Extend your smart home with smart plugs
If there’s one gadget I always have on hand, it’s the smart plug. It’s one of those tech gadgets you need to have on hand at all times, just in case. If you have a smart home, or want to build one, smart plugs are one of the most versatile gadgets you can own. Let’s explore all the different ways you can extend your home with smart plugs.
Turn on the coffee maker in bed
Smart plugs have changed my life. It has transformed me from a morning chai drinker to a coffee drinker. All because of convenience. In the past, I would wake up and boil water to make tea. Usually, I go back to bed and sleep for 10 minutes while the water is boiling. I overslept once and all the water boiled off leaving only burning tea bags in the bottom of the pot. That’s when I knew I needed to make a change.
I bought myself a coffee maker with a dedicated push button switch for $25. Next, I left it in the “on” position and connected it to a smart plug. I have assigned a smart switch called “Coffee Maker” in the app. Before bed, I fill the coffee maker with water, filter and coffee grounds. Now, when I’m in bed, I turn on the Echo smart speaker next to the bed and say, “Alexa, turn on the coffee maker.” When I get to the kitchen, a fresh pot of coffee is ready for me. I can say without exaggeration that this has changed my life.
Smart Plug with Grow Lights
Control indoor garden lights with smart plugs
I love gardening. Every year I get more and more into gardening. One thing I’ve started doing is growing indoors from seed. It’s super easy with a simple grow light and a smart plug. It’s the perfect combination for an indoor gardener like me. To get the seeds to germinate, I fill trays with potting soil and place them under grow lights. With the smart switch, I set up an 18/6 lighting schedule. The light can be on for 18 hours and off for 6 hours. This replicates the amount of sunlight the plant gets in summer.
A good gardening tip is to change the photoperiod to 12/12. This will bring many plants into flowering, as it replicates the fall light schedule. This enables indoor gardeners to grow plants entirely indoors—from seed to harvest. I’m going to try growing peppers indoors this winter, using this smart plug trick.
Smart Plug with Heater
save on heating bills
My home has electric baseboard heating. Each room has its own thermostat for district heating. So I’m one of those people who wants to save money by not heating rooms I don’t use. However, I also want to feel comfortable in the room I am in. I used smart plugs to heat my bedroom for years before I upgraded to a smart thermostat.
I connected the smart plug to a portable radiator heater in my bedroom. When I’m away all day, I turn off the heat to save money. However, about an hour before I go home, I use my smartphone to remotely turn on the heater. When I got home, my room was ready. This little trick has saved me a lot on my heating bills, especially when I’m away from home for long stretches of the day.
Monitor the Cost of Electronics with Smart Plugs
Another benefit of smart plugs is monitoring the cost of using electronic devices. For example, I have a beer fridge in my kitchen that is full of beverages. It’s always on, but I rarely drink from it. It’s full of soda, and I don’t drink soda. The beer doesn’t seem to last long in it. One day I even wondered if it was worth continuing to wear it.
I hooked it up to a smart switch and started measuring energy consumption. I decided it wouldn’t take too much power, so I left it on. After a short while, the refrigerator will start beeping randomly. The only way to stop the beeping is to turn it off and on again. Now, if the fridge starts beeping, I use the smart switch to turn the fridge on or off. The fridge doesn’t have a power button, so connecting it to a smart plug comes in handy.
Parental Controls Using Smart Switches
Parents these days grapple with the problem of kids spending too much time in front of screens. Smart plugs are fantastic tools for parents. For example, connecting a smart plug to a game console. If the child spends too much time playing the game, use your voice to turn it off. Most of the time, just having this ability is enough. Parents can also set schedules, or set windows of time when devices are powered on and allowed. At the end of the day, we all want kids to have healthy relationships with technology. Smart switches allow parents to control when devices can and cannot be used.
