Customised and Integrated Smart Home Installation

In recent years, smart home technology has become a central part of many modern homes. Smart home automation refers to the use of technology to control and automate household features and appliances in order to create an intelligent, interconnected home environment. With it, homeowners have the ability control lights, thermostats, appliances, and other devices remotely via the internet using a smartphone. They are designed to make life easier, enhancing the efficiency, convenience, security, and energy management of a household.

• Personalise your environment: Creating an environment tailored to your taste is a major benefit of incorporating smart lighting in your home. Smart bulbs are an easy and popular choice for setting the mood in a room, and with them you have the ability to adjust the colour and dimness, and create and save your favourite lighting scene via a smartphone app. Incorporating them into your home will give you access to a range of smart features, such as remote control, voice control, automation and scheduling.
• Added convenience: A popular choice for remote control convenience – for a cosy evening in, you can turn down the brightness of living room lights and select a warm hue, without getting up from the sofa. Have you ever gone to bed, only to remember that one of more of the downstairs lights were still on? Smart bulbs would save you the hassle; you could turn them off remotely from your phone – no stress.

New to it all? Smart bulbs are a great way to start out with smart home automation – you just need a stable WiFi connection. All you have to do is sync the bulb with the app, screw it in the socket and turn the wall switch on. Then, via the app – which corresponds with the brand of the bulb, you can browse the features and select according to your preferences.

Need assistance? These days, there are many bulbs on market – so where do you start? Here at Globilnet, our licensed electricians are familiar with the latest technology and would be happy to provide you with a consultation regarding the most suitable devices for your home. We can also help you understand the ins and outs of the app, and help you get set up.

What is a smart switch? A smart switch resembles a normal light switch, but has advanced home automation features; as with smart bulbs, you can control a room’s lighting from anywhere using a smartphone app or voice commands through a smart speaker. However, smart switches remove the pain point of smart bulbs because they control power. Unlike smart bulbs, switches don’t turn off when someone flips the switch (cutting automation & scenes) – which many find frustrating. They stay powered even when they are ‘off’, so will continue running automations & accepting commands.

Why use a smart switch? If you have a large number of bulbs around your home that you want to control remotely, replacing them all can be a costly and tedious affair. Generally speaking, the price of one smart switch and four regular bulbs is significantly lower than the price of four smart bulbs. So, if you don’t want to change up your current bulbs, you can make your current lighting smart by using a smart switch. This allows you to turn multiple bulbs on/off through an app – a great option for larger living spaces, such as a big open kitchen. Since a smart switch controls an entire circuit, any lights previously controlled by the old switch can now be made smart.

• Fixture type: If you have a room with recessed ceiling lighting, typical of many modern homes, a large fixture with multiple bulbs, or a specialised fixture that doesn’t have a replaceable or common bulb type – a switch would be the solution for you. You might even have outdoor lights that are difficult to reach – in which case you can control these via an indoor switch/app, and even set sequences to turn them on and off at sunrise and sunset.
• Our expertise: If you’re looking to upgrade your lighting with a smart switch, we can check if your electrical system is compatible and safely install the switch anywhere in the house. Many switches require a neutral wire to function, so you don’t want to go to the hassle of buying a switch only to find out it’s not compatible with your setup!

Once considered a luxury, smart TVs come standard in the entertainment space these days, and are perhaps the most-owned smart home device. Being connected to the internet, they let you download apps, use streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, allow you to browse the web, and more, depending on your model. These cutting-edge devices combine live TV, streaming services, and apps into a unified interface – you can also enjoy personalized recommendations, and suggestions of shows and movies, based on viewing habits.

Being the centrepiece of your entertainment space, you want to ensure that your TV takes pride of place. If you’ve recently bought a smart TV, and are visualising a modern, sleek-looking living room, you might want to mount it on the wall. An electrician can help you do this, as the process will likely involve hiding cables within walls or specific electrical modifications. Your TV may not look right when it’s finished if the orientation isn’t set correctly, and the cables and wires need to be properly secured, else they could become damaged and tangled later down the line. With a professional involved, everything will be handled carefully and in a manner that ensures your TV turns out looking great.

If you already own a smart TV and find that your smooth streaming experience is frequently being interrupted, it might be that the router is too far from the TV – walls and other devices can obstruct the WiFi signal also. In this case, you might want to opt for a wired internet solution, booster, or simply a relocation of the router.

For those looking to integrate existing home entertainment devices, a smart hub is a very useful control system. If you have a more sophisticated setup – e.g. smart TV, speakers and lighting – a smart hub would allow you to select your preferred film, dim the lights, and set the volume of your sound system through one centralized platform – via touch or a voice command. A smart hub will tie your home entertainment system together, acting as a single interface for all your devices and their different protocols. Instead of using multiple remotes (or apps) to control different devices, you can streamline your experience entirely.

