Tips for maintaining your home automation system

Tips for maintaining your home automation system
28 May 2021
You are a smart home owner with all the amenities, luxuries and gadgets for comfortable living, and the need for maintenance of the gadgets and appliances can’t be lost on you. Depending on the season and device, there are maintenance activities and schedules that need to be followed. Before summer’s arrival, AC filters have to be changed, and before the winters (furnaces or electrical heating systems must be inspected). Before Monsoons, drainage, and outdoor electric works are checked for safety. Similarly, no matter how smart your home is, the smart home automation systems also need to be inspected, updated and maintained regularly to ensure optimum functionality.

A home automation system such as the Hunter Douglas PowerView® Automation syncs all your window treatments. In fact, even your smartphone that houses the PowerView® App is a part of the system. Let’s take a look at some tips that can help you keep your home automation system performing delightfully year after year. 



Software updates

Just like your smartphone which frequently requires UI and OS updates, the smart devices are also software driven and should be updated whenever there is an upgrade available.

Connectivity

Hunter Douglas PowerView® Automation works in calibration with your home WiFi system. Therefore, it is important to check for the connectivity efficiency and calibrate the devices whenever needed. For instance, you might be wondering why despite the repeated attempts the window blinds remain non-responsive. Instead of worrying about the system having failed and costly repairs/replacements, the problem could be something as simple as a change of Wi-Fi password, router upgrade or a change of networks.

Power supply

You need to periodically check the power supply to the installations especially if they are outdoor and heavy installations such as sun louvres or motorized window blinds. There could be a power supply issue sometimes, or your router/signal enhancer might not be plugged in properly. Similarly, the batteries of remote controllers could have become discharged and simply replacing them with new batteries could make the system work more efficiently.

Network connectivity

As you might have occasionally encountered while working from home, sometimes, the network connectivity becomes unstable and poor. This doesn’t just make video buffers or file transfers become difficult, but can also make your home automation system stutter and stop at times. In today’s time, we work from home and with the whole family spending most of the time at home, the number of connected devices can be really high and make the network slow and ineffective. In such a scenario, it will be a good option to upgrade to a commercial grade network system.

Maintenance of the window blinds/draperies

The primary components for a home automation system such as the Hunter Douglas PowerView® are your window blinds. Therefore, they have to be carefully and regularly inspected and maintained. Window blinds and shades face the weather elements and accumulate dust and grime over a period of time. By keeping them clean, you can enhance their efficiency and appeal. The cleaning process shouldn’t just be limited to brushing the shades or wiping the slats of the blinds, but should also include thorough cleaning of the rails to ensure there is nothing blocking the movement of the motors or the blinds/drapes in any manner.

Maintenance of the components

Even though it is smartly controlled by remote controllers or the PowerView® App, the window automation system comprises several mechanical elements such as the motors that make the blinds open and close. Regular maintenance of the motorized components, and repair or replacement of any faulty parts is necessary to keep the whole system working seamlessly. 

A top of the line home automation system is unlikely to give you major headaches or necessitate replacement for many years, but, like your favourite car, it also needs a regular maintenance and service schedule to be adhered to. Last, but, not the least, while going for service and repairs of your smart home automation system, make sure to get the work done by authorized professionals only. This would not only keep your product warranties intact, but will also eliminate the risk of under-performance or frequent operational challenges!