Pair the Lowes Iris Range Extender With Vera.
Where better to find a do-it-yourself smart home system than at a store that sells home improvement products?It was good thinking that led to the creation of the Lowe's Iris Smart Home system.
The company has been selling the product since 2012 and has gained support from many different manufacturers.The system is based on a hub that plugs into a home network and is able to communicate with compatible devices.The hub in three starter kits, the iris safe and secure kit, iris comfort and control kit and the $299 iris starter kit include everything from the other two packages.Roughly 50 other products, from smart door locks to powered blinds, are also compatible with it.Over the course of several months, I tested the starter kit with additional accessories.
It is possible to monitor and control the iris system through a web browser or free app.Changing a thermostat's temperature setting is one of the simple functions available in the free service.If an alarm is triggered, the system will send an e-mail, text or call the account holder.To coordinate several devices, schedule changes, or record and store video online, a monthly $9.99 premium subscription is required.When an alarm is triggered, the premium service will send an alert to up to 20 contacts.
Lowe's offers additional services, including a "Care" package for another $4.99 a month, in an attempt to appeal to several demographic groups.The Care service is for families worried about aging parents.Emergency instant messaging, activity monitoring for elderly residents, and alert that can be sent to relatives when daily routines suddenly change are included.
The iris hub is 3.5 by 9.5 by 6.7 inches and is used to connect to a home router.The hub uses its own wireless network to communicate.A set of three lights flicker when a connection is lost.There will be a number of spoken warnings, such as "Intruder alert."
The starter kit has a motion sensor about the size of a pack of matches.CR2 batteries can last up to 2 years.In addition to being remotely controlled, the thermostat can handle a seven-day schedule on its own, raising or lowering the temperature as required; it works with central cooling systems as well.
A plain white design has been adopted by Lowe's for all of its smart home accessories.These aren't sexy gadgets, but they are easy to hide.
Lowe's has the widest array of accessories compared to any other smart home system.There are approximately 50 options, including a smart garage door opener, electronic pet door, window blinds controller, garden hose timer, smoke detector, light switches, security cameras, and door locks.The company added a smart valve that can shut off the water when a leak is detected.
There are no major installation challenges at the iris hub.You can add devices via online software after it is plugged into your home network.
The smart plug can turn any lamp into a remote-controlled light, and the iris software can tell you how much power the bulb is pulling.The window and door sensors come with batteries and stick-on strips, so you don't have to drill any holes or run any cables.They worked on sliding glass doors, windows, and interior door frames.The range extenders and video camera can be connected to the system.
There are two items among the dozen or so that I tested with the iris system that present some challenges.This can be a simple installation or a challenge for an experienced heating and cooling professional.
My system was not covered in the installation guide, but I have installed several different thermostats and managed to make the iris model work in my non-standard configuration.A person should plan on taking half an hour to install it.The thermostat doesn't require a C wire for power, so it can be installed in older homes without the need to run extra wires.
Schlage was the second item that proved difficult.Z-Wave is used to communicate with the front door lock.It uses a low-power signal to prevent an obtrusive neighbor from hacking the connection before the lock to a secure connection.Due to the weak initial signal, I had to bring the iris hub down near the front door where the lock was installed to pair the two, then take it back upstairs to connect the hub and finish the installation.
The interface of the software is Spartan.You don't have to go through multiple menus to find a setting.Connected devices are listed under headings like alarm, thermostat, and camera, showing their individual status up front on the main menu.Clicking on any item brings up a settings page, which allows you to view a live picture on the camera or check the status of a door lock.
It can take a few seconds to connect to the iris system from a remote location, and it can also take more time to change settings and receive a confirmation.The performance of the system is on a par with similar systems.
The included thermostat worked well, and while it isn't as attractive as the Nest, it does the job.When you left the house, did you not turn down the heat?The current indoor and outdoor temperatures as well as the current setting on the thermostat are displayed in the app.
The motion sensors worked well.The security alarms are always on.I inadvertently broke the contact sensor connections when I opened a bedroom window and used the "Intruder alert!" messages to sound through the rest of the house.The batteries were subjected to months of testing after being repeatedly triggered.The batteries should be replaced when they run low.
The messages from the Intruder alert were loud enough to be heard in the rest of the house.).
The backup battery of the iris hub came in handy on more than one occasion.The battery lasts about an hour.If you want to keep the system connected, you will need to add an uninterruptible power supply.When the network crashed or the power went out, the iris system was able to get back online.Even with the free service, you receive notification of each event via e-mail or text.