How Home Automation and Home Security Work Together

When it comes to home automation and home security, many people think of them as separate entities.

However, home automation and home security complement each other perfectly. By combining the convenience of home automation with security devices, it’s easier than ever to have a safer, more secure home.

What you can do with home automation systems

Smart homes use home automation to help you automate and remotely control many of the devices and systems around your house.

Smart home devices typically use an internet connection, with devices that connect to your home’s wi-fi (although some can also use Bluetooth or Z-wave technology) to communicate with each other. This allows you remote home control via your system’s mobile app on your smartphone from just about anywhere.

Here are a few of the things you can do with a smart home automation system:

Automatically adjust your temperature based on your preferences

Smart thermostats help you save both energy and money—and they do it automatically. Thermostats like Nest will learn your preferred temperature based on time of day, then adjust the temperature in your home accordingly based on your preferences.

They also use geofencing, helping conserve energy while you’re away and then adjusting the temperature as you get closer to home, so your home is just how you like it.

Lock and unlock your doors remotely

You can get rid of hide a keys for good with smart locks. With a smart door lock, you unlock your doors with a unique code on a keypad instead of turning a key in a lock. You can even assign different codes to members of your family, housekeepers, or pet sitters and get a notification on your phone when the code is used, so you know who’s coming and going.

You can also use your smart home’s mobile app to unlock your front door wherever you are with your smart phone—perfect if you need to let visitors in the house or someone forgot their code.

Use voice control for your smart devices

Being able to control your home remotely with your phone is great. Home automation also takes that a step further, letting you control various systems around your home with your voice if you have a smart speaker like Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

Stay connected to your home

In addition to being able to remote control your devices, home automation systems also keep you connected to your home and its devices and systems whenever you’re away, whether you’re in another room or another state. Homeowners can use their smartphones to watch live video feed from their security cameras, adjust their smart lighting, or get notifications if a security alarm goes off.

How a smart home security system protects your home

Home security systems combine smart home security devices with professional monitoring to keep your home safe from intruders as well as other threats, like fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Alerts you with security sensors and alarms

The best home security systems protect your home with security devices that include:

• Security sensors. Door and window sensors attach to entry points in your home and trigger your alarm system if a door or window is opened while the alarm is set. You can also get glass break sensors that detect the decibel level of glass breaking and sound the alarm.
• Security cameras. No home security system is complete without the addition of security cameras. Comprehensive home security systems typically include a doorbell camera with a two-way speaker that lets you answer your door remotely, outdoor cameras for eyes on your property, and indoor cameras to keep track of people inside.
• Motion detectors. An important part of any security system, motion detectors can sense movement in the home and will sound the alarm if someone walks in the sensor’s path. Many security devices are also equipped with motion sensors; for example, security cameras that immediately begin recording or smart lights that turn on when someone is detected.
• Safety alarms. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are a must-have for any home. Safety alarms can also include medical alert systems, which are pendants or bracelets that allow the user to contact the monitoring center for help if there’s an emergency.

Monitors your home 24/7

Your home security system should also include professional home monitoring. While you can DIY your security monitoring to save a few dollars in monthly fees, self-monitoring doesn’t provide you with the complete protection that professional monitoring provides.

With a professional monitoring service, the monitoring center is notified whenever an alarm in your home goes off. They will then contact emergency responders on your behalf, whether it’s police or fire. With do-it-yourself monitoring, you may not get help as quickly if an emergency occurs when you’re not at home. Professional monitoring gives you peace of mind that your home is protected while you’re away.

How smart home automation and home security work together

Smart home automation and home security systems go hand in hand, complementing each other perfectly to automatically make your home safer and more secure.

What can you do when you combine your home automation system with home security? Plenty!

Automatically lock your doors when you arm your security system

Over 30% of all intruders enter a home simply by opening the front door and walking in. With that in mind, making sure your door is locked at all times can help keep your home secure. With a Vivint system, you can set your front doors to lock automatically whenever you arm your security system, so you don’t have to wonder whether or not you locked up.

Activate motion lights and security cameras

No intruder wants a spotlight when they’re sneaking around your home. Home security cameras combine with smart lighting to increase your home’s security outside, depending on the system’s functionality and your provider. For example, the Outdoor Camera Pro (Gen 2) combines with the Spotlight Pro to activate lighting outside if the camera detects a lurker. In addition, the Outdoor Camera Pro (Gen 2) also plays a warning tone and illuminates an LED light on the camera, letting lurkers know they’ve been spotted.

Help your home look occupied while you’re away

Nothing is more inviting to a burglar than a home that looks empty. You can keep your home looking occupied even while you’re away with smart lighting. Set your outdoor lights to turn on at dusk, or turn indoor lights on from your phone if you’re working late. With Vivint smart lighting, you can even create room groups (such as “downstairs lights” or “bedrooms”) and set them to turn on and off at various times for a more natural-looking lighting pattern.

Secure your garage door

The garage is also an easy target for burglars and another common entry point, although it’s often overlooked in security systems. With Garage Door Control, you’ll be notified whenever your garage door is open. You can immediately close it with your phone, even if you’re miles away, allowing you to keep your garage secure.

Smarter home response during a fire or carbon monoxide alarm

It’s not just break-ins that home automation and security work together to prevent. With A Vivint smart home system, your system immediately takes action if a fire or CO alarm goes off:

• If there’s a fire, the HVAC system shuts off automatically to slow the spread of flames.
• Doors unlock automatically, allowing you to quickly exit while allowing emergency responders to enter.

Protect packages and deliveries

Most people shop online and love the convenience of having things delivered right to their door. Unfortunately, thieves love the convenience of being able to snatch an entire package from a front porch too, and over 50% of Americans have had a package stolen, according to one survey.

Smart home automation works with your security system to keep your packages safe. Doorbell cameras notify you when a delivery comes to your door. You can unlock your front door from your phone and use the two-way voice feature on your doorbell camera to ask the delivery person to put your package inside the house, then lock up again when they leave—all from your phone.

Control everything from a single location

In addition to the remote control that home automation provides, a smart home security system also includes a central control panel in your home that lets you control both your home automation and your security system. These are typically touchscreen panels mounted to a wall that you can use to arm or disarm your system, view recorded or live video footage on security cameras or video doorbells, turn smart lights on and off, or adjust your temperature.

Some providers offer even more features. The Vivint Hub, for example, lets you get help in an emergency with one-touch emergency callouts and includes two-way voice for communicating with the monitoring center.

Smart home security systems keep your home safer

Home automation is great by itself, and a security system is a must-have for protecting your home. By combining the two, you can get the best of both worlds. Smart home security systems combine the convenience and comfort of home automation with the security and peace of mind that comes from a security system, making your home safer, more secure, and more comfortable than ever.

See for yourself the difference a smart home security system can make in your home. Vivint lets you customize a system based on your family’s needs, and includes professional installation and monitoring. Getting started is easy. Contact our Smart Home Pros today at 855.822.1220 to learn more.