Should You Add a Sun Sensor to Your Blinds?

If you installed blinds in your home to help you control the amount of sunlight and heat that gets inside, then you may be happy enough with the results. You've already started to notice a difference. When you close the blinds, things do get cooler; open them up again and things get warmer.

However, your blinds only help you control temperatures when you open and close them. This limits how useful they can be. To make them work to maximum capacity, you can add a sun sensor to them.

How do sun sensors work, and are they worth it?

How Do Sun Sensors Work on Blinds?

Sun sensors measure sunlight. When the sensor is connected to a blind, it automatically opens and closes the blinds when sunlight or temperatures reach certain levels.

For example, if it gets really sunny or hot in the room, the sensor closes the blind. It then continues to monitor sunlight and temperature. When they go below the sensor's pre-set marker, it opens the blinds up again.

Depending on your blinds and the sensor you use, you can go for anything from a full open-and-close action to one that opens or closes your blinds, or their slats, into fixed, part-way positions.

Are Sun Sensors Worth it?

While sun sensors may seem like a nice-to-have rather than essential purchase, they do have specific benefits over and above automation.

These sensors allow you to control the heat that is coming into your home even when you aren't around to open or close your blinds. For example, if you're out at work all day, you'll come home to a steamy house if you didn't close your blinds in the morning.

To cool things down, you'll have to run your air con system for a good while, which costs money. If you had a sun sensor, the temperature would be much more comfortable when you get home, and you might not need to turn your air con on at all.

Additionally, if you work long hours and your home is empty during the day, then you may worry about being burgled. If your blinds are going up and down automatically, then it looks like someone is home.

If you're interested in adding sun sensors to your blinds, ask your blinds company for advice. You need to find a sensor that works with your blinds and that does what you want.