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As winter (lastly) begins to soften away into spring, I, like many others, am getting excited for hotter climate, being outdoor, spending my weekends climbing, and my evenings round a bonfire. Nothing can wreck the proper heat night exterior… apart from all these pesky mosquitoes.
As any individual who loves the outside, I’ve actually used my justifiable share of mosquito repellents from sprays to candles to wristbands. Nonetheless, regardless of my finest efforts, I all the time appear to stroll away from an pleasing summer season’s evening with not less than a pair itchy mosquito bites.
I used to be due to this fact very excited once I bought the chance to strive Thermacell’s LIV Mosquito Repellent System. After trying into the corporate, I used to be stunned that I had by no means heard of Thermacell earlier than as they provide a number of options to the frequent mosquito downside that I discovered fairly modern.
The LIV system is designed to guard sure areas of the person’s dwelling from mosquitoes with as little effort from the person as doable.
The system has a major hub that attaches, usually, to the facet of the person’s home, and some repellers which might be put in across the perimeter of the protected space. After that, the hub connects to the person’s smartphone, and the person has a number of choices to determine how and when to activate the repellers to start their mosquito-free residing!
Heads Up!
As I’m penning this evaluate, it is just March, and the mosquitoes are (fortunately) not out but. Thus, this evaluate shall be based mostly round my experiences organising and testing the system. I hope to offer an replace a little bit later within the 12 months to have the ability to communicate to the effectiveness of the system’s mosquito-repelling talents.
System Elements
The equipment that I obtained got here with the hub, three repellers, three thirty-foot cables, two several types of mounts, and 4 repellent capsules.
The hub plugs in to a typical electrical outlet and acts because the management middle for the repellers. It seems like a big Alexa and is in regards to the measurement of {an electrical} meter. Two screws include the hub in order that it may be mounted to the exterior facet of your home. There are additionally two lights on the hub that point out when the hub is powered on and if the hub is related to Wi-Fi.
The repellers look similar to path lights that I’ve seen that border the sidewalks main as much as individuals’s homes. I used to be stunned to search out out that they have been fabricated from steel (not plastic) and that they regarded very modern. They’re in regards to the measurement of a one-liter bottle with lights alongside the midsection and a spot on the prime to set free the repellent.
I obtained two choices for the bottom of the repellers: a spike and a spherical base. The spike sticks into the bottom to be utterly hidden and the spherical base is way wider and permits the repeller to easily sit on the bottom. Every repeller has enter and output cables popping out of the underside. The repellent cartridges sit inside the highest of the repeller. The repellent capsules seem like multi-colored ping pong balls. My set got here with 4 capsules, and every capsule ought to final for forty hours of mosquito safety.
Setup
Once I opened the big field that arrived at my door, I actually appreciated how neatly packaged all of the parts of the system have been inside. Every part was very well-labeled, and I used to be amused by the horrible evaluations that the mosquitoes gave the product written on the insides of the parts for every field.
One factor that I used to be very stunned I didn’t discover within the field was a set of directions. The overall setup was not terribly troublesome, however I’d have felt extra assured if I had affirmation that I used to be setting it up the fitting means.
Earlier than I speak about my experiences organising the system, I wish to notice that it’s a weatherproof system. Thus, you solely must set it up one time, after which it may be left exterior all 12 months lengthy.
The repellers got here in two elements, which have been very straightforward to assemble and hook up with the bases. It was additionally very simple to determine how the connection cables connect every of the repellers to one another, and one of many repellers to the hub.
Once I plugged within the hub to provide the system energy, I spotted that the system couldn’t be managed with out the LIV+ app. This didn’t grow to be an issue, however I had not realized that the system couldn’t be managed with out it. After downloading the app and forgetting my Wi-Fi password a number of occasions, it was very straightforward to attach the hub to my cellular phone. Now from my gadget, I turned the system on to provide it a take a look at run with none repellent.
Once I turned the system on, the ring of lights on every of the repellers turned to yellow. From studying in regards to the product earlier than I obtained it, I knew that this meant the repellers have been warming up. Nonetheless, I have no idea that I’d have recognized this if I had not discovered that the repellers needed to heat up earlier than I bought the system. After about 5 minutes, the repellers turned on and the ring of lights on every repeller modified from yellow to blue which meant that they might be actively repelling mosquitoes.
As soon as I knew how the system labored, I wished to do a take a look at earlier than I inserted the repellent capsules. I wished to see if the hub would be capable of talk with the repellers over a distance longer than thirty toes of cable. It’s because the realm which I deliberate on defending was larger than thirty toes from my home.
Positive sufficient, by merely connecting two of the thirty-foot cables collectively, the hub was in a position to activate the repellers from sixty toes away which left me more than happy.
Consequently, I additionally discovered that for those who occur to attach a repeller to a different whereas the primary repeller is already on, the second repeller doesn’t activate. I don’t know if this might ever occur as a person would usually solely set up the system as soon as after which flip it on and off each time they wanted it, however I believed it was fascinating.
Once I went to get the repellent capsules from the field they got here in, I discovered that it is rather essential to retailer the capsules proper facet up. A bit little bit of repellent had spilled into the packaging throughout delivery, and as I tilted one of many capsules to take an image, much more repellent spilled out into the field. Nonetheless, as soon as I eliminated the lid on the capsules, they have been very straightforward to insert into the repellers.
General, the setup was very straightforward, and solely took me about thirty minutes. It doesn’t take a particular set of expertise to put in this technique. For those who can arrange an Alexa, you need to be capable of put collectively this technique very simply.
Aesthetics
I’m very proud of the best way this technique seems in my yard. The repellers should not ugly or cumbersome, and the truth that they’ve lights makes them look very sharp (you possibly can even change the colour of the lights within the app).
If I have been to see these repellers in a buddy’s yard I’d have merely thought that they have been nice-looking ornamental lights which, to me, makes it even cooler to repel mosquitoes as nicely. The hub can be sufficiently small that it doesn’t seem like a big eyesore on the exterior wall of your home.
My solely aesthetic recommendation earlier than putting in this technique is to be sure to have a plan to cover the cords. The repellers should be related by cords and needs to be spaced out far so that you want a plan for tips on how to hold the cords from laying within the yard. It might be very straightforward to cowl with mulch or to run alongside the underside fringe of a home or patio, although. I’ve even buried cords the identical measurement if that’s the route you need to go, but when aesthetics is essential to you, don’t allow them to lay.
LIV+ App
The LIV+ App works very nicely with this technique. It took me no time in any respect to determine tips on how to join the hub to my gadget.
As soon as the hub was related, I used to be in a position to give the system a reputation in case I had a number of hubs (I named mine “Firepit”). Then, not solely was I in a position to flip the system on and off simply by way of my telephone, however I used to be additionally in a position to set timers and schedules to inform the system when to activate and off in order that I wouldn’t even have to consider it.
I used to be additionally in a position to change the colour of the lights to match my model and the app additionally stored observe of how a lot life I had left in my repellent cartridges. I additionally imagine which you could join the app to a wise dwelling gadget so as to flip the system on and off with a voice command, however I used to be not in a position to check out this characteristic.
Takeaways
I used to be very impressed by my first impressions of the Thermacell LIV Mosquito Repellent System. Regardless of not having directions, it was very straightforward to put in and to discover ways to use. The system itself seems very good and also you received’t should tuck it in a again nook of your yard if you’ll find a solution to disguise the cords. It’s nice that Thermacell has one app particularly for the LIV system, as that makes it easy and really simple. I’ll actually stay up for seeing how nicely it protects me from bug bites later within the 12 months.
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