The Official Smarthome Blog – All Things Home Automation

Taking care of your garden, potted plants, shrubs and trees requires that they receive consistent watering. You could walk around the yard and do this by hand or have a professional sprinkler system installed, but why go through the hassle or expense? The Logica Garden Watering Drip Kit from Claber is a complete kit for setting up your own irrigation system that will keep your yard flourishing for years to come. It features a reducer that will maintain a consistent water pressure and 20 adjustable in-line drippers. With the included timer, you can select a watering cycle by simply turning the rotary dial to any one of the 15 preset programs from 6 hours up to weekly irrigation. By using a drip irrigation system, you can reduce water consumption by focusing water directly to the roots. Installation and maintenance is a breeze, so watering is no longer a chore, its fun. The timer can run for an entire season on one 9-volt battery (sold separately).

• No programming required, simply turn a rotary dial to run one of 15 preset cycles
• No wiring or electricity necessary, battery operated
• Drip irrigation can reduce water consumption up to 70%
• Watering directly at the roots promotes healthier plants
• Price: $59.99

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By installing a water timer to your lawn or plant sprinklers, you’ll be able to make sure ample water reaches your greenery without having to remember when you last watered. But if an unexpected rainstorm crops up, will you need to reprogram your watering schedule completely? Not if you add the Rain Sensor for Auto Water Timers. Suitable for all watering systems, this rain sensor avoids unnecessary wasting of water by turning the sprinklers off when it is raining. The water timer systems are sold separately.

• Float system provides accurate measurement of rain
• Sensor turns off water timer automatically in excessive rain
• Programmed watering returns to normal schedule as rainwater evaporates
• Price: $30.99

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If you have a home or apartment that has not been pre-wired for a doorbell, getting one professionally installed can be a costly upgrade. The Wireless Doorbell Chime and Light with Table Stand is an affordable alternative to getting a wired doorbell unit. The transmitter will wirelessly communicate with the receiver up to 100 meters away. Each can be mounted, and optionally the receiver comes with a stand that you can take with you throughout your home; this offers the flexibility to put each unit in the most convenient place for you. The receiver can be used as a doorbell, as a doorbell in conjunction with a signal light, or it can operate in silent mode with no sound and just the signal light. The receiver also has three adjustable volume levels: quiet, medium and loud. This simple solution can be up and running in minutes at your home or apartment; it can even be used on trailers, motor homes, dorm rooms and offices.

• Creates a door chime and signal where wiring is not available
• Wireless radio frequency (RF) transmission up to 100 meters
• Receiver has three operation modes: bell only, signal light only, or bell and signal light
• Adjustable volume levels
• Receiver can be wall mounted or freestanding
• Price: $29.99

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This Indoor Mini Mechanical Plug-In Timer is an excellent choice for regulating your interior lights and other electronics into an automated on/off cycle by setting up to 48 different on and off times daily. The timer just plugs into any standard outlet and the appliance you want to control then plugs into the timer. Once everything is plugged in, set the clock with the twist of the front dial and then simply press down on the trippers, each representing a fifteen minute increment, for the times you want the device to be on. Use it for a few indoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance to help deter criminals while you are away. A manual button is a convenient option if you wish to override your current timer status. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used and eliminate the cost for that energy. It is a great low cost way to automate your lighting up to 1875W (or 15A) and control the amount of power they are using.

• Automatically switches loads up to 1875W, 15A on and off
• Allows up to 48 on and 48 off timed switches daily
• Programmable fifteen minute segments with easy push down trippers
• Manual on/off override
• Price: $6.99

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This Indoor Electronic Programmable Plug-In Timer with Front LCD is an excellent choice for regulating your interior lights and other electronics into an automated on/off cycle by setting up to 20 programs from one to seven days a week. Programs can be set as an on/off timed function, countdown function and three modes of random functions. It also functions as a clock with an optional daylight savings feature. With batteries installed, you can move the timer from place to place without losing the programming memory. Use it for a few indoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance by using the random function to help deter criminals while you are away. A manual on/off button is a convenient option if you wish to override your current timer status. An LED light even indicates when the timer is on. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used and eliminate the cost for that energy. It is a great low cost way to automate your lighting up to 1800W (or 15A) and control the amount of power they are using.

