Wiring Accessories
Embracingthe smart technology revolution
We are in the midst of a smart homes revolution, with the market witnessing a continued increase in the appetite for smart technology. But are there enough qualified electrical installers for the job and have homeowners really embraced the notion? Marie Parry, Marketing Director at Scolmore Group examines some of the key issues.
O
n the one hand technology is already an integral part of everyday life for many, in business, recreation and in
our homes and the evolution of the smart home continues to gather momentum. Yet as an industry we are faced with a shortage of trained skilled professionals and for many electricians, smart home integration is unfamiliar territory. At the same time, according to a recent survey,
there is a fear on the part of home owners about fully embracing the smart home revolution. A poll of 2,000 people by a leading UK price comparison website to garner opinion on smart home technology, revealed that 76% of Brits admitted to being ‘fearful’ of the smart homes concept, with unapproved data collection cited as the greatest worry. The research found that whilst the majority (77%) of Brits had heard of a connected home, only 6% claimed to know a lot about smart home technology. This overall situation presents opportunities for
forward thinking electricians, who are in a prime position to introduce the idea of smart home technology to their customers, providing advice and educating the homeowner and at the same time using their skills to introduce a smart element to their client’s home technology requirement. The advent of smart wiring accessories shows how far the humble plug and socket has come. It doesn’t seem that long ago that people started to want more and better sited wiring accessories – switches, switch sockets and dimmers, for example – to cope with the increasing number of electrical equipment, such as computers and peripherals, AV, media and kitchen equipment. Today modern wiring accessories include combination media plates for a variety of multimedia ports, USB chargers and connectors. Intelligent wiring accessories can help make homes smarter. There are
Scolmore’s Click Smart Switch in situ. Installation is simple and flexible, with no additional cables or wall cutting required.
By looking at typical problems encountered while out on the job, installers can sell a simple solution to the end user and introduce an element of smart control. Here are four such scenarios we have outlined, where a smart switch can provide a solution.
1. Add an additional switch to an existing light without the need for cabling.
products now on the market, like our Click Smart range, which are designed to make it easier than ever for installers to provide a smart upgrade to an existing wiring installation with minimum disruption. Click Smart has at its core accessibility and simplicity for the installer and end user and is designed to bring convenience, comfort, security, energy saving and ultimately more control for occupants and also offering business opportunities for switched on electrical contractors and installers. Smart switches are devices used for controlling receivers and they consist
of a retractive switch module and switch cover plate. They offer a range of solutions that enable the wireless control of receivers from a host of locations.
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You need to make your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It’s difficult to see in the dark and you want to avoid disturbing anyone. The solution is to fit a smart switching module behind the light fitting you wish to activate in the bathroom and then add the switch controller to a convenient place in the bedroom. You can now easily turn the bathroom light on from the comfort of your bed.
2. Fix a flickering light by using a retractive switch instead of a rotary dimmer (wired).
The problem of continuous flickering when you switch on one of your lights with a rotary dimmer can be easily overcome using the multi- functional dimming receiver and a retractive switch. Replace the wired
●Continued over September 2018 electrical wholesaler | 23
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