Smart Home Tech: Handling Emergencies When Traveling
Whether you’re on vacation or traveling for work, leaving your house unattended can be stressful. However, smart home tech features make your life easier if there’s an emergency while you’re away. Many people think about home security as the main feature of their automation system, keeping doors and windows alarmed and alerting the security company if there’s an issue.
Today’s technology makes it easier than ever to deal with an emergency when you’re away from home. Sure, nothing is as easy as surveying the home yourself in person, but if you’re several states away, an automated home gives you more insight and can guide those helping out.
Here’s how smart home tech can help when you’re away from home and there’s an emergency.
Mobile app
Many smart home tech companies provide apps for mobile devices. Vivint isn’t any different. From the app, you can see what doors and windows are armed, whether the alarm system is on or off and if the garage door is open. When an alarm goes off, the app will notify you immediately, as if you never left home.
Surveillance cameras
With the app, you can view footage from any surveillance cameras set up in and around your home. Since Vivint cameras are equipped with night vision, the picture quality is fantastic at any light level. Using infrared technology, cameras show pictures even from dark areas, such as the backyard at night or an unlit room. If there’s a break-in or the alarm is triggered, your surveillance cameras will record it. Additionally, you’ll see who rang your doorbell that day and who walked inside.
Automatic door locks
If there’s an issue in your house and the police or a neighbor are checking it out, you can unlock the doors for them using your app. Another option is to give them a code to unlock it themselves, so they don’t need a key. When they leave, lock the doors and arm the system from your app.
Freeze/flood sensors
A flood in your house isn’t something you want to come home to days or weeks later. Water damage gets worse as it sits. By installing a freeze/flood sensor, you’ll be alerted if there are unusual amounts of water or if the temperature falls below a certain threshold. For the latter, if you have smart thermostats, that’s an easy fix: adjust the temperature with a click on your phone. If the flood sensor is triggered, it’s best to send over your neighbor or a trusted plumber to check it out. Situations that are handled while you’re gone will save you headaches and home damage.
Doorbell camera
It’s great to know who was at your front door if your alarm was sounded. However, just knowing that someone came by is helpful, too. A doorbell camera captures a picture or video of anyone ringing the doorbell. If they left a package, you can alert a neighbor to pick it up so it won’t be sitting there while you’re gone.
Smart home tech solutions minimize the impact of an emergency, giving you peace of mind and the ability to handle things sooner rather than later.
Check out Vivint’s state-of-the-art smart home options.
Originally published at www.vivint.com on July 28, 2016. Written By: Deborah Abrams Kaplan