• Heavy duty on/off timer switch for loads up to 1800W, 15A
• 20 programs per day or per week, random mode and countdown timer
• Programming made easy with a oversized front-facing LCD display and large buttons
• Clock, manual on/off, Summer/Winter daylight savings feature and battery backup
• LED status indicator
• Price: $21.99

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Using an automatic timer eliminates the need for you to manually turn lights on or off. The Outdoor Dusk-to-Dawn Plug-In Timer with Photocell takes care of this process, offering a more convenient and secure home environment while promoting energy conservation. It has a weather resistant drip-proof casing so it can be mounted in an indoor or outdoor setting and can be used with almost any two and three pronged plug-in light setup. The timer will be activated when the photocell senses that the ambient light level is at darkness. The photocell also has an adjustable sensitivity which allows you to fine tune the lighting threshold it takes to turn on. With a dial switch, set the amount of time you want the power to remain on once it is active: two, four, six, eight or ten hours; or from dusk to dawn. Use it for a few indoor and outdoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance to help deter criminals. You can also program the timer to run in a random mode at night while you are away on vacation. An LED light even indicates when the timer is on. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on after dark you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used as well as the associated costs.

• Ideal for use with plug-in security lighting, seasonal lighting, and patio lighting
• Weather resistant drip-proof cover for outdoor applications
• Built-in adjustable photocell senses ambient light levels and is activated by darkness
• Set on time for two, four, six, eight or ten hours – or from dusk to dawn
• Optional manual on/off override and random lighting
• Handles up to 1800W
• Price: $21.99

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This Indoor Electronic Programmable Plug-In Timer with Top LCD is an excellent choice for regulating your interior lights and other electronics into an automated on/off cycle by setting up to 20 programs from one to seven days a week. Programs can be set as an on/off timed function, countdown function and three modes of random functions. It also functions as a clock with an optional daylight savings feature. With batteries installed, you can move the timer from place to place without losing the programming memory. Use it for a few indoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance by using the random function to help deter criminals while you are away. A manual on/off button is a convenient option if you wish to override your current timer status. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used and eliminate the cost for that energy. It is a great low cost way to automate your lighting up to 1800W (or 15A) and control the amount of power they are using.

• Heavy duty on/off timer switch for loads up to 1800W, 15A
• 20 programmable timed events from one to seven days a week, random mode and countdown timer
• Programming made easy with a oversized front-facing LCD display and large buttons
• Clock, manual on/off, Summer/Winter daylight savings feature and battery backup
• Price: $21.99

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Using an automatic timer eliminates the need for you to manually turn lights on or off. The Outdoor Digital Dusk-to-Dawn Programmable Plug-In Timer with Photocell takes care of this process, offering a more convenient and secure home environment while promoting energy conservation. It has a weather-resistant casing so it can be mounted in an indoor or outdoor setting and can be used with almost any two and three pronged plug-in light setup. The timer will be activated when the built-in photocell senses that the ambient light level is at darkness. Use it for a few indoor and outdoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance to help deter criminals. If you are someone who simply forgets to turn off the lights at night, let the timer do the work. You can also program the timer to be active for specific hours during the evening; easily done with the aid of only two buttons and a digital LCD screen that also displays as a clock. An LED light even indicates when the timer is on. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on after dark you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used as well as the associated costs.

• Ideal for use with plug-in security lighting, seasonal lighting, and patio lighting
• Weather resistant cover for outdoor applications
• Built-in photocell senses ambient light levels and is activated by darkness
• Manual on/off control and one daily programmable timed event
• Digital LCD screen and LED status indicator
• Handles up to 1800W
• Price:$21.99

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Using an automatic timer eliminates the need for you to manually turn lights on or off. The Outdoor Digital Dusk-to-Dawn Plug-In Timer with Photocell takes care of this process, offering a more convenient and secure home environment while promoting energy conservation. It has a weather-resistant casing so it can be mounted in an indoor or outdoor setting and can be used with almost any two-pronged plug-in light setup. The timer will be activated when the photocell senses that the ambient light level is at darkness. You can also set the amount of time you want the power to remain once it is active, from one hour to nine hours. Use it for a few indoor and outdoor lights to keep you from coming home to a dark house or to give your home that lived in appearance to help deter criminals. If you are someone who simply forgets to turn off the lights at night, let the timer do the work. By limiting the amount of time your lights are on after dark you can significantly reduce the amount of energy being used as well as the asscociated costs.

• Ideal for use with plug-in security lighting, seasonal lighting, and patio lighting
• Weather resistant cover for outdoor applications
• Built-in photocell senses ambient light levels and is activated by darkness
• Adjustable countdown timer from one to nine hours and manual on/off override
• Handles up to 600W
• Price: $18.99

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