We’re back today with Janssen’s final post on what it was really like taking her regular old home and turning it into a “smart home”. (Read all about the innovative ways she set up her home with the Iris by Lowe’s system in her last post, here.)
After reading today’s post, I am once again more than a little jealous that I handed the Iris off to her instead of keeping it for myself. I can’t believe all the options you have with this system!
Today we’re covering all that the Iris by Lowe’s system does to put your mind at ease while you’re away on vacation– everything from turning on lights and checking if doors and windows are locked to turning on a plug-in air freshener and the air conditioner a few hours before arriving back home. So cool!
Here’s Janssen with all the details…
I try really hard not to be a worrier.
There is so much you can’t control in this life and having three kids just adds to that list.
Our family loves to travel and, like many families, one of the main reasons we do so is to relax and enjoy time together.
But I’ll admit that it’s difficult for me to not let a little piece of my brain always wonder about our house while we’re gone, and I breathe a tiny sigh of relief when we return home and everything is still standing.
Which is just one more reason I love the Iris system.
The Iris system is perfect on a daily basis for keeping track of where my kids are with the Smart Fob, letting family members and neighbors pass the alarm via the Keypad, or using the Motion Sensor with my fans to keep my electricity bills low (or as low as you can get them when you live in Arizona).
But until we started planning summer vacations, I hadn’t even considered how handy Iris would be when we were traveling. Generally when I think of a smart home system, I think of being at home.
But since my house doesn’t come on vacation with me, it makes perfect sense that Iris is there to protect my home while I’m away from it.
Iris has all the the basics, like turning lights on and off so your house doesn’t look empty, and the ability to check remotely if all the doors are locked and windows are closed.
Plus the video camera system makes it easy to look in at your house from your spot on the beach or in an airport terminal halfway around the world.
But they have so many extra features, too, like the Leak Detector and LeakSmart Shut-Off Valve. Since we have a basement, I’m thrilled to have no more worries about coming home to a flood.
Or the Tilt Sensor that alerts you if certain items are moved; this is perfect if you have someone coming into your house while you’re gone to water plants or bring in the mail or check on a pet, but you want to be sure your valuables aren’t disturbed.
And not only does it give me peace of mind because I know my house is safe, it also makes coming home that much sweeter.
For instance, you can plug an air freshener into a Smart Plug and then turn that plug on the day you come home so that your house doesn’t have that empty, dusty smell when you walk in the door after a week away.
And you can have the air conditioner come back on a few hours before your arrival. I grew up in Las Vegas (apparently I gravitate toward living on the face of the sun) and I remember so many summer vacations where we came home in the evening and we could hardly sleep because the house was so hot and it took hours for the air conditioning to cool it down to even remotely comfortable temperatures.
If only my parents had had an Iris system in the 90s!
Like the whole Iris system, you can add exactly the features you need without paying for any of the products you don’t want.
Set it up, monitor it on the go, and enjoy your summer vacation knowing your house is safe and sound without you.
*This post is sponsored by Iris of Lowe’s, all opinions are 100% our own.
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Janssen
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