Smart Home Technology and Water Heaters – The Latest and Greatest of 2017 Smart Plumbing

Smart Home Technology and Water Heaters – The Latest and Greatest of 2017 Smart Plumbing

smart-home-technologyHave you heard about “smart home” technology and wondered what on earth people are talking about? Or perhaps you’ve recently bought a new dishwasher and wondered how you’re supposed to use your cell phone to troubleshoot an appliance, should it break down. Here at E.R. Services, we’ve discovered that a lot of smart home technology is working in favor of our clients, and we’re happy to explain what it is, how it helps homeowners, and how smart home technology is changing modern day plumbing.

What Is Smart Home Technology?

"Smart home" is a term commonly used to define appliances, lighting, heating, air conditioning, TVs, computers, entertainment audio & video systems, security, and camera systems designed to communicate with each other and to be controlled remotely. They can run on a schedule, be controlled from various rooms of the house, or analyzed and even sometimes fixed remotely via phone or the web.

One of the More Popular Smart Home Technologies: Alexa

smart home technologyA good example of a smart home technology that has found its way into the mainstream population is Amazon’s Alexa. Alexa is an intelligent personal assistant, the likes of which we used to only see in science fiction movies. It is capable of voice interaction and music or podcast playback, and it assists in creation of to-do lists, alarms, timers, and providing news information like weather, news updates, traffic reports, and answers to trivia questions.

Alexa has become popular, and as a result, the development of a wide variety of voice controllable products have sprung up. However, voice control is not the only type of smart home technology, and it is by far not the most important of the technological advancements.

Lesser Known but Important Smart Home Technological Advances

As we become more aware of our human impact on the earth and environment at large, smart home technologies are being developed that help us go green the easy way. Home controllers integrated with home sub-systems to increase energy savings by controlling lighting, window coverings, HVAC, irrigation, and heat or AC. These smart home devices also monitor and assess usage and can be controlled from anywhere in the world, making it possible for homeowners to adjust energy consumption at any time, from any place.

Smart Home Plumbing Technology

How does this affect plumbing?

Appliances are increasingly available with smart home technology features. Your new washing machine, AC unit, water heater, or dishwasher may come with built in or add-on smart home technology, enabling you to control and monitor the device remotely. Adjust the temperature of your water heater, give the heater advance notice that you’ll need hot water, or troubleshoot problems (i.e. find out from your smart phone why your washing machine or dishwasher didn’t drain all the way, or why your AC unit stopped working). Safety features will alert you if an appliance is leaking or water is sensed in places it should not be, saving you from costly expenses caused by water damage.

Some smart home plumbing technology is built into newer appliances. Other smart home technology can be integrated with your existing appliances. Still other types are expensive but sure are fun. (Click here to see what a $7,000 toilet looks like, and click here to watch our video of how it works after installation.)

Charlotte Plumber’s Pick: Rinnai Control-R Wireless Module and Mobile App

Rinnai, one of our favorite water heater brands, has introduced Rinnai Control-R™ Wireless Module and mobile app for Rinnai tankless water heaters. Thanks to wi-fi connectivity, new and existing Rinnai residential and commercial tankless water heaters (2006 and newer) can be remotely monitored and controlled via smart devices.

People who use the Rinnai Control-R Wireless Module and mobile app report the following benefits:

  • Control and convenience
  • Remote diagnostics
  • Monitoring alerts
  • Faster hot water

Click here to read more from the manufacturer.

Looking for Smart Home Plumbing Options in Charlotte?

smart home water heaters in CharlotteGive us a call at 704-269-1066 or click here to use our online contact form. We’ll gladly talk to you about the most current technological advances. We stay on top of industry trends, ensuring our customers have access to the latest and greatest in plumbing technology.

In addition to the plumbing appliances we offer our customers, we also use the best plumbing diagnostic technology available. This means we can detect leaks, run cameras into sewer lines, and clear clogged drains better and faster than the competition. We invest in technology so that we can provide you the best service possible.

Give us a call or fill out a contact form. We look forward to serving you!

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: How does smart home technology affect plumbing?

Appliances are now built with smart home technology and include technology features that allow you to control and monitor the device remotely. Adjust the temperature of your water heater, give the heater advance notice that you’ll need hot water, or find out appliance information, like why your AC unit stopped working, through the use of your smart phone.

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