Not on their own. A smart home's processor, network switch, router, and controls all run on household power, so when the power goes out they go down with it — and when it returns, the system typically needs a few minutes to reboot and re-establish communication with every device. With a properly sized battery backup, however, a smart home can ride through outages seamlessly, and in Los Angeles — where Public Safety Power Shutoffs and storm outages are a fact of life — that resilience is worth planning for deliberately.
Why the system goes down
Home automation depends on a chain of always-on electronics:
- The automation processor (Savant, Control4, or similar) that coordinates everything.
- The network — router, switches, and wireless access points — that lets devices talk.
- Controls and gateways for lighting, shades, locks, and cameras.
Cut power to any link and the whole experience stumbles. Even a brief flicker can trigger a full reboot cycle that leaves the house "offline" for several minutes.
How to keep it running
1. Protect the core with a UPS
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a battery that sits between the wall and your equipment. For short outages and flickers, it keeps the processor and network running so no reboot ever happens. The critical detail most people miss: the UPS has to cover the whole stack — router, switch, and access points included — not just the AV rack. Backing up the processor alone accomplishes little if the network it depends on goes dark at the same moment.
2. Prioritize the network
At minimum, keep the internet and internal network alive. If the router, modem, and access points stay up on battery, you retain remote access, cameras, and connectivity even when other loads are shed — often the difference between "the house is down" and "the house is fine."
3. Add whole-home battery for longer outages
A UPS covers minutes to an hour. For the multi-hour or multi-day outages LA sees during fire-season shutoffs, a whole-home battery system (often paired with solar) is the real answer. It powers essential circuits — including the smart home core, security, and select lighting — and modern systems switch over automatically and manage loads intelligently.
4. Choose components that recover gracefully
Well-designed systems fail and restart predictably. Shades hold position, locks stay secure, and the processor comes back cleanly on its own. This behavior is a function of how the system is specified and wired, which is why it belongs in the plan from the start — part of getting the home's power and network infrastructure right rather than bolted on later.
The short answer
A smart home does not automatically survive a power outage, but it easily can. A UPS on the processor and full network handles brief events; a whole-home battery handles the long ones. Size the backup to cover the entire chain, and outages become something the house manages quietly rather than something that takes it offline.
If you want your smart home to stay reliable through LA's outages and shutoffs, contact us or call (888) 818-9996.