Appliance Traders Limited (ATL), owned by Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, has included Wi-Fi air conditioners in its inventory of appliances.

The move is consistent with efforts to create ‘smart homes’ in Jamaica, a modern way of controlling all devices and appliances in your home at the touch of a button using your mobile device.

ATL, which first opened its doors in the Cross Roads area of Kingston 48 years ago specialising in air conditioning units, now distributes a redesigned line of Prizm air conditioners that can be controlled from anywhere using a Wi-Fi programmable controller. The controller is compatible to iOS and Android phones.

“It’s technology that’s ideal for anyone – the businessman who wants to enter a cooled and comfortable office after sitting in rush hour traffic; the family who wants to ensure their temperature is kept at energy-saving mode at night; or anyone who simply does not want to worry about energy costs all day because they aren’t sure whether they clicked the ‘off’ button on their unit. This system brings convenience to your fingertips – no boundaries,” ATL Product Manager Erica Wallace told the

Jamaica Observer.

“Customers will have full control of their AC unit wherever they are on the island or in the world through their smart device – all they need is Internet connectivity,” she continued.

The Wi-Fi component of the AC unit works through a smart kit/adapter, which links the unit to a free, secured, mobile application called NetHome. Once the NetHome app is downloaded and there is wireless connectivity in the user’s home and connectivity on the user’s cellphones or tablets, it can be used to control and monitor the AC from any location. Wallace added that 60 per cent of customers who have purchased air conditioning units over the past months have also purchased the smart kit which is priced at $5,499.

Appliance Traders also disclosed that in addition to the features of the company’s standard and inverter models, which include auto restart and temperature compensation, the Wi-Fi capable ACs also boast an ECO function and a self-detecting automatic shutdown of refrigerant leakages.

The Prizm line carries units ranging from 12000 BTU to 24000 BTU, and houses a sleek new design that allows for easier installation, quieter operation, and with the standby mode, owners could save more than 50 per cent on energy costs.

“With the new line of Wi-Fi compatible AC’s, we’ve added a cool new feature to a product the market already loves and trusts, so we expect very good uptake from this new technology,” Wallace stated.