The idea of integrating smart technology into your home can be a bit daunting for you. If you are thinking of doing some smart changes in your home, you can go for a smart light bulb. These bulbs are cost-effective and make the perfect first step toward transitioning your traditional home to a smart home. In this blog, you will learn everything about the smart light bulb. Let’s start by learning what is a smart light bulb and then we can explore how to set up smart light bulb in your home.
What is a Smart Light Bulb?
An internet-capable LED light bulb is called a smart light bulb. Such a bulb allows lighting to be controlled, scheduled, and customized remotely. In the growing areas of the Internet of Things (IoT) and home automation products, smart bulbs are one of the most successful offerings.
Smart bulbs can be controlled through a home or building automatic hub or mobile apps. This way individual bulbs can be programmed to change output in a specific manner. This can be done with the integration of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a patented connection for a home automation system. After this, let’s see how to set up smart light bulb in your home. Or How to setup smart light bulb?
How to Set Up Smart Light Bulb in Your Home? How to Setup Smart Light Bulb?
Setting up a smart light bulb isn’t as tough as it seems it’s very simple. You don’t need to do any heavy-duty installation like rewiring or drilling. Instructions for each bulb differ but there are some general steps you’ll need to follow to know how to set up smart light bulb in your home-
Step 1: Check if your smart bulb has come with a hub. If yes, plug the hub into the router.
Step 2: Now, get rid of your old incandescent bulbs and screw your smart bulbs into the desired light fixtures.
Step 3: Visit the app store and download the mobile app associated with the brand of the smart bulb you purchased.
Step 4: Now connect your smart bulb with the mobile application.
Step 5: The final step is the name your bulbs and labels them intuitively. Like-balcony lights, bedroom lamps, etc. This makes it easy for you to distinguish what bulb you are controlling.
How Do Smart Light Bulb Works?
After learning how to set up a smart light bulb in your home or how to setup smart light bulb, let’s see how do smart light bulb works. Smart light bulbs are quite similar to regular light bulbs but the former can be connected to a tablet, smartphone, or mobile device. Often, this connection is done by the means of a hub that acts as a gateway between your phones or tablets and the smart bulbs in your home. Usually, the hub is attached to the router’s port, however, sometimes smart light bulbs don’t have smart hubs at all.
The smart bulb has built-in wireless technology to send messages between your device (phone/tablet), hub (if any), and the smart bulb. The successful flow of messages allows the bulb to change colors, go dim or bright, or turn on or off.
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Where to Use Smart Light Bulbs?
After learning how do smart light bulb works, let’s also see where to use smart light bulbs. Smart bulbs can be used anywhere just like regular light bulbs. However, they are best for table lamps as well as fixtures that aren’t connected to wall switches. In such situations, a smart light switch could be a potentially better solution. Additionally, smart bulbs may not be ideal for lights like ceiling fans. This is because certain smart bulbs especially those without hubs) can be bulky.
What are the Types of Smart Light Bulbs?
After learning how to set up smart light bulb in your home, you must also be curious about the types of smart light bulbs. In the lighting market, there is a wide variety of smart light bulbs. They come in varying base sizes and bulb shapes. Each bulb consists of a code which is made up of a letter and a number like E26. You need to pay extreme attention while choosing a smart light bulb, choose one that is compatible with your fixture, whether that’s a ceiling fan or a table lamp. Mostly, E26 and A19 bulbs are used in households.
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How Long Do Smart Light Bulbs Last? Will Smart Light Bulbs be Outdated?
LED smart light bulbs can last for about 50,000 hours. On the other hand, compact CFL bulbs can last for about 20,000. Compared to incandescent bulbs, both LED and CFL bulbs can last far longer.
Nothing is new and fresh forever, what is in trend today can also go obsolete tomorrow. Although light bulb technology is evolving very rapidly, it’s quite unlikely for smart light bulbs to be outdated anytime soon. This is especially because the use of incandescent bulbs is being discontinued in households. Now is the right time to discard your incandescent bulbs and ride the wave of smart lighting. After this, let’s see do smart bulbs need wiring.
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Do Smart Bulbs Need Wiring?
A smart bulb can fit in any standard lamp or wall fixture and it’s also very easy to set up. You can simply control a smart bulb via voice-enabled smart home devices or through an app. Although these bulbs are a bit pricier than other bulbs in the market they are still becoming a one-stop solution for different security and home light needs. A major reason behind the popularity of a smart bulb is that it does not require additional wiring. This should have answered do smart bulbs need wiring.
What are the Benefits of Smart Light Bulbs?
Smart light bulbs have numerous benefits one of them being the ease of installation. Other benefits or advantages of smart light bulbs include-
1. Security: Many smart light bulbs come with motion detection features. They will turn on as soon as someone enters the room.
