3 Common Problems with Home Automation

The prospect of bringing a greater degree of automation to your home is exciting to say the least. We’re all busy, and we all like to save time and money wherever possible. Recent developments in home automation allow us to do this in ways we never thought possible — and the future looks very bright, in terms of the technology that can and will be developed.

But home automation is not without its challenges. Part of the reason is that the industry is very new, and many different tech companies have gotten into the game quickly. Bluetooth and wireless technology are relatively cheap and easy to manufacture, and so the number of products on the market may be difficult to navigate.

Let’s take a look at three of the most common problems with home automation, and explore possible solutions.

1. Not selecting the right products

With hundreds of products and dozens of brands on the market, in all areas of home automation, how do you know what the best choices actually are? A lot depends on your individual home automation goals and needs. Walking through an electronics store and throwing gadgets in your shopping business is one way to go about it (or even doing lots of research online), but you’re more likely to encounter problems down the line if your product selections aren’t on target.

2. Incorrect installation

Installation is a huge aspect of home automation, and a lot of the problems people encounter stem from mistakes made at this stage of the process. Every manufacturer will tell you that setup is easy, but the fact is, it’s not always as straightforward as it seems — especially if you’re integrating multiple home automation devices and trying to get them to work together.

3. Ongoing Maintenance

Selecting and installing your home automation products are only the first steps. Now you need them to function as they should, year in and year out. This is easier said than done. Home automation is a delicate and sometimes “finicky” business, and if things aren’t done right from the ground up, problems are more likely to surface as time goes on. Troubleshooting the problems yourself can be frustrating, especially if you end up lost in a maze of call centers and instruction manuals. At this point, you might scratch your head and ask yourself: Wasn’t home automation supposed to make things easier, smoother, and more convenient? If your system is dogged by maintenance concerns, you aren’t experiencing the true benefits of home automation.

Why home automation specialists matter

If we look at each of these three common problems, it becomes apparent that home automation can benefit from being in the hands of a professional. Product selection is actually one of the most important steps, as choosing the right products will make installation and future maintenance easier and more predictable. The bottom line is that you want your home automation features to work and to make things easier, not more complicated and difficult. That’s where a home automation specialist can make the difference.