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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