2. Scheduling: These lights allow you to set a predetermined schedule of when to turn them on or off.
3. Customization for light brightness or color: The smart lights allow you to change the brightness and color of the bulb. It helps you design different scenes to fit your different moods.
4. Long life span: Any average incandescent light bulb has a life of about 750 to 2000 hours. On the other hand, an LED smart light can work well for about 50,000 hours.
5. Lower energy consumption: These light bulbs reduce the amount of electricity needed. They use way less energy than traditional bulbs.
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What to Consider While Buying a Smart Light?
There are certain settings and features that you must consider before buying a smart light bulb. Consider these things while buying a smart light-
- Design: Check if the bulb looks traditional and if it will go with your lighting fixture or not.
- Size: Ensure that your smart bulb fits in the lightning fixture you want to put it in. E26 is the most commonly used base size for lamps and A19 is the standard bulb shape.
- Hub requirement: All smart light bulbs don’t come with a hub. If the hardware is in-built into the smart bulb, the bulb will look bulky.
- Connection: Usually, smart bulbs connect through Wi-Fi. However, there are some bulbs in the market that are compatible with Bluetooth, Z-Wave, SmartThings, etc.
- Pairing abilities: If you use voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, make sure that smart lighting technology is voice-activated so that you can control the lights through voice commands. Additionally, you’ll need a speaker like Echo Dot or Nest Mini.
- Brightness: It is measured in watts and most solar lights have a brightness of about 60 watts.
- Color spectrum: The fun part about smart bulbs is that you can choose from a full-color spectrum. You’ll not need to stick to a permanently colorful lighting landscape.
- App Features: Check the features of the app affiliated with the smart light. See if it has ads if is it easy to use, and also check its rating.
- Scheduling features: The most amazing perk of a smart light is the ability to schedule. Make sure it’s easy to set schedules via the smart light app.
- Cost: The bottom line of any shopping is the budget. Try to get the best smart light in your budget. Such light can start as low as around $ 2 per bulb and can go up to about $60.
- Installation: If you do get a hub with your light, you’ll need to connect it to your router. Don’t worry, installing a hub takes no more than 15 mins.
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How to Make Your Smart Light Bulb Last Longer?
There are certain ways to make sure that your smart bulb gets to live a great and long life. If your smart bulb is constantly On, it can get overheated. To avoid this, give it frequent breaks. Turn to bulb off when you leave the room and turn it on when you return. This will extend the bulb’s lifetime.
Another major reason for overheating can be loose connections, so make sure that the bulb is screwed in. After this, check if the connections are clean with no corroded contacts ruining the fitting the bulb will go into.
Another thing you should check is whether the fixture is big enough for the bulb and if there is enough space to let air flow. Ventilation is very necessary to ensure that your bulb stays as cool as possible.
Lastly, make sure to set a timer. This means that when you are not using the bulbs, they’ll power down on their own. This will ensure the long run of your bulb.
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What are Some Smart Light Bulb Alternatives?
Well, smart lights aren’t the only smart thing in the market. There are also some fascinating alternatives of smart light bulbs you should know about-
1. Smart Plugs
These plugs are adapters that can plug into existing wall outlets. After plugging them in, you can insert a small electronic device into these adapters. You can control such adapters via smartphones. Using this, you can turn on devices remotely even if they are not smart. Smart plugs are good at controlling lamps that are plugged in rather hardwired lamps, like floor lamps.
2. Smart Switches
These switches can replace a traditional wall switch by controlling the flow of power to a certain area. They connect to the internet and this allows you to control them through your mobile app or voice assistant like Alexa.
Because while installing a smart switch, you’ll need to access the hardwires in your wall, it’s a more complex task than installing a smart light bulb. However, it’s still possible to do this task without any professional helps. Additionally, smart switches make it use smart lighting for sconces or recessed lights (overhead lighting). After this, let’s finally find out are smart light bulbs worth it.
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So, Are Smart Light Bulbs Worth It?
Although there is an upfront cost associated with installing smart light bulbs, however, in the long run, these bulbs are still worth it. They are a money-saver. Smart bulbs are LED lights, that don’t use as much energy as incandescent bulbs and are highly efficient. Moreover, scheduling your smart light bulbs ensures that they are never on unnecessarily. If by chance, you leave the lights on accidentally, you can easily switch them off by remotely accessing them. This saves a lot of energy.
Saving energy is equal to saving money. Additionally, unlike, incandescent bulbs, smart bulbs have a lifespan of 15-25 years.
However, the downside of smart bulbs is that they use energy even in standby mode as they are always connected to Wi-Fi. If you are trying to include smart living, including smart bulbs in your life will be very helpful. With this, you now know are smart light bulbs worth it or not.
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