CSA Online We’ve talked about internet-connected thermostats before, so let’s take the preamble as writ. The beauty of a connected thermostat, especially for snowbirds, is that it lets you not just control but also monitor the temperature at home, even when you’re not there. EcoBee can be programmed (and not in the traditional, awful and counterintuitive “programmable thermostat” sense) to keep the temperature low but constant. Not so warm that you’re paying to heat empty space, but warm enough that your pipes aren’t at risk for freezing while you’re away. USE CASE: You are alerted to a temperature drop at home. You can raise the temperature or, if the problem goes deeper than that, take action remotely, well before you run the risk of a frozen and burst pipe. Ask a neighbour to check in on things or, if it’s looking really bad, call a repairperson to come and offer a diagnosis. Next issue, we’ll take a look at a few more useful products as well as an online service that opens up a whole world of possibilities with the Internet ofThings. D-Link Wi-Fi Water Sensor (DCHS160) US$79 Flooding is bad news. Flooding when you’re not at home to mitigate is a potential disaster. Even when home insurance covers flooding, they will often have specific requirements that need to be met in a case of vacation or other extended absence from the home. My own policy requires that a “competent adult” check in on the home at least every 72 hours for flood protection to be honoured. That’d be fine, if I knew any competent adults. Flood alarms aren’t a particularly new idea. Flood alarms that help out even if you’re not at home, however, are. This little purpose-built device connects to your Wi-Fi at home and alerts you immediately if its sensor detects water, wherever it’s installed. Water wakes it up and spurs it into action when the need arises. It’s got a 70 dB alarm that’s helpful if you’re home and can alert you on a smartphone or tablet, which is handy when you’re not. USE CASE: Dealing with a burst pipe, a foundation leak or a sump pump failure is no fun; coming home and finding out well after the fact is considerably worse. If the Wi-Fi Water Sensor detects water in the basement or wherever, it immediately lets you know on your connected phone, tablet or computer. Call a trusted friend or neighbour to take a look and intervene at the first sign of trouble. Call a service person, if need be, to get it fixed. Even the lowly doorbell isn’t immune to change. Ring is a connected doorbell. So, when someone rings the bell, you can also get an alert on your smartphone or tablet. This is especially handy when you’re not at home. What’s more, you can have a two-way conversation with the caller from anywhere. Ring will even take photos and/ or videos of anyone who rings the bell, save and send them to you so that you know who came calling. There’s also a motion detection option which makes Ring a smart and inexpensive surveillance system, too. You can set multiple detection zones and then get an alert and a visual on anyone who walks past your door, whether they ring the bell or not. USE CASE: A delivery person drops a package off while you’re out of town. You can now ask a friend or neighbour to drop by and grab it for safekeeping. If anyone absconds with the goods before said friend or neighbour arrives, you at least have a visual record. Ecobee 4 Smart Thermostat US$249 Ring Video Doorbell US$199 CSANews | FALL 2017 | 49
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