Home automation is defined as a process or system (using different methods or equipment) which provides the ability to enhance one's lifestyle, and make a home more comfortable, safe and efficient. Home automation can link lighting, entertainment, security, telecommunications, heating and air conditioning into one centrally controlled system. Automation allows you to make your house an active partner in managing your busy life. Your automated home is no longer a passive structure. Instead, it becomes a tool in helping you make the most of your time, enhancing your safety and security, even saving you money on your energy bills!
How does it work? A central microprocessor (computer) receives signals from controlling devices, then forwards those signals to the appliances and systems in the house you want controlled. The central processor serves as a traffic cop by initiating and/or routing communication signals throughout the house. As the user, you can interface with the system via keypads, touch screens, panic buttons, TV screens, computers, telephones, handheld remotes or other devices.
Building a new house - How should it be wired?
Would you rather live in a house with modern plumbing ... or with a well in the back yard where you had to hoist a bucket every time you needed water? In the same way that you want up-to-date plumbing in your home, you also need wiring that allows you to connect with today's - and tomorrow's - information and entertainment technologies. You want your house to be connected to the services and features that help make it a real, livable home.
A typical home should include: 4 pair twisted pair telephone wire (category5 preferred) and dual shielded coaxial cable, home run to a junction box with access to available electrical power, and accessible consumer outlets for system connection. By making sure your new home is wired to that specification, you'll be able to have distributed video and audio for more convenient and compelling entertainment; easier and more powerful ways to share internally and externally sourced data from home computers; energy savings via access to utility pricing signals; convenient access from the home to a host of services, from banks to stores to maintenance; whole house control; and more.
You not only want the right kind of wiring in your house, you want to be able to get to it when necessary in order to easily connect different systems. Ask your builder to use home run wiring to maximize accessibility. Home run means running all the wires together vertically through a central PVC (plastic) pipe; wires serving the first floor should come up from the basement, while wires for the second floor would come down from the attic. The home run approach to clustering your wiring in a centrally located PVC conduit helps home automation systems specialists easily access the right kind of wire for the job.
How can I find an installer in my area?
The Home Automation Association lists a number of dealer installers. In addition, manufacturers can ordinarily provide you with the names of the dealer installers who handle that company's products. You may also want to check the business pages of your own local phone directory, or try the chamber of commerce serving your community for other names, if necessary. After identifying those serving your area, review these suggestions on what to look for in an installer. Use the same steps you'd follow in selecting any service professional. A good installer will ask you plenty of questions to determine and clarify your needs before suggesting products. He or she should be able to provide you with a healthy list of references; other homeowners who went through an installation with this company. Like any good businessperson, an installer should explain his or her fee structure before you commit to anything.
Charges will vary, of course. Some prefer to charge by the hour, or may charge for each portion of a project; consulting, design, installation, for example. Be sure to find out whether the installer charges for post-installation adjustments to your new system, and what kind of service you can expect. Will the fee include 24-hour troubleshooting for any problems that arise? What kind of payment plan is offered and expected? It should be fair to both the installer and the customer. Verify that the installer has at least $1 million in liability insurance. Will the installer provide training for you on the new system? Ask for details up front on how that will work, and for what period of time you might expect assistance in understanding how to work the system. Get everything in writing. If you're not sure about the installer after clarifying all these points, don't rush. Make a decision when you're ready, with no pressure from the installer. Call your local Better Business Bureau to determine whether the installer has outstanding consumer disputes. Click here to locate a local Home Automation Association Member.
Reproduced with permission from the Home Automation Association
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