Smart Wall Socket
Smart Wall Socket
Nowadays, controlling your electronics has become easier. You can simply plug in any appliance in a smart wall socket and control it from anywhere. Smart products are quickly becoming popular, and the best way to turn ordinary products smart is by investing in smart wall sockets. If you want to automate your appliances, here are some essentials about smart wall sockets.
What Are Smart Wall Socket And How Do They Work?
Smart sockets are a great way to turn ordinary devices into smart products. You can take your first steps toward creating a smart home with a smart socket. This connected socket gives you better control and customisable options for regular devices, and you can start using these features by simply plugging in your appliances.
You can plug in appliances such as table lamps, clothing iron, Christmas lights, coffee makers, etc. These sockets connect to your Wi-Fi network; however, just like smart switches, you can also connect a smart socket to other networks.
You can start using smart sockets with your smartphone once you download its app. If you have a home assistant hub, you can use voice control to command your applications instead of using your phone. Even without a home assistant, you can use voice commands on your phone to operate the smart sockets.
That’s not all because you can also create appliance timers and schedules. While a smart switch only works with lighting and ceiling fans, you can do much more with smart sockets.
Special smart sockets for outdoor use allow you to schedule and control items plugged outdoors, including holiday lighting and decorations. These sockets come with an IP rating that guarantees protection against outdoor hazards.
Some models provide a handheld remote for alternative control methods if you don’t want to use your smartphone to control the sockets.
Use Energy Efficiently With Smart Wall Sockets
Smart sockets are an efficient way of reducing your latent energy consumption. Some appliances go into standby mode when turned off, and while in standby mode, they consume energy.
With a smart socket, any device you plug in completely switches off without going into standby mode, helping you save hidden energy costs.
Some smart socket apps also provide energy consumption data. All the information the app is offered is in real-time, so you can accurately assess your energy consumption. You can track this data and make many more energy-efficient choices to reduce your household’s energy bills.
Why Do You Need A Smart Socket?
If you want to raise the IQ of a traditional home, you can start with a device-by-device approach in which you begin replacing larger, ordinary devices with smart devices, or you can install smart switches and sockets.
You can convert your house's small appliances and technologies into smart devices with these smart devices. This is a great way to foray into a home automation system without significantly changing your household.
Apart from smart switches and sockets, you can also start replacing your old conventional light bulbs with smart ones. With these three smart devices, you can slowly start raising the IQ of a traditional household.
What Are The Best Smart Wall Sockets On The Market?
With so many options to choose from, it’s important to only look for the best. If you want a place with all the excellent smart wall socket options, visit Meteor Electrical. Meteor has one of the best selections of smart wall sockets for every household’s needs.
These devices provide ease and comfort to every consumer. Here are some of the best smart sockets and switches Meteor has to offer.
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Knightsbridge 16A Smart Plug
This 16A smart plug is conveniently shaped and sized, so you can fit it anywhere in your home. The KKnightsbridge16A plug can be controlled via an app on your smartphone and is also compatible with a home assistant for added functionality.
This device has an IP rating of 20, which means it is dustproof. This smart socket will help you remotely control all your appliances.
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Knightsbridge 13A Smart Outdoor Socket
The Knightsbridge 13A smart outdoor socket lets you enjoy smart socket capabilities outside your home. With this device, your smartphone can control outdoor lighting, such as Christmas lights.
You can also set schedules and timers through the SmartKnight app to better control your plugged-in appliances. This outdoor socket has an IP66 rating which means this socket can withstand various outdoor elements such as dust and water.
Features To Look For In Smart Wall Sockets?
Now that you understand how smart wall sockets work, here are some essential features you must look for when purchasing.
Energy Monitoring
Many smart sockets include energy monitoring features that inform you how much energy (kWh) your devices use per day, week or month. You can find this information in the sockets app.
With this data, you can keep your eye on how much energy every plugged-in appliance takes and cut back on vampire energy consumption. You can also use this data to make energy-efficient household choices.
Power Load
Most smart sockets come with an advisory label that lets consumers know how much power load a socket can take. Make sure to keep this in mind when making a purchase, as an overloaded socket can lead to dangerous electrical hazards.
Choose a socket according to your required amperage, or check the packaging for the number of devices that can be plugged into the socket.
Scheduling Features
Many smart sockets allow you to set schedules for your plugged-in devices. You can set a timer for your lamp, fan, or coffee maker to turn on/off automatically.
