Especially during the holiday season, burglars have it easy: they systematically scout entire streets to track down abandoned objects. And while the residents unsuspectingly enjoy their vacation, the burglars calmly clear the house or apartment.

Advantages of smart presence simulation

There are many ways to protect your home from burglaries. A particularly clever method is the presence simulation with smart home devices:

The smart technology ensures e.g. For example, that lamps go on and off automatically, the shutters open and close themselves, the television makes noise at certain times or the lawn sprinkler runs in the front yard. With so much activity, burglars get the impression that you're home on a regular basis - so your home is taken off the list of objects of interest in the first place.

Second plus point: You can of course also use the smart home technology that you purchase for the presence simulation for your own comfort when you are back home after your vacation. Wouldn't it be practical if the roller shutters were automatically raised at the desired time from Monday to Friday, so that you can get out of bed more easily in the morning? And wouldn't it be nice if you could switch off the lights in all rooms at the same time with one click on your mobile phone? So anyone who buys smart home devices for burglary protection benefits twice over.

In the following, we present specific options for smart presence simulation. All you have to do then is decide which options work best for you.

Presence simulation by lighting

POSSIBILITY NUMBER 1:

FIXED For this you need:

• Smart switch sockets or socket strips for automatically switching floor lamps, fairy lights and table lamps on and off
• Smart LED bulbs to automatically switch the ceiling lights on and off
• The free essentials app (available in the Google Play Store or in the Apple App Store )

Before you put the components in the shopping cart, you should consider in which rooms you want to automate the lighting control. You can get both the LED light bulbs for the ceiling lights and the individual switch sockets in the savings set - so it makes sense to count them briefly before ordering.

Once the products have arrived at your home, you simply swap the old light bulbs and socket strips for the new ones or plug the individual switch sockets into the wall sockets - the smart home assembly is done. Now it's time to program the presence simulation in the essentials app: First, you create your new devices in the app and assign them to the appropriate rooms. After that you can create any schedules for the lighting.

OPTION 2: PROFESSIONAL SOLUTION

Would you also like to make your light switches smart? For this you need:

• one actuator per light switch
• the free essentials app

The actuator is installed in the wall directly behind the light switch. An electrician should help you with the assembly, since work is carried out directly on the current-carrying line. The presence simulation is then programmed in the essentials app.

Tip for credible presence simulation

Make the presence simulation unpredictable for burglars! This works best if you store different and realistic schedules for each day of your absence. Also, turn the lights on and off at odd times—and not in all rooms at the same time. So don't turn on all the lights at 9 p.m. and turn them off at midnight from Monday to Friday. But e.g. For example, on Monday the kitchen light is on from 8:55 p.m. to 9:26 p.m., the living room light from 9:26 p.m. to 11:58 p.m., the table lamp in the window sill can shine from sunset to sunrise, and the light in the bathroom goes on for five minutes once an hour. And for Tuesday you think about a different schedule. That way no burglar can catch you.

Presence simulation with automatic shutter control

Roller shutters that are closed day and night are highly attractive to burglars. It's obvious the residents have driven away - who wants to sit in the dark all day? The home appears livelier with automatic roller shutter control using smart home technology. Attention: This only works if you use electrically operated roller shutters. Manual shutters cannot be automated using smart home technology.

For smart automation you need:

• one roller shutter actuator per roller shutter
• the free essentials app

The actuator is installed in the flush-mounted box and connected to the existing motor. An electrician should help you with the assembly, since work is carried out directly on the current-carrying line. You can then program the presence simulation in the essentials app.

Presence simulation through TV noise

When the TV is on in the house, someone is at home – at least that's how it looks to the burglar. He has no way of knowing that you switch the device on and off again and again using the app remote control when you are on holiday (e.g. whenever you enjoy the TV program at your holiday destination). Alternatively, you can of course also program fixed times in the essentials app. Then you don't have to worry about anything anymore and the TV just pulls off its presence show.

For this you need:

• a smart power strip
• the free essentials app

The presence simulation via television is set up really quickly: You simply exchange your old multiple socket in which your television is plugged in for the smart power strip. Then you add the new socket strip to the app and can define time programs for the individual sockets.

Good to know: Each of the four slots can be controlled separately. Suppose the television, the Playstation and a DVD player are plugged into your smart power strip. Then three of the four slots are occupied. And you can now communicate with each slot separately. When it comes to the presence simulation, you would only activate the slot for the TV at certain times. The other power guzzlers that you don't need at the moment remain switched off the whole time.

Presence simulation with automatic garden irrigation

Last but not least, we would like to introduce you to the icing on the cake of the presence simulation: the smart watering program. If the lawn sprinkler runs regularly at home, no one will assume that you are actually absent. At the same time, your garden receives just the right amount of water to continue to thrive.

For this you need:

• a WLAN irrigation computer that is screwed between the outside water tap and the hose system
• the free essentials app

We have described in detail how the irrigation computer works in a separate guide article. Here you come to the text.

Do you need help installing the presented devices?

• In our tutorial center you will find a wide variety of video instructions, e.g. B. for commissioning the smart sockets, for teaching the watering computer and for setting up the LED light bulbs.
• You can download detailed instructions on how to use the essentials app from our website (PDF).
• We will advise you by telephone on +49 900 1994024.