In other articles on this site, I have talked about using smart plugs for controls with recirc pumps.  The beauty of these various smart plugs; however, is that they can control numerous appliances and features–not just a pump.  For example, in my own home, I have converted various appliances that we use every day to run on apps and smart plugs.

Let’s take outdoor lighting to start.

We have a traditional outdoor lighting setup with multiple outdoor lights (all using LED bulbs) and electric lines running from the controller out to all the lights.  The controller/transformer in our garage did have a mechanical timer built in, so we could run the lights on a set schedule, but it was a nuisance to change or to use the outdoor lights spontaneously.  For example, if we set the lights to go on at 6PM and off at 10 PM every weekday night and 11PM on weekend nights that worked fine for 80% of the time.  But what if we had guests who stayed past 10PM on a weekday night or our kids were temporarily home from college (and managed to stay up past 10PM somehow)?

By using a smart plug and an app on my phone I could set schedules quite easily and spontaneously turn on the lights when guests were leaving past 10PM and they needed the lights to wobble down the outside stairs?  I use a Wemo Smart plug like the picture below.

I simply plug the transformer of my device into the socket of the Wemo smart plug.  I leave the transformer set to On and control the schedule and on/off usage with the Wemo app. 

For example, I set it such at it normally runs for 4 hours each night, and then turns off. However, I can turn the lights back on instantly just as guests are heading out the front door if I need to.

I have also set up a similar situation with a hot tub which originally had an Intermatic timer installed (like the picture below) to run the circulation pump and heater for several hours each day.

The previous homeowner had set up two wall switches for the pump and heater (connected to the Intermatic timer), but by replacing the two wall switches with Wemo smart plugs, I can now turn on the hot tub from my phone and control the daily schedule for periods as short as 15, 30 or 60 minutes–not the 4 hours as the original hot tub settings mandated.

There are various brands of smart plugs and smart switches available like these at Amazon or Home Depot. I suggest you try out one or two plugs before ordering a box of four or more.

Note from the Editor: Also, check out one of the guest columnists’ article about smart power strips lowering your electric bill.