This feature is helpful for your morning routines or to help shut every appliance down during the evening. Some smart sockets also allow you to repeat a schedule daily or at specific periods.
Number Of Outlets
Some smart socket models offer two or more sockets, which can help you plug in multiple appliances. Some sockets can help you independently control the various appliances, while some don’t.
If you require a socket with multiple, outlet checks the model to make it offers these capabilities. Also, remember to check the maximum power output in the model with multiple outlets.
Network Connectivity In Smart Wall Sockets
All smart home devices are equipped with a wireless communication mechanism, as this is the primary way to send information to your smartphone and back. Therefore, every smart switch socket or switch will connect with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Z-Wave.
Each device is directly connected to the central hub in a star network. However, In some instances, a device isn’t linked to the central hub. This means that it’s no longer a part of the network.
Zigbee And Z-Wave Vs. Wi-Fi And Bluetooth?
As previously mentioned, any smart home device, including a smart socket and switches, need a wireless network connection. However, the type of connection can significantly influence your smart socket.
In terms of smart switches, a Zigbee or Z-Wave connection might prove much more beneficial than a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. If energy efficiency and consumption are your main concern, you might not experience significant power savings with Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi connectivity can take up a lot of power when connected with a smart switch.
Since a smart switch is always operating, you will accrue more charges toward your energy bill. Therefore, a Wi-Fi connection is not a very convenient option. However, Zigbee and Z-Wave consume very little power.
Zigbee consumes 6 to 7 times less power than a Wi-Fi network with a similar setup. These qualities make Zigbee and Z-wave much better options for smart switches.
When compared with Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-wave still perform much better. Even though a Bluetooth network also consumes less energy than WiFi, it has limited capabilities and range.
You experience major connectivity issues with a Bluetooth network when using multiple devices with a smart switch. On the other hand, Z-Wave and Zigbee use a decentralised mesh network that fosters increased connectivity with other devices.
Even if two of your devices are far apart, these networks will transmit their signals through an intermediate device to reach your appliances.
Wi-Fi is a centralised network which relies on the router to maintain network connections. Therefore, the more devices you connect with the Wi-Fi, the slower the connectivity rate.
If safety is a major concern, Zigbee and Z-wave offer high levels of security from cyberattacks. Wi-Fi networks are more susceptible to a wide range of cyberattacks on your smartphone.
Z-wave allows you to create unique encrypted IDs that protect all your important data. This feature also stops outside sources from connecting with your devices.
Ultimately, the ideal network connection depends on your needs and preferences, so consider this factor carefully when choosing.
Creating A Smart Home Network
You are one step closer to creating a fully automated home once you connect several devices with a smart wall socket.
A smart home helps you stay connected to every appliance in your home. This connectivity is excellent for making your products more efficient and convenient.
With this feature, you can experience several incredible benefits of smart homes. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Manage All Your Devices From One Place
As we’ve mentioned, the biggest draw to smart homes is the higher level of convenience. Keeping all your appliance connected through one software is a great way to make home management easier.
You can access several functions to program your products once you connect the smart products to your phone, tablet, etc. These features surpass an ordinary appliance’s capabilities to give you a better user experience.
With a smart home, you can customise all the technology to fit your needs. The best part is you can do all this from just one spot. Most smart wall sockets have multiple outlets, so you can connect various appliances and run them all through one app.
It Makes Appliances More Convenient
Better organisation and convenience go hand in hand regarding smart homes. These products are designed to simplify your life with their added functionality.
Smart home technology can automate simple home functions. For example, if you want all your lighting to turn on at dusk, a smart bulb will help you do that. Or you might want to set a heating schedule to always be welcomed by a warm and cosy home when you’re away.
What’s more, you can also keep track of all your smart products with just your phone.
Simplify Household Tasks
Another great benefit of smart home technology is how it simplifies simple household tasks.
Some homeowners don’t have enough time to dedicate to household chores, so smart home appliances do the job for them.
There are several smart robot vacuums that help you clean up your home. Some stationery appliances, such as ovens, are also manufactured with smart features.
Important Energy Insights
If energy efficiency is your main concern, installing a smart home system will benefit you. Many smart home systems provide helpful insights and data based on your energy consumption.
You can browse through this information to find areas for efficiency, or you can cut your energy consumption in these areas to save money on utility bills.
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