How to Make Life Comfortable with Linear Actuators

 

Now, everybody wants to have their home fully automated. However, we all know that all those nice TV lifts, doors that open and close with a push of a button, height-adjustable desks, and similar, cost a lot of money. Not everybody can afford it.

But what about making all those so much wished items on your own? A couple of electric 12V actuators costs definitely less than, say, a TV lift. With them, you can make practically any project based on your requirements and save a lot of money. We will check the most popular improvements that are available with actuators.

TV Lift

Have you been dreaming about a popup TV set? What about building a special system and finally make your dream come true?

To do so, you need:

• A TV lift system or an actuator (a couple of actuators) powerful enough to move your TV set up and down. 

• Tools to cut wood.

• Some basic skills.

Now, you can start building the TV lift. 

Install the TV lift system (actuators) on the bottom inside the cabinet. In the cabinet top, make an opening wide and long enough to allow the TV set to pop up and hide. Fix the TV set on the lift system (actuators) and test the system to check whether it works as required. If yes, tighten all the bolts properly, arrange cables with the help of a special cable management system, and enjoy the new installation.

If you believe that the opening in the cabinet top is too big, install a cap on it. Get one more actuator of the needed stroke length, and make a sliding cap. It will allow you to use the cabinet freely when the TV is hidden.

A Lifting Column for Your Kitchen

If you have been dreaming of a specific kitchen device or even several of them but there is no place, you can try another automation project. You can install a hidden lifting platform in one of the kitchen cabinets. On the column, you can install any device.

To do so, get a lift system from a reliable manufacturer. Then, follow the instructions. 

• On the bottom of a kitchen cabinet, fix the column. In the cabinet top, make an opening enough to make the device pass. The removed piece of the cabinet top can be installed on the lift column and used as a platform to support the device.

• Make a platform where the device will be installed. The platform shall be robust enough.

• Fix the platform to the lifting system. 

• Install the device on the platform.

• Now, make a cap to close the opening when the device is inside of the cabinet. The most convenient way to fix the cap is to install it on hinges. 

Now, your system is ready to use. And inside of the cabinet, you still can store all the usual things.

A Drop-Down Rack for Spices

Another improvement that can unclog your kitchen and modernize it is a drop-down rack for spices. You can use the idea for any drop-down rack, shelf, but spices in most cases are the biggest issue. You need them to be by hand but it is so difficult to arrange them.

For the rack, you need a rack, a small shelf, or a small organizer, and an actuator. The actuator shall have a stroke length enough to move the rack up to align its bottom with the bottom of the kitchen cabinet and to move the rack down to make it comfortable to use. That’s it. The installation is made in one of the wall-mounted cabinets:

• In the cabinet bottom, make an opening for the rack to pass. 

• Fix the actuator on the backside of the cabinet. In the retracted position, it shall move the rack in a way to close the opening in the bottom.

• On the moving side of the actuator, fix the rack. Check whether everything works smoothly. Tighten the bolts to ensure the installation is safe. Arrange the spices in the rack and use the installation.

A Height-Adjustable Desk

A height-adjustable desk is one of the most popular trends nowadays. It is an expensive item but you can make it on your own. To do so, you need an old desk and a lifting system.

The lifting system can be purchased from one of the manufacturers. It is much cheaper than a ready desk, and the effect is almost the same.

Install the desktop on the system, tighten the bolts, and use your new height-adjustable desk. 

Final Thoughts

Linear actuators allow you to automate almost everything in your home. The available plug-and-play systems some with all the needed components. You just open the package and install the needed items. You don’t need to have any special skills for some projects, and for the most complex installations, you need just some practice.