone the stark contrast of temperatures within the walls, floors or basement of a home. It is this contrast that can lead homeowners, especially not ones familiar with freezing temperatures, to assume that their piping is well above freezing temperature when in fact the pipes are already well below, and it is only the pressure of the water itself keeping the water inside from crystalizing into ice and causing catastrophic structural failures, and of course, a tremendous increase in insurance premiums.
With temperature sensors spread across the home, homeowners can get real time feedback on the real temperature of their home. And with HS4 they can use automations to have this data reported, and automatically engage the heating system of the home, ensuring that the pipes don’t freeze. Using your MyHS or the HomeSeer app, you can at any time see what the conditions are in your home, automate to proactively protect yourself from costly damages, or on a whim manually change the temperature of your home while you are away. You can keep your home at a lower but safe temperature while you are away at work, on errands or even vacation, but with a click of a button when you are returning home you can preemptively heat your home for a warm welcome when first step inside the front door. You can schedule your heating system to drop while you sleep to ensure energy savings, and ensure by the time you wake up your home is properly warmed-up, avoiding those moments of hesitation to leave the blankets of your bed or shivering as you get up and make your way to a traditional thermostat, then waiting eagerly in the hopes that your home is comfortable before breakfast.
Consider your lifestyle
For those who own multiple homes this technology can be invaluable. Many residents in my state of Florida own family-homes up north, and home to the sunshine state for a reprieve from depressing New England and Mid-West Winters. Although they enjoy the Snow-Bird lifestyle, leaving their other homes unattended often brings with it a particular kind of anxiety and concern. Many more retirees, seniors and those Aging-In-Place are discovering the practical benefits of implementing Smart-Home-Arrangements for their homes, and the peace of mind that comes with effortless control of their smart-systems. The benefits of a well implemented Smart-Home system are innumerable, it’s not just limited to protecting your home from freezing water lines. They can reduce overhead costs from the use of heating and cooling. Help monitor your home for break-ins and fires, act as early detection systems in case of flooding and much more. There are tens of thousands of devices currently on the market that can be integrated into HomeSeer’s HS4, with new options being released online every day.
Follow Us
We here at HomeSeer would love to help you protect your home from the unpredictable weather and unforeseen circumstances. Please consider following the link below and discovering the possibilities that our systems can provide and consider a Smart-Home system for your peace of mind.
Check out our HSM200 muti-sensor, and consider tracking the temperatures around your home today!
https://shop.homeseer.com/products/z-wave-multi-sensor
Join The Discussion
If you have comments, suggestions or complaints, please tell us about it. We want to hear from you! The feedback we receive in the coming weeks will help us to improve the features and fine tune what dashboards will offer now and into the future.
