FAQ: Smart Home Basics
What is a smart home?
A smart home is any residence that uses home automation technology, like Z-Wave, to manage and control lighting, appliances, heating and cooling, security, multimedia and more. The terms "smart home" and "home automation" are often used interchangeably.
What can a smart home do?
A smart home can provide numerous benefits from improved energy efficiency to allowing you to control your home remotely. How far you take it is entirely up to you!
Is home automation only for new homes?
No. All our products can be easily installed in any home. Additional cabling and costs normally associated with traditional wired home automation systems are not necessary with Z-Wave.
I've heard of other home automation technologies like X10 and C-Bus. Is Z-Wave better?
We think so. Z-Wave is one of the only wireless technologies purpose built for home automation that is both simple enough for the average home owner to install themselves and capable of delivering outcomes on par with competing solutions costing many times more.
What’s a “node”? What are “scenes”? What does “inclusion” mean?
These are all Z-Wave terms used to describe various aspects of the technology. Take a look at our Z-Wave Glossary of Terms for more details.
What advice can you give me when starting out?
The best advice we can give is, start small and keep it simple!
