Smart Locks – Again!
Smart Locks – Again! I am having a growing number of people asking me for help with smart locks they are buying for themselves. Many of you are expecting simple installation (as advised by the manufacturers) only to find things a bit more complicated than you might expect. The same can be said for some smart doorbells and supposedly easy installation security equipment like smart CCTV and alarms.
Smart security is still a young technology. Smart locks can decrease your security level and even make your insurance void in many cases. A lot of smart locks are aimed at an American market and their lock requirements are not as stringent as ours.
Smart locks are not always more convenient than key operated locks either. With a key operated lock, you take your key out of your pocket as you approach your door, and you are in without thinking about it. With a smart lock, you might have to carry a tag (easier to break than a key) or you might have to get out your phone, wait ages for the phone to recognise your face/thumbprint/pin code, find the app, open the app and then find the unlock button within the app.
Smart doorbells/doorcams can take loads of footage and send you endless emails of people passing your property but not actually approaching your door, or better still the spider web spun overnight and blowing in the breeze, setting off the sensor. You have to weigh up the options of battery (not good if your door opens onto a busy street) versus mains power (might need long wires or an electrician to wire it in safely).
Your smart CCTV might not be able to tell the difference between a small dog and a human, in which case you are going to be poring through hours of watching what Fido was doing while you were out all day while Fido himself is desperately waiting for you to take him walkies!
And smart alarms can be much better than you thought. Would you like your elderly Mum to just have an alarm for when she goes out to the shop, or would you like a system where if she takes a fall, she can press a button on a neck loop and the alarm system not only calls you, but lets you speak two-way to asses the potential emergency. Do you want your alarm system to incorporate a smoke detector and CO2 detector. Which virtual assistant device do you want it to be compatible with? Do you want it easy to take with you to a new property? Do you want it future proof or easy to do add-ons in order to keep the initial cost down?
There are so many things to think about when buying smart security products and they are rarely as easy to install as their blurb would have you believe. Any decent locksmith/security installer will provide you with free advice and quotations. You should always consult a professional before purchase. Not the person in the shop, but a person who installs and knows the pitfalls.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone 07846643176
Thanks for reading!
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