

 Control me

WeMoLede [1]We dabble with home automation a lot here at Domestitech.  Mostly we search for easy to adopt devices that will make a big difference in our home.  It’s quite possible to hire a company to install home controls of all kinds, lights that go on/off/dim on command or by time of day, TVs that come on and flip to the requested channel with just a word or two, even sprinklers that sense when the flowers need watering.  Quite possible if your wallet is bottomless.

The devices and sensors we tend to look for are the more economical brands that may stand the test of time and not be replaced by newer better products for at least a couple of years. No one knows who will win the ongoing struggle between the home automation combatants.  Will voice control be ruled by Apple’s Siri or Amazons Alexa?  Will the remote control lightbulbs be all Phillips or GE?  Who will be the master of the remote switch, Lutron? Belkin? More importantly, what devices will talk to each other and create a harmonious home? Not to mention which of this myriad of devices will be the ones that are the easiest to use and make actually useful.

WeMoDevices [2]Belkin’s WeMo

Belkin has become a solid company in the last few years(15 to 20), in our estimation they are here to stay for a while.  That’s important because no one wants to invest in home control devices and then have all support disappear when the manufacturer suddenly goes out of business or changes their commitment.  They have made good choices as well, their WeMo switches use WiFi for connectivity.  WiFi is cheap, universal and resistant to electronic noise.  Most of our houses are a veritable storm of electronic interference.  Microwaves blaring, electric motors whining, fluorescent bulbs buzzing all make it very hard for older home automation systems to work effectively.  They simply couldn’t hear the commands they were being sent.  Having spent money on switches and other devices to control lights and appliances and then only getting them to work “sometimes” is pretty depressing.

Basic WeMoSwitch [3]The basic WeMo appliance switch 

Users of X-10 control switches will be familiar with the practicality of the the Plug-in Wemo switch.  It is simple a device that plugs into a wall outlet and lets us remote control whatever is plugged in to it.  Kind of like one of those timers that turns lights on and off when you’re away on a trip.  However because the WeMo is WiFi based it can connect to the Internet and can be controlled from anywhere on the planet.  Would you want to turn on your bedside lamp from Honolulu?  You might if you thought someone was sneaking around outside your house.

WeMoLink [4]On a timer or not

Usually making a home look “occupied” has been done by simple timers, which work just fine but they can’t do tricks like turning on the lights when you’re on your way home or when they sense movement.  This is where appliance switches like WeMo excel.  Schedules can be set up so the house can really look occupied and the schedules can be sensitive to seasonal changes like sunrise and sunset.  Whole rooms can come on with a tap on your smart phone or a word from you.  We have recently installed WeMos in our living room.  It’s not a room that gets a lot of use in our house, but now instead of walking around and turning on four different lamps we just say “turn on the living room,” and the lights blaze forth.  Very handy for cleaning and vacuuming.

Central control

One  of the most powerful features of the various WeMo systems is Belkin’s support of their customers through the implementation of a cloud infrastructure.  The switches and links are all updated automatically so they always have the latest firmware.  The apps Belkin supplies are all free, they support Android and IOS, and they let us control one device or hundreds. One of the decisions we’ll have to make if we want to go past just a few home controls or want to achieve a more complex implementation of home automation will be deciding on a system to do more with what we have.  Group all the lights in a room and call it something like “Living room.”  Or assigning a more complex schedule like starting the coffee maker during the week at 6:30 am and 9:30 on weekends.  Even turning on the front lights when a car is sensed in the driveway.

For these kinds of programmed events we’ll need a control hub or gateway.  No matter which you choose you will find that because of the ease and versatility of Belkins offerings they probably will be supported.  Right now we use Amazon’s Echo, we will be talking about that in later pieces of this series, but we feel confident that most other competing systems will support the Belkin switches and light controls, so we can always change our minds.

Bottom line 

Belkins Switches and light controls (links) are an easy and inexpensive way to get into simple home control applications.  They are robust enough to give service for a long time and won’t be outmoded anytime soon.  It really is a very inviting way to start to learn about automating, simplifying and protecting your home.
