How to begin with Home Automation?

[AdvHomeServer]

I am changing up my furniture and am considering getting involved with home automation. Unfortunately, all I know about home automation is what I have Googled over the past few minutes. Advice is being solicited.

Initially, I want to control some overhead can lights currently on a 3 way switch via one or more conveniently placed additional switches that will control them via RF and / or over the home network. Ditto with some ordinary floor lamps on a normal wall outlet. Later I may want to expand into a security system, so a broad based foundation with routers or base units would be required at the start.

Where do I start? What standard is 'best'. What can I do without an electrician (I can replace a wall outlet or light switch or light fixture on my own but could not do new electrical wiring.) What do I need to buy? Where is a good place to learn? Are there any vendors who specialize in helping newbies like me out?

Edit: My research tells me that the contest is between Insteon and Z-Wave. Insteon uses RF and Homeplug in some way. Z-Wave uses radio waves in a less used spectrum than wifi. Beyond that, it's less easy to get a clear view without actually spending money.

 

[stevech]

I've used HomeSeer for many years. With X10 mostly, via a USB to X10 module. Never got into Z-Wave (too expensive) or Insteon - which is what I'd do if starting anew. But the X10 works well enough.
http://www.homeseer.com/

I must admit, the low-end software license cost was much less when I began.

 

[KGB7]

If this a diy project, then you'll have to spend few hours googling and youtubing. Lots of forums out there.

Or you can hire a pro to do initial set up and you can gradually add to it on your own.

There are too many choices now days to discuss it in a single thread.

 

[AdvHomeServer]

I've used HomeSeer for many years. With X10 mostly, via a USB to X10 module. Never got into Z-Wave (too expensive) or Insteon - which is what I'd do if starting anew. But the X10 works well enough.
http://www.homeseer.com/

I must admit, the low-end software license cost was much less when I began.

Insteon has me intrigued, but the price is up there. Z-Wave appears to be commonly offered in a lot of places, so it must be popular (or have great margins.) I'm going to tip toe since both are costly. I'll look at homeseerer / x10 also.

Agree, KGB7, that there are a multitude of forums. I'll be reading them for days just to put together a plan.

 

[soleillune]

my experience

I use home automation but it is not integrated.

X10 is an outdated technology

Insteon is best for lighting control

Z-wave is best for door lock, temperature control (VERA3 or Homeseer controler: no montly fees)

MyQ (Liftmaster) for garage door openner

Envisalink to control an Ademco security system

Sorry for my english

 

[AdvHomeServer]

I use home automation but it is not integrated.

X10 is an outdated technology

Insteon is best for lighting control

Z-wave is best for door lock, temperature control (VERA3 or Homeseer controler: no montly fees)

MyQ (Liftmaster) for garage door openner

Envisalink to control an Ademco security system

Sorry for my english

Your english is fine. Others have written about mixed systems without sounding like it was a problem.

Do you know what the z-wave issues are with lighting (and light electrical control)? That will be my initial application.

Security is down the road. What is the main selling point about Envisalink vs z-wave & insteon. I'm uncertain about putting door locks on the network, although I can see the value if I'm out of town and I need to let someone in.

Thanks much.

 

[sinshiva]

nice thread

i know the first thing i want is a new thermostat. nothing seems to send electric bills into the stratosphere like a crappy old thermostat.

i'll keep an eye on this thread.

 

[AdvHomeServer]

i know the first thing i want is a new thermostat. nothing seems to send electric bills into the stratosphere like a crappy old thermostat.

i'll keep an eye on this thread.

I'm just the opposite. I will always use an old mercury thermostat and keep an eye on the temperature. I had one once and it failed both on power and battery. Fortunately I caught it before any freezing occurred in winter (actually within a couple of hours of failure just by chance). I put the old mercury one back on and it is quietly and reliably working as I write this.

This is one example of low tech that, in my opinion, can't be improved on at home if frozen pipes are a possibility. All high tech solutions introduce new problems you never thought of before (as I am fond of saying).

 

[sinshiva]

i am not so fortunate; my thermostat thinks it should turn the heat on if i set the temp too low lol

at the last place i lived, the original thermostat would just let a/c run forever. i replaced it with something cheap made in this decade and was saving ~30usd/mo.

