Smart home features that matter in hurricane season
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, according to NOAA, and the features that matter most are the ones that protect your home while you are not in it: automatic water shutoff, generator monitoring, remote HVAC control, motorized shades and a network that stays on backup power through an outage.
Leak sensors with automatic shutoff
A storm does not have to make direct landfall to cause water damage. Wind-driven rain, a failed seal or a burst pipe while you are away for weeks can flood a home just as badly as a hurricane can. Devices like Flo by Moen and Phyn Plus monitor your home's water flow continuously and close the main shutoff valve automatically the moment they detect a leak, according to each company's own site, stopping the flow with nobody home to do it manually.
Generator monitoring and power-loss alerts
A standby generator is only useful if you know it is working. A backup generator install runs around $15,000 on average, with a typical range of $10,000 to $20,000, according to Fixr.com, and a wireless remote-monitoring add-on costs $200 to $400 and lets you check the generator's status and get alerts from wherever you are, per the same source. That is the difference between finding out your generator failed to start when you check your phone from out of state, and finding out when you walk into a warm, dark house after a long drive home.
Remote humidity and HVAC control
Florida and Georgia humidity does not pause because you are out of town, and a home closed up with the air conditioning off for weeks invites mold. A smart thermostat lets you monitor and adjust the HVAC system remotely so the house stays dry and stable while you are away. Installed cost typically runs $200 to $500, according to Fixr.com, with common brands like Nest and Ecobee installed in the $210 to $480 range.
Motorized shades
Motorized shades let you close up a home's interior from your phone rather than driving over or asking a neighbor to do it before a storm arrives. Pricing runs from about $800 to $2,500 per window for a single motorized roller shade, up to $40,000 to $120,000 or more for a whole-home installation across 30 to 60-plus windows, according to Peters Audio & Video, depending on window count and whether you choose hardwired or battery-powered motors.
Keep the network itself on backup power
None of this matters if the equipment powering it goes dark with the rest of the house. A home network built to stay useful through an outage typically includes a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery backup for the core networking equipment, alongside the enterprise-grade switches and access points recommended for large homes, according to Peters Audio & Video. Ask your installer which equipment is actually on backup power: it should include the full rack, since a backup battery on just the router near the front door will leave cameras and access points elsewhere in the house without power.
Have it in place before June 1
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 every year, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center, which means the window to install or service any of this closes well before storms typically peak in late summer. Smart Estate Guide can bring in a licensed installer early enough to have leak sensors, generator monitoring, remote climate control, shades and a backed-up network in place before the season gets going, while installers still have open scheduling and before the first named storm of the year shows up in the forecast.
Questions owners ask
When does Atlantic hurricane season start and end?
June 1 through November 30 each year, according to NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Storm activity typically peaks in late summer, so it is worth having leak sensors, generator monitoring and remote climate control in place well before then.
What happens to my home network and cameras if the power goes out?
If the equipment rack is on a UPS battery backup, the network, cameras and access points can keep running through a brief outage instead of dropping the moment the power does. This is standard practice for enterprise-grade home networks, according to Peters Audio & Video.
Can I monitor my backup generator while I'm away from home?
Yes. A wireless remote-monitoring add-on, typically $200 to $400, lets you check your generator's status and receive alerts from anywhere, according to Fixr.com. It is a small add-on cost on top of a generator install that averages around $15,000.