Smart House Maintenance — Have You Done Yours?

Almost everybody at this point has some smart home technology in use. In order to keep everything in good working in order, you need to do some general maintenance.

  • Solar Panels/Tiles — Have you done your annual cleaning? Solar panels typically see reductions around 7% and as much as 20% just because of dirt! That is just money you are throwing away. Using a garden hose to spray them with water is NOT cleaning the panels. Popular Mechanics has a good article about this issue, but I always recommend you hire a local professional to clean and inspect your panels. They can help you find problems proactively.
  • Garage Door Opener — How old is your garage door opener? Most of us have a pad we can type in a code to open the garage on the outside of the garage building. If it is old, the encryption on it is not secure which means any thief with a bit of technology has access to your garage and possibly your home. Review your setup. Have it inspected to make sure it is in good working order, secure, etc… You don’t have to replace the entire door to upgrade the opener and associated controls.
  • Cameras — Have you checked all your cameras lately? If you never look at them, at least once a year you should review all the camera feeds to make sure the alerts are working correctly, nothing needs to be adjusted, and recording is happening as you expect. This is a great time to review your setup and see if you have some blind spots that need coverage, or if you want to upgrade/update some technology.
  • Home Wi-Fi — When is the last time you looked over your home Wi-Fi setup. If you have not changed the password in more than a year, it is time to update. Make sure you have automatic updates turned on for firmware. Remember, when you change your Wi-Fi information, you will need to go through every device in your home that uses the Wi-Fi and remove the old network and add the new name/password information. This is really important because the longer it remains unchanged, the more time a bad operator has to “hack it”. Don’t give that nosy neighbor the opportunity to make your life difficult.
  • Household appliances — At least once a year you should go through all the robot vacuum cleaners, smart refrigerators, Wi-Fi enabled washer machines and check the settings, see if firmware updates are needed, and in general “kick the tires” to make sure everything is working the way you want. Quite often you will have turned notifications off and maybe missed something like a filter change reminder.
  • Review local government programs — take the time once a year to look at your insurance, city, state, and utility websites to see if they have any green or smart technology rebates. This allows you to make informed decisions throughout the year about replacements and updates so you don’t just leave money on the table.

Especially the Wi-Fi changes can feel overwhelming with the number of devices that will be impacted. Give me a call/text if you want some help keeping your sanity and knowing nothing will be missed!

Smart Home AI

AI (artificial intelligence) has become the latest “tool” for home automation and smart enhancement. As with any IT upgrade, you have to remember that you are trading privacy for features and functions. For most of us, this is an acceptable trade-off. Remember to consider that something has to have access in order to “respond” when you speak a specific command, function based on camera data, etc…. If you work from home, make sure you consider your industry/work security requirements before install AI or just smart home features. For example, a smart TV that responses to voice commands might not be appropriate in your home office if you have meetings via your computer or in person involving proprietary, government, or other very sensitive client data. Especially if that TV is functioning using a foreign based service.

Combining smart home features and functions with AI can take your home experience to the next level in automation, security, and personal convenience (or frustration if it is not working correctly). Josh.ai (https://www.josh.ai/) is one of the top currently available AI services that specialize in home automation. Chaptech IT (https://www.chaptechit.com/) which is located in Orange County, CA is an amazing service provider for integrating technology in larger estates/properties.

The key to understand is AI is great at responding in a specific way based on specific inputs….especially multiple inputs. For example, a simple technology we are all familiar with is the thermostat. You set it to turn on AC if temperature is greater than X and turn off AC when temperature is lower than Y. A smart thermostat would combine that basic ability with a connection to the internet so you can interface with it via your phone (i.e., when you are not at home), controls so it can decide if AC, heating, or just fans would be the best solution for the temperature specified by the owner, and some basic logic ability to make these decisions. AI would take this to the next level. One example might be integrating skylight controls, windows, and whole house fans into this setup. Now the AI can determine confirm that it is not raining, so the skylights can be opened if needed, entire house fans can be used instead of AC, windows can be opened/closed as needed. Inside and outside temperatures can be monitored so the most energy efficient solution can be selected for the client’s desired home temperature.

This is just a heating/cooling example, but smart technology or combining it with AI can be used for everything from vacuuming floors to pool controls to kitchen appliances to solar/wind power generation. Technology for your home is exploding, and how you enhance your home to improve its value or your experience will become one of the major differences we will see. If you are thinking about making changes or preparing it for selling, you need to think about smart technology. The infrastructure to make it work like wiring is a great upgrade to consider, even if you don’t plan on using it yourself. It enhances the value and gives you options in the future. Anytime you open up walls you should be thinking about if you need to make any changes to water, electrical, insulation, or basically anything that goes inside the wall.

