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This Old Smart Home
Published April 2022
Rapid evolution in the tech industry has resulted in a spike in the number of people incorporating smart (IoT) technology into their lifestyles. Smart home technologies can enable you to manage your HVAC, lights, door locks etc. from a smartphone, or you can receive information like an alert from your doorbell or a message from your refrigerator when you're out of milk. For retro fits, you don’t need new construction to utilize these smart devices but incorporating IoT technologies into older buildings can be more of a challenge than newer residences. Until now.
Smart homes increased by 10% in the U.S. during 2021 reaching an estimated total of 52 million. With the rising popularity of smart homes came the rising challenges of retrofitting older homes with smart solutions, mainly focusing on smart lighting. Homeowners want to be able to control their lights without physically having to flip the switch or to program those old-fashioned plug-in timers for when they’re away. Leviton has expanded their Decora Smart® portfolio to include a smart solution for older homes that can even bring historic homes in the new age.
When most people hear the term, “smart home,” they think that it is only relegated to new construction. Previously the only way to incorporate smart lighting in many older homes is to re-wire or install smart bulbs and download a corresponding app for remote monitoring. But both of those options would be pricey investments. Leviton is revolutionizing smart homes by offering the most complete residential Wi-Fi lighting portfolio for all types and ages of homes.
The No Neutral Wire Solution
Smart and integrated lighting comes down to one important electrical element missing from older homes – the neutral wire. Prior to 2011, it was not mandatory to have a neutral wire in your outlets. The neutral wire allows the completion of a circuit and the switch to have power even when it's turned to the “off” position when you want the lights off. Without this neutral wire in place, the circuit is broken any time the switch is in the “off” position. |
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In 2011, the National Electric Code made it mandatory that all homes built would include neutral wires in all the outlets. Smart switches need to stay powered up all the time, which is why the neutral wire is critical. Without a neutral wire there were not a lot of options. For smart switches that function without a neutral wire, a form of cumbersome home hub is essential.
Currently there are 77 million homes built before 2011 – that’s a lot of opportunity. Leviton recently introduced an addition to their Decora portfolio -- the Decora Smart® No-Neutral solution – which is designed to provide retrofit lighting control for older homes built prior to 2011. This line includes the compact Decora Smart Wi-Fi Bridge and corresponding wall switches and dimmers. "Leviton’s Decora Smart No-Neutral Dimmer and Switch are the perfect retrofit solution to install smart lighting control in older homes whose outlets do not contain neutral wiring in the wall box," states Greg Rhoades, Leviton’s Director of Marketing for Smart and New Technology Products. Through Wi-Fi, the bridge communicates to the dimmers and switches that are hard-wired to the light outlets. |
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All the control of the lights, including setting the timing and dimming is done through the My Leviton App which talks to the bridge. The bridge basically bypasses the neutral wire (or lack of neutral wire) to get to the application. The bridge is required because the programming of the to the app and wireless controls details are stored within the bridge rather than on a micro controller inside the smart switch. Outlets require a neutral wire, but the Leviton bridge and switches do not. That’s the Leviton difference.
Simple Set-up, Simple Operation
“We put the smarts in a small pluggable device that does all the work,” explains Rhoades. “This makes set up almost instantaneous once the compatible products are in place.”
First, the homeowner needs to replace old stationary “dumb” switches with the Decora Smart No-Neutral switches or dimmers. As soon as the bridge is plugged into an outlet, any outlet, including USB format, and the activation button is pressed, it starts searching for the smart dimmers and switches. The switches now control the outlets for which the lights are plugged in. The Decora Smart No-Neutral Switch features intuitive ON/ OFF control, status LED indication, and is compatible with Decora® wall plates to match the aesthetic of other smart and non-smart Decora devices in the home. |
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One smart bridge can support up to 25 dimmers or switches, including up to 6 Decora Smart Wire-Free Anywhere Companions paired to current Decora No-neutral devices. Anywhere Companions allows placement of additional switches and dimmers, creating a multi-location solution without wires or Wi-Fi. Communication to and from the Anywhere Companion is easily initiated with a press of the button on the device. Lighting control includes a wide array of bulb and fixture types with best-in-class lighting control performance and custom settings.
Each Decora Smart Wi-Fi Bridge is connected to the My Leviton app on any smart device to allow scheduling and remote control with devices located in a 50 ft. radius. Multiple bridges can be installed per house, if needed, to provide increased coverage without physically being wired together. Once the bridge is paired with the switches and is recognized on the My Leviton app, the homeowner can then set the specific ON/OFF modes for the lights. The bridge can also pair with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant™, or Apple Siri to allow voice control. |
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My Leviton app is easy to use and easy to set up. Leviton offers PDF guides that walk the contractor and customers through step-by-step. There are also online videos for those who bypass reading directions. Sophisticated technology made simple.
Endless Opportunities
“Customers rave about the ‘away’ mode in the My Leviton app because it can randomly turn ON/OFF many devices at many times during the day or night,” notes Rhoades. Who doesn’t remember those cumbersome and bulky plug-in timers to control the ON/OFF at each light before leaving on vacation or by just setting a specific light to turn on at a certain hour? With that method, timing would be the same day after day. This made it obvious that homeowners were away when specific lights would come on an off at the same time daily. Randomizing through the My Leviton app can change the ON/OFF timing for each fixture in each room to be different each day. Think of all the possibilities, such as controlling holiday lights.
And unlike many competitor’s products that rely on the internet and programming is hosted in the “cloud,” all the control and smarts for the Leviton products are locally connected through Bluetooth technology. So, if electricity is lost, the App still works and stays on schedule.
The opportunities abound for distributors and contractors to offer to their customers. When an electrical contractor sees an Amazon Alexa enabled device, such as an Echo, or even a Google Home sitting on the counter, he should immediately grab the opportunity to discuss smart devices with that customer.
Combine this new bridge with other Decora Smart devices to create a whole smart home experience with scheduling, lighting scenes, and app control from anywhere. Age doesn’t matter anymore as any home can become a smart home. |
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Leviton Mfg.
Company Inc.
201 North Service Rd.
Melville, NY 11747
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