Holiday lights are made for smart plugs.

I’ve been putting my holiday decorations on smart plugs for probably five years now. It really makes things easier when you can automate your decorations.

The outdoor decorations turn on an hour before sunset and off an hour after the kids go to bed. I also added a geofence so if we come home late, the decorations turn on for 15 minutes to welcome us home. (As a utility worker, I have odd hours and like to see the decorations when I get home)

Plugging the tree and other decorations into smart plugs means you can turn things on and off easily (no more crawling under the tree before bed).

The holiday decorations are also a low risk way to experiment with home automation. All you need to start is one (or more) smart plug compatible with your chosen platform. You can usually find plugs for around $15 without looking too hard. I have plugs from three different brands along the house and they all perform well enough that I wouldn’t recommend one over another.

That being said, I have yet to find an outdoor rated plug that lasts more than two years, but the search continues.

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Author: rexplex

With a bachelors degree in history, I turn wrenches for a living. I’m most at peace when I hear the wind in the trees or the gurgle of a brook. I’m a believer in the Renaissance Man, as epitomized by DaVinci engineer, artist, soldier, statesman. As Heinlein said, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

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