If you’re looking to minimize your environmental footprint and save money on energy bills, a smart thermostat is at the core of any smart heating system. With one, you will receive automated updates and energy reports, so you can always know your energy usage at any given time.

Smart thermostats register your preferences and heating patterns. They learn from you and adapt to your needs, creating outputs that best fit with your routine, adjusting heating and cooling cycles accordingly. This prevents unnecessary energy consumption you might find with traditional thermostats that rely solely on manual adjustments.

A smart thermostat can keep track of which rooms you are occupying, and make sure a room is warm when you use it. You will no longer have to wait for your home to warm up while you are in – or needlessly heat itself when you are out. Zoning prescribes different temperatures for different rooms. While traditional thermostats have a single dial that sits in the living room, smart ones have remote controls and multiple dials all over your home. If one room feels too hot or cold, you can set up a zone without leaving the room. This is obviously much more convenient, as you can switch on the heating for rooms only in use.

It’s a good idea to consult with an electrician before installing a smart thermostat in your home. You don’t want to go to the trouble of buying a thermostat only to find it’s not compatible with your HVAC System Type. Some systems may also require additional components or modifications to work effectively with a smart thermostat. We can assess your current thermostat’s wiring and your HVAC system, and make any necessary wiring adjustments for a proper installation.

New to smart security? The great thing about smart security systems is that you can leave your house and know everything that happens when you are gone. Your CCTV will notify you anytime someone enters your home or garden. Like all CCTV, these cameras are constantly running, but the difference is, you don’t need to be home to see what they see.

Door and window sensors. The sensors that are placed on your doors and windows sit together magnetically. Whenever a door or window is opened, the sensors are pulled apart, an alarm is triggered, and you will receive an alert on your smartphone, letting you know which portion of the home was accessed.

Motion sensors around the house. If you are looking to install a more comprehensive system, we recommend placing motion sensors around the house, since they can detect intruders much more effectively than traditional alarm systems that rely solely on door and window contacts. However, there can be many false alarms, as pets and insects, can also trigger the sensors – you don’t want to be constantly bombarded by pointless alerts! These sensors they can be programmed to ignore movement from pets, and sensitivity levels can be adjusted to reduce false alarms – we can help do this and also choose the best placement for sensors around your house, as location is important.

Smart security systems work on precision. If you are setting up a system for the first time, and you miss out on an essential, it could render your entire security effort futile. In order to cover all the major spots in the house, CCTV cameras and sensors must be well-placed; a misplaced camera can create a hole in the security.

DIY or professional installation? If you just have one spot which needs to be monitored, then you can opt for self-installation, but if you are looking for more complete coverage, a professional electrician can help you design an effective security system. If you have multiple sensors and cameras, professional installation will guarantee coherence throughout the whole system. Some systems may require wiring or power sources that go beyond basic plug and play installation, such as hardwiring a smart doorbell or security camera, so here, electrical expertise is necessary to ensure proper wiring connections and compliance with safety standards.

Need Help with an existing system? Perhaps you already have a smart CCTV, but your camera is not working properly – it might be that no video is recording, there is a problem with playback, or it is not connecting to your WiFi – we can help diagnose the issue and get your system back in action.

Smart garage door. A smart garage door opener provides a further opportunity to monitor comings and goings. It allows you to check the status of the garage door, and control it remotely from your phone – a handy feature for when you forget to close it or need to provide access to someone when you are not home. This feature is also extremely useful for online shoppers, since packages can be dropped directly to your garage when you are out. Since commercial garage doors, being an easy entry point into the house, can be a prime target for thieves, a smart garage door opener adds an extra layer of security to your home.

Garage door type. In general, most smart garage door openers are versatile and work with common garage door types, including sectional garage doors (the most common type) and some one piece doors. However, since compatibility may vary for other types, such as one-piece tilt-up doors or swing-out doors, it’s important to check the specifications before buying a smart garage door opener.

What components are included? Specific features may vary depending on the model and manufacturer, but generally speaking, a smart garage door system includes the following components: a motorised opener unit (the drive mechanism that physically opens and closes the garage door), sensors (preventing the door from closing if a person is detected in the doorway), a hub (a centralized controller than facilitates communication with the internet and other devices), and a remote control (for manual operation). Some systems also include a built-in camera.

Do I need a professional installation? Smart garage door openers usually come with detailed instructions for installation, so if you have some basic electrical knowledge, you might be able to do the job yourself. Installation will involve some electrical work, such as connecting the garage door opener to the existing garage door mechanism, and also to a power source (an electrical outlet in the garage). However, depending on your specific garage, more complex wiring adjustments may be required. If you are not comfortable working with electrical components, a professional installation can ensure the wiring is done safely and correctly. We’d be happy to consult with you to first check the compatibility of your garage with the model of the smart garage door opener, and then determine the level of electrical work required for installation.