Give me a call, text, reach out via this website; if you have questions and need some help making “smart” decisions!

Smart Appliances — Ovens

Are you looking to make an oven upgrade to your kitchen and want to know about a “smart oven”?

What are the advantages of a smart oven?

  • Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to control your oven remotely through your phone/computer.
  • Real-Time notifications means you don’t have to be in the kitchen to “hear the buzzer”.
  • Voice controls allow you to be hands-free. This is especially useful in the kitchen when your hands typically involved in food prep.
  • Various automatic cooking controls allows you to never miss a critical temp change or oven setting during the cooking process.
  • Enhanced energy efficiency.

Here are some currently available models to consider.

Smart Appliances — Washer and Dryer

Smart appliances are the latest upgrade in appliances. Let’s look at some washer/dryer options.

Something to always remember is that a smart appliance is normally connected to your Wi-Fi network. This means that it connects to the internet. You should ALWAYS have a separate fire walled off network for your “smart” appliances. Why — because they don’t get security updates like your computer or cell phone, and therefore overtime can become a major network security threat! If you don’t have the “guest” network turned on in your home or business router…or have no idea what I am talking about, please give me a call BEFORE you start adding “smart” appliances to your home.

The Spruce has a nice list of the pros/cons for some 2025 washer/dryer smart model sets: Link: https://www.thespruce.com/best-washer-dryer-sets-4109183. Some models I personally like because of specific features are:

Really look at your smart appliances’ options. Most people prefer to stick with one brand because of various integrated features and phone app controls, but that may not be the best option for you. Give me a call/text/email if you need some help.

Smart Appliance — Refrigerators

There has been a general shift in home appliances to become “smart”. This is both a great upgrade and a major source of end user frustration.

First — Do you want or even really need a “smart” appliance. As with any device, as it becomes more powerful with more features, you have more opportunities for it to break, wear out, and increase cost. You should always review the new “smart” features and ask yourself if the benefits outweigh the risks. Typically, anything smart will need Wi-Fi access, periodic software updates, and a user (or close friend/family member) who can handle technical issues. As with anything connected to the internet, there are some security risks, so you need to ensure you have appropriate security in place.

Second — Make sure you review the new features. If you don’t want/need them, then don’t add complexity just because everyone else does.

Third — Keep an open mind. Most of the time, your first thought will be, “I don’t need that”. If you really sit down and think about how it would change what you do, and the time involved, that probably is not a true statement. As always, you should be looking at how much you benefit vs. the costs/risks involved.

Here are a few of the new smart refrigerators on the market that can give you an idea of some new smart fridge features available:

  • Model: RF29DB9900QDAA, Samsung 4-Door Flex with AI Family Hub+ and AI. This includes a touch sensitive large screens with some significant organizational and AI features (calendar integration, music and video live-streaming, weather updates, digital photo frames, etc.….) The real smart upgrade is the camera and AI technology on the inside. This feature allows the fridge to track what is added and removed. That’s right, it can tell you when the milk is empty. On your way home from work, you can stop at the grocery store, open your phone, and access the fridge grocery suggestions. It also has an automatically refilling water pitcher. Link: https://a.co/d/gUh9Y4Y
  • Model: CGE29DM5TS5, GE Cafe 4-Door French Smart Fridge. This model has a very simple, clean look from the outside, but all the tech is inside. As part of the GE smart appliances’ series that allows you to connect multiple GE devices together. Lots of customizable features, controls, and alerts available. Link: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cafe-28-7-cu-ft-4-Door-Smart-French-Door-Refrigerator-with-Ice-Maker-Platinum-Glass-ENERGY-STAR/5014668093?irclickid=SpCUDQ3qHxyPWW9zCt24swW6UksRxUzciyOFXo0&irgwc=1&cm_mmc=aff-_-c-_-prd-_-mdv-_-gdy-_-all-_-0-_-3006986-_-0
  • Model: ‎LRMVC2306D, LG Smart Wi-Fi Enabled InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Counter-Depth Refrigerator with Craft Ice™ Maker. This model has a very large screen with some really useful design features combined with Wi-Fi connectivity and significantly upgraded ice maker features. Link: https://a.co/d/6qFiGGr

If you are thinking about updating your home and especially areas like the kitchen. Please look at what is available, what you don’t like about your current setup, and what you want. Take that information to someone like me who can help you figure out how smart appliances can be helpful without becoming frustrating.