FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 25Introduction to Smart Plugs
They make dumb things smarter
M
any new devices are already “smart,” but it’s impractical and
expensive to buy all new devices and appliances so all your stuff
is smart. Smart plugs fill the gap to bring your “dumb” electronics
into the smart-home era.
Operated with an app on your phone, smart plugs come in a variety of
shapes and sizes and, with a little creativity, can be used for a wide range
of tasks. Wi-Fi smart plugs dominate the market, with the only requirement
being a router and an internet connection. For that reason, this article is
only about Wi-Fi smart plugs.
CASSIDY NELEMANS
CONTRIBUTING EDITORHOME SMARTSITECH
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU
AUTOMATE?
Q Ever worry that you forgot to
turn off your curling iron before
leaving home? Plug the curling
iron into a smart plug and
remotely turn it off.
Q Program a lighting schedule,
indoors and out. Perfect for holi-
day lights!
Q Make sure your space heater is
off by automating a smart plug
to turn off when you leave home.
Q To cool your home, power on
your window A/C unit when you
leave work.
Q Plug a security camera into the
smart plug and program the
smart plug to turn on when you
leave home.
4 BASIC TYPESENERGY
MONITORING
More advanced
smart plugs ($30 for a
two-pack) allow you to
monitor energy usage
and/or automate tasks
based on energy con-
sumption. For exam-
ple, you could use a
smart plug to send you
an alert when your
clothes dryer lowers its
energy consumption,
which means the laun-
dry is done.DIMMABLE
Other smart
plugs offer dim-
ming capability. Got a
lamp you wish were
dimmable? Connect it
to a dimmable smart
plug (with a dimmable
bulb) and you’re set.
Dimmable smart plugs
($40 to $70 each)
should be used only
with lighting appli-
ances because they can
damage appliances
that expect a constant
electrical current.ON/OFF ONLY
Do you just
want the abil-
ity to start your coffee
maker from bed? That
can be accomplished
with a simple on/off
smart plug. These
smart plugs are usu-
ally quite affordable
and frequently come
in bundles (a four-
pack costs about
$34).1
OUTDOOR
There are even
smart plugs
rated for outdoor use.
The outdoor plugs
($30 each) allow you
to do things like con-
trol your holiday lights
without having to step
outside into the cold.4
2
3
PHOTOS:
SHUTTERSTOCK
(DRYER);
CUISINART.COM
(COFFEE POT)