Well rest assured! While we find the majority of our clients want to do just a few basic functions like having the exterior lights come on at a set time every day, the system just as easily can handle more complex automations and offers modes that offer a plethora of alerts, automations and schedules to work together all by toggling on or off that mode.
For those of you who are more familiar with home automation, or dying to exercise magician-like control over your home, the web portal will delight you. However, once things are set up, you can still make changes manually via mobile app. You're not held prisoner by what you program while at home, just in case things change. After all the only consistent is change.
As the video shows, the summary tab is an overview of the entire system. In one shot you see the status of your system, an outline of your home and location and status of each device, a list of Z-wave devices and their setting/status, events that happened in the last 24 hours, the cameras, what they are looking at and recent clips and a list of schedules that are set for today.
The next tab is your history that shows a complete list of events that have happened with your system. If any alarms have been activated, cameras clips recorded, etc. This is listed for you to review and can be narrowed down by device so you can review just history for your backyard camera or your thermostat without weeding through everything else.
The next three tabs we'll cover below. The final tab is your system tab, here you control your account information and, if you have more than one property utilizing ADT Pulse, you can switch to manage a different location. Also, many Z-wave automation devices can be added as a do-it-yourself project through the systems tab "Add Device" area. Adding a device is as simple as verifying (by looking at the drop down list of devices( that you can add it and then following the instructions in that drop down list.
Other options in the systems tab include device information, site settings, managing users, like setting up their email and text numbers for alerts, your systems access codes, your profile, the profile history and naming your 4 modes that are not pre-named.
These 3 tabs are where you will set up the automated features of your homes devices. The "More info" link for each one takes you to a blog that has step-by-step instructions with screen shots for every move for setting up your first Alerts, Automations and Schedules. Make sure you comment below and tell us how it's going or you can ask a question on how to set up a specific action and we'll help you out if you find you're stuck.
Alerts Tab: Provides information to you about what is happening at your home when you are away. You can set up your portal to send email and/or text messages (SMS) to any web-enabled computer, or mobile device, or cell phone, alerting you to each type of event or the absence of an event. You determine the type of notification, who is notified, and what kinds of events you want to know about. More info: Setting up text and email alerts with ADT Pulse...
Automations Tab: Links a change in one device with the action of another device. For example, to know what time your teenager's boyfriend got her back home, you might set up an automation so a camera takes a 30 second video clip when the front door is opened between 10pm and 5am on Saturdays. It's the best lie detector on Earth. You can create any number of automations and have them apply every time the trigger (front door opening) happens or only if you are in vacation mode, etc. More info: How to set up ADT Pulse automations with ADT your ADT Pulse Web Portal ...
Schedules Tab:Schedules say that a certain thing should happen at a certain time. For example the doors locking at 11pm every night to assure no one forgets. More info: How to set up ADT Pulse Schedules with your ADT Pulse Web Portal...
These 3 tabs set up all of your home automation events to happen.
Possibly one of the most exciting functions of your ADT Pulse System with home automation is utilizing modes. A mode combines alerts, automation and schedules to all work a certain pre-set way simply by activating the mode. You might set your lights to come on daily at a specific time while you are in town but at work. This could be a part of "At Work" mode. However, you might decide that you need a varied light schedule while you out of town to duplicates how lights usually turn on and off. To sit down and set up a whole set of parameters every time you travel might seem cumbersome, especially if you travel often. With modes, you have up to 8 modes that can activate multiple schedules, automations and alerts that you set up once and use whenever it's appropriate.
For example, a vacation mode might have several lights turn on and off in a random fashion from 5am to 7am, then again from 6pm to 11pm. All door locks should lock 10 minutes after you select the mode and the front and back door camera take a video clip when opened. Also, have a video clip emailed to you anytime motion is detected on the front porch, the thermostat should remain off unless the temperature drops below 40, in which case you should get an alert so you can have Bob the neighbor run over and turn your water off and avoid busted pipes. Now any time you travel or end up staying the night at the office, your home knows exactly what it should be doing. As you set up each step, you will decide if it applies all the time or just in that mode. More info: How to set up ADT Pulse Modes with your ADT Pulse Web Portal
The world around you can be a safer place when the alarm assures you come home to a well lit house. Disarming your system can adjust the thermostat to a comfortable level without you having to set it. Technology has made leaps and bounds and we are spoiled by all these machines that save us money on energy. It can also do things we forget to do to keep ourselves safe, like lock the doors after us and set the alarm at night when we forget. Your personal web portal allows you to create all this and much, much more. If you haven't invested in a monitored ADT Pulse System for your home, call us today at 1-800-310-9490 or click below to set up your FREE Home Security Review.