Archive for January, 2016

Home Convenience Smart Home DIY Automated Systems for Consumers

We have all of the buzzwords for this topic, “home convenience smart home DIY automated systems for consumers”. But the real question is, are consumers ready to pay for home automation that is really just in its infancy? Prices are high and functionality is just beginning to mature. Do you wait until prices come down a bit and the systems get smarter and easier to install? Thousands of dollars can be spent on remote-controlled door locks, camera systems, and more. Should the consumer invest now or wait?

Home Convenience Smart Home DIY Automated Systems for Consumers

Take camera security systems for example. For approximately $500, you can purchase a system that records motion-sensitive triggered activity on a hard drive which can be played back for later review. It only records when there is some kind of motion, an intruder or a squirrel. This system records day and night. It can send emails to alert you or the central monitoring station that you have a contract. Do you want somebody on the other end monitoring you in your home or only when it is triggered? What are the privacy issues here?

Then you have to install it. For those that are into DIY, physically the cameras are easy to install as long is there is an electrical plug nearby and you have WiFi installed in your home. Otherwise, you will need to run cables all over the place which makes an unpleasant mess.

Automated door locks are a favorite application shown in the commercials. Power installed to the door so that the solenoid installed in the door will operate when it receives a signal over the WiFi connection is a must. Unless you plan a total rewiring of your home or install the wiring in a new home as it is being built, home automation for the average consumer is a ways off just yet.

We will be writing more about this subject in the coming months.


How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap for the Home

How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap for the HomeThe picture on the left shows how to make a fruit fly trap for the home. It is pretty simple really. All you need is a glass jar some over ripe fruit, some tape and a piece of paper. Put the fruit in the bottom of the jar. Coil the paper into a cone and place it in the jar as shown with the narrow end down. Seal the gap around the jar with tape and you have your first fruit fly trap. These work pretty well, but what do you do with the fruit flies when they are all in the jar. I guess you take them outside and let them go, or perhaps drown them with water. Don’t forget to dispose of the fruit in the garbage and seal the bag.

There will probably be eggs on the surface of the fruit which will hatch within 8 days and then you have a whole new set of fruit flies buzzing around and bothering you.  There are other types of traps to consider.

How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap for the Home

Another approach is to place some cider vinegar in a bowl. Add a drop of dish soap to the vinegar. This breaks the surface tension of the liquid which causes the flies to sink to the bottom and drown. Not only do you catch them, you also kill them preventing any further egg laying by the adults. This is one of the best ways to get rid of fruit flies.

Aside from trapping fruit flies, the best way to get rid of them is to get rid of potential food sources. Wipe cupboards, counter tops etc of fruit flies, you w to make sure there are no crumbs left over. Throw out all overripe fruit and seal the garbage bag. If you have a lot of fruit fly’s you may have to build several traps to capture all of them.

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What is a Totally Automated House

Until recently, the notion that we could live in a totally automated house seemed like something out of the future. But today, home automation is becoming more and more popular, indicating that it is now a possibility. New home builders are beginning to add some features to their homes and many homeowners are adding various automation abilities to their homes. Many are focused on improving security while other consumers are looking for comfort and control over their homes.

 

Advantages of a Totally Automated House

  • Save money  – Even if there is a cost associated with installing an automated system, doing so can lead to savings down the road. An automated house improves the efficiency of the home heating system.
  • Save time 
    With one touch you can shut off all the lights in the house, as well as remotely shut the lights off if you forgot to before you left for the day.
  • Increased comfort
    Control house temperature and adjust lighting more easily.
  • Improved security 
    Optimize management of home security systems (theft, fire, and water damage).

 

Ten applications for  The Totally Automated House

It started with movement detectors and fire alarms. Today it is much more than that and will continue to expand. These are the applications that are becoming more popular.

  1. Open and close locks.
  2. Automatically shuts off the furnace when a window is open.
  3. Programs the heating and air conditioning systems based on the temperature outdoors.
  4. Automatically shuts off lights when the room is empty.
  5. Detect water leaks and automatically shuts the water valve off.
  6. Turn a tap on when a hand is placed under it and off when removed.
  7. Activate an automatic blocking system if the sewer backs up.
  8. Detect smoke and heat in case of fire.
  9. Detect if water pipes are at risk of freezing up.
  10. An alarm system can be set to present or absent mode (present mode: all lights turn on if there is abnormal movement in the home; absent mode: no light will turn on).

How to get Rid of Fruit Flies in the Kitchen

How to get Rid of Fruit Flies in the KitchenEver wonder where fruit flies come from and how they get into your home and how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen? These are the tiny flies that most people find very irritating. They seem to come from nowhere getting into your eyes, ears, and nose. In the majority of cases, these fruit flies or their eggs have come home on the fruit that you have purchased at the local grocery store. Anytime there is any fruit that is beginning to ferment, you can be sure that there will be fruit flies. They will be laying eggs on the surface of the skin of the fruit.

If you have fruit in the backyard such as apples, pears, or plums, for example, any that are beginning to ferment will also attract fruit flies. Which will end up in your home. Aside from the obvious of disposing of any fruit that is beginning to go bad, how do you get rid of them?

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the Kitchen

The answer is quite simple really as shown in the picture above. All you need to do is place a piece of fruit in the bottom of a glass or jar. This will attract the fruit flies that are in the surrounding area. The next thing to do is to prevent them from getting out of the glass.

The next step is really simple. Just take a piece of paper, curl it into a funnel and place it in the glass with a narrow inside glass, just as shown in the picture. The fruit flies can get inside the glass through the narrow hole because they are attracted to the fruit. They become confused and cannot find the narrow opening to get out. They will eventually die inside the glass. This is the best way how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen or anywhere else around your home.

Now you do not need any chemicals or other harmful materials around your home to deal with fruit flies.

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