Different from a smart outlet permanently installed on your wall, the best smart plugs are great for flexibility and customization. Both smart plugs and full-on smart outlets can function as adaptors, making it possible for you to remotely control the energy flow of whatever you plug into them. Even more than energy monitoring, a smart plug gives you complete control over a device’s functions and features. Wondering why you’d even need to make a smart device from a simple one? We’ll walk through what a smart plug is, how people like to use them to smarten up their homes, and some of the most popular models so you can decide for yourself. Smart plugs are also easy to install, and then you can use mobile apps and voice assistants like Alexa to control your devices. If you’re interested in making your life easier without adding unnecessary expenses, here’s what you should keep in mind while you’re shopping: Some of the most common and creative ways people use their smart plugs are to control lamps, ceiling fans, motion sensors, window AC units, teapots, and even dehumidifiers. I took a look at Reddit and found that some people even use smart plugs to automate aquariums, which often require intricate schedules for pumps and filters. Here are some of the ways you can use a smart plug to make your life easier or just more fun:
Power up your work desk before you get to work: In order to avoid having to wait for their computer to start in the morning, a customer used smart plugs to automatically turn their work equipment on as they pulled into the parking lot. Open and close your garage door remotely: Whether traveling or cozy in your bed, check that your garage is secure. And while on vacation, you could even turn off your garage door entirely just for peace of mind against code hackers. Schedule your air purifier: Set a schedule for your air purifier to turn on at night and turn off in the morning. Customize your Christmas lights: Set your Christmas lights on a sunset/sunrise timer, turning on as the sun sets and off as the sun rises. This tip applies for Halloween decorations too! Automate your garden fountain: By using a smart plug with a water feature in conjunction with a motion detector, you can schedule your fountain to turn on only when it senses motion in the garden. Your local flock of birds who bathe will thank you. Perform an efficiency test: Use a smart plug’s energy monitoring feature to test your device’s efficiency, observing if a device’s standby power usage is at an acceptable range.
You won’t need to worry about wattage capacity with typical appliances like TVs, coffee machines, and desktop computers. But you should avoid using smart plugs for larger devices like dishwashers or washing machines, as they will most likely exceed your plug’s voltage capacity.
