Incorporating Smart plugs into your home automation system is a cost-effective way to bring automation and control to your home. While turning lamps on and off is a common use case, smart plugs can also automate a wide range of appliances and devices in your home, such as fireplaces, electric stoves, sump pumps, coffee makers, washing machines and dryers, water fountains, electric space heaters, holiday lights, and plant watering systems. With a capable smart home automation platform, you can configure a smart plug to turn those appliances and devices on or off based on certain conditions, such as temperature, time of day, or motion sensor activity.
Here are ten unique ways that you can use smart plugs to improve and automate appliances throughout your home:
1. Fireplace Climate Control
You can use a smart plug to automate your fireplace, and create automations to turn it on or off based on temperature or time of day, to create a comfortable atmosphere in your home without having to constantly monitor and adjust the fireplace manually.
2. Remote Control of Electric Stove
You can also use a smart plug or smart switch to remotely control your 240V electric stove. This can be especially useful in the event of an emergency, as you can remotely turn the stove off to prevent an accident. To set this up, you’ll need to connect a smart plug or power switch to the line for your electric stove at the circuit breaker, then, use the mobile app for your smart home system to turn the stove on or off as needed.
3. Sump Pump Automation
If you have a sump pump in your home, you can connect a smart plug or power switch to your sump pump, and configure automations to receive alerts when the sump pump is running or when the switch goes offline, to monitor the pump’s performance. You can use the same setup for a gas switch, if your home is equipped with one that you can replace with a smart switch to gain this functionality.
4. Basic Coffee Maker Automation
You can use a smart plug to automate a basic coffee maker by programming automations to turn it on and off remotely on a specific schedule, or based on motion sensor activity. This is a great way to enjoy the convenience of a smart coffee maker without the added cost of purchasing one.
5. Washing Machine and Dryer Automation
You can use a smart plug or smart switch to automate your washing machine or dryer by programming automations to notify you when the machine is running or has finished its cycle. This automation can help you keep track of your laundry and ensure that you don’t leave wet clothes in the machine for too long.
6. Water Fountain Automation
You can use a smart plug to control your water fountain on a specific schedule or based on certain conditions, such as turning it on when hosting guests, for a touch of ambiance.
7. Lamp Lighting Automation
You can use a smart plug to control lamps in your home with automations that turn them on and off based on a schedule or conditions, to save energy and money.
8. Electric Heating Automation
You can use a smart plug to control electric space heaters and create automations that run a heater based on desired temperature or schedule, to save energy. This way, you can use a smaller appliance to heat your home when it is not feasible to run your HVAC system.
9. Holiday Lighting Automation
You can use a smart plug to automate holiday lights, and configure automations to turn them on or off based on a schedule or motion sensor activity. This is a simple and convenient way to get into the holiday spirit without having to remember to manually turn your holiday lights on or off.
10. Plant Watering Automation
You can connect a smart plug to your watering system, and use automations to water your plants based on schedule or weather conditions. This automation can help you keep your plants healthy, even when you’re not home to water them manually.
Final Thoughts
Smart plugs are a versatile and useful tool for any smart home. With a little creativity, you can find ways to use them to automate and control a wide range of appliances and devices in your home, from fireplaces and electric stoves to coffee makers and water fountains. Whether you want to create a more comfortable and convenient home or simply save energy and money, smart plugs can be an effective and cost-effective solution for you to power your smart home.
I hope you found this article, "10 Smart Plug Ideas to Take Your Home Automation to the Next Level", informative and useful. For more smart home automation content, you might want to read this article next: Getting Days by Name in Home Assistant and Checking Whether the Day Falls on a U.S. Holiday. If you found this article helpful, Subscribe to the On Motion Detected YouTube Channel, or sign up for our newsletter for more smart home automation content delivered to your inbox.