Turning on the lights from your phone, closing the roller shutters with a single tap, starting the air conditioning before you get home from work… The smart home (or home automation) is no longer reserved for luxury villas. In Morocco, you can start on a small budget, without rewiring your electrical installation. Here is the Brico MIM method, step by step.
Contents
How does a smart home work?
A smart home relies on three elements:
- The network: usually your Wi-Fi, which connects the devices to each other and to the Internet.
- The modules: relays, plugs, sensors and smart remotes that control the lighting, shutters, air conditioning…
- The control: a phone app, a wall display or a voice assistant.
5 steps to get started with home automation
1. Check the Wi-Fi throughout the house
In Moroccan houses with thick walls and several floors, Wi-Fi coverage is sometimes poor. Before installing modules, make sure the signal reaches every room (if needed, add a repeater or a mesh system).
2. Start with the lighting
It is the simplest and most useful in everyday life. A small relay such as the Shelly 1 Gen4 or the Shelly 1PM Gen3 fits behind the existing switch: you keep your switch and gain remote control.
3. Connect the roller shutters
The Shelly 2PM Gen3 has a roller shutter mode: open and close from your phone or on a schedule, for example closing the south-facing shutters during the hottest hours.
4. Make the air conditioner and TV smart
No need to replace your air conditioner: the MOES smart infrared remote control replicates your devices' remotes (air conditioner, TV, set-top box) and controls them from the app. This way you can switch on the air conditioning 20 minutes before you arrive.
5. Centralise control
A wall display such as the Shelly Wall Display 4″ or the Wall Display XL 10,1″ lets the whole family control everything without a phone. For voice control, add an assistant such as the Amazon Echo Dot.
Shelly relays: the discreet solution
Shelly modules are small relays that fit inside the flush-mounting box, behind the switch or socket. Their advantages:
- Invisible: your decor does not change.
- Compatible with your current switches.
- Energy monitoring on "PM" models: you can track what an appliance consumes, handy for the water heater or air conditioner.
- Latest standards: the Shelly 1 Gen4 is compatible with Wi-Fi, Zigbee and Matter.
Important: a relay is installed on 220 V. Always switch off the power at the electrical panel and call an electrician if you are not comfortable doing it.
7 useful automation ideas in Morocco
- Automatically start the air conditioning before you get home in summer.
- Close the sun-facing shutters during the hot hours to keep the house cool.
- Turn on the outdoor lighting at sunset and switch it off at midnight.
- Schedule the electric water heater so it only heats when needed.
- Simulate presence (lights) while you are on holiday.
- Switch everything off with a single button when leaving the house.
- Open the door remotely with a smart lock.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to redo the electrical installation?
No. The relays slip into the existing boxes, provided there is enough space. In a new build, plan for deep flush-mounting boxes.
Does a smart home work without the Internet?
The physical switches keep working normally. Remote control, however, requires the Internet.
Where to start on a small budget?
A Shelly relay (from 280 DH) for your most-used light, or a smart IR remote control for the air conditioner.
Do you deliver everywhere in Morocco?
Yes, Brico MIM delivers to every city in Morocco, with cash on delivery.
Switch to a smart home
Tell us what you want to automate and we will suggest the right modules.
0 comments