Smart Home Control vs. Automation: Is There a Difference?

Smart home automation is a term that’s thrown around a lot, but isn’t well understood. What’s the difference between smart home automation and smart home control? What are the best technologies to make your Colleyville, TX home into a smart home? If you’d like to know the answers to any of these questions, keep reading!

Defining Smart Home Automation

Smart home automation refers to the process of upgrading different aspects of your home – lights, window shades, entertainment systems, etc. – to be part of the Internet of Things. Essentially, these home components are now able to be controlled via any internet-connected device. The next step is to then connect all of these devices into one complete ecosystem that works automatically to keep your home in the perfect environment for safety, comfort, energy efficiency, and beauty.

SEE ALSO: Frequently Asked Questions about Smart Home Automation

The Difference Between Smart Home Automation and Smart Home Control

These terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. However, most smart home systems use a combination of automation and control. It all boils down to how you want the devices to act throughout the day. 

If you have window shades that detect that too much solar heat gain is causing your home’s air conditioner to work harder than it should have to, those window shades could automatically close to block out the sun. That’s smart home automation because you didn’t have to do anything to achieve that effect. The system intelligently chose the right action to keep your home energy efficient. 

Automation could also occur through the use of timers, occupancy sensors, or as a reaction to certain events (like the lights coming on automatically if someone tries to break into your home in the middle of the night).

But there are also other times when you might want to close the window shades. Say you’re relaxing on the couch, reading a book, when the setting sun causes a bright light to hit your face. Instead of having to shift from your comfortable position, you could take advantage of the smart home control offered by your Control4 system. By voice, remote, smartphone, or tablet, you could press the “Close Shades” button to cause the window shades to lower and block out the sun. 

The Best Smart Technologies

We often get asked for recommendations about which upgrades are the best options for homes. The short answer is that it depends entirely on your lifestyle! If you travel often, it’s a good idea to invest in smart home security devices like surveillance cameras or internet-connected door locks. If you’re big on entertainment, you might want to explore the latest technologies for connecting all of your TVs and music systems together for easy management. 

The good news is that the sky is the limit with these technologies. If you want to automate it, it’s highly likely we can help you do that.

For information on specific smart technologies, we encourage you to call us at (817) 980-0347 or fill out our online contact form!