 

[soleillune]

There is no issue with Z-wave for lighting, there is less choice. With insteon there is every kind of lighting module.
Z-wave and Insteon are not security system. Honeywell, DSC or ELK are security system. Z-wave can accept information from security system.
Here is the most popular internet site:
http://www.smarthome.com/_/index.aspx
http://www.homeseer.com/
http://getvera.com/controllers/vera3/
http://www.eyezon.com/?page_id=176

From witch country are you?

 

[AdvHomeServer]

There is no issue with Z-wave for lighting, there is less choice. With insteon there is every kind of lighting module.
Z-wave and Insteon are not security system. Honeywell, DSC or ELK are security system. Z-wave can accept information from security system.
Here is the most popular internet site:
http://www.smarthome.com/_/index.aspx
http://www.homeseer.com/
http://getvera.com/controllers/vera3/
http://www.eyezon.com/?page_id=176

From witch country are you?

USA.

Thanks. I'll look at each site. I've seen Smarthome. It's a big proponent of insteon.

My ideas are starting to gel. Initially, I plan to control the lighting in one room that is hard to cover with existing switches and plugs. Overhead can lights are now on a 3 way switch that I will replace with an intelligent 3 way switch. Floor / table lamps at the front and back will be controlled via simple plug in modules. I'll put a multi-button switch at both room entrances so you can turn on / off all or some lights from that point.

For home security, would I be better off putting devices on this network or looking into dedicated security systems? What's the difference between z-wave / insteon security vs the others?

I'm starting to lean towards z-wave but have not yet spent money and won't for a few weeks. More major retailers and manufacturers support it. Various mfgrs offer specific z-wave 3-way switches while insteon is vague about describing their 3-way switch technology, but just claim it works if you dig deeply enough in the literature (the 3-way switch they sold was discontinued.)

I'm willing to change my mind about z-wave vs insteon for lights if I can be pointed to more clear information. Sales stuff is nice, but I need a deeper level of details. The insteon literature reminds me of firewall articles I have read. Many go into depth about how firewalls work and the different aspects of them, but none go into how to build one or provide tutorials that a novice could follow to understand what they're doing and why they're doing it. (That's part of why I want to get an Edgerouter lite later this year ... to play with firewall design. I have no idea how to build one, but I've read towers of articles about them.)

I've also decided to have an electrician install the 3-way switches. I'll buy them myself to avoid paying add'l markups. The install looks a little odd for a newbie like myself. I can't just duplicate the wiring of the switch I'm removing.

 

[stevech]

Z-wave is over the hill. I'd estimate that Insteon will prevail, until something better comes along.

 

[AdvHomeServer]

Z-wave is over the hill. I'd estimate that Insteon will prevail, until something better comes along.

Why do you hold that opinion?

 

[stevech]

Because professionals have a better business situation with Insteon versus the product-makers that used Z-Wave and abandoned it.
Like Intermatic - a biggie.

 

[AdvHomeServer]

Because professionals have a better business situation with Insteon versus the product-makers that used Z-Wave and abandoned it.
Like Intermatic - a biggie.

Intermatic is a big name. I'll research their experience. I'll also see if there's much out there on "I used XXX but dropped it because of YYY." I know how shy people are about sharing their experience with comcast vs att vs fios. Maybe they will be as open about their experience with XXX.

 

[thiggins]

"Home automation" / Smart home or whatever you want to call it has been a very fragmented market. This is likely to change over the next few years.

This group has been formed to correct some of Zigbee's problems and try to circle the wagons around it as a standard.

On the other hand, once low power 900 MHz WiFi devices hit the market, it could very well overwhelm other technologies, given the Wi-Fi Alliance's track record of keeping vendors pointed in the same direction.

Consumer manufacturers are desparate for the "next big thing" since tablets have matured and 4K HD will have a very slow uptake rate. Health care and Internet of Things are the areas likely to have a LOT of money thrown at them in the next few years.

Consumer networking companies are starting to poke at IoT. D-Link has been slowly rolling out "smart" devices and Belkin is also active in the market. You also have Lowes and Home Depot pushing their own smart home products.

My point is, whatever you choose will likely be replaced by other technology in the next few years and options are likely to expand.

 

[AdvHomeServer]

"Home automation" / Smart home or whatever you want to call it has been a very fragmented market. This is likely to change over the next few years.

Consumer manufacturers are desparate for the "next big thing" since tablets have matured and 4K HD will have a very slow uptake rate. Health care and Internet of Things are the areas likely to have a LOT of money thrown at them in the next few years.

My point is, whatever you choose will likely be replaced by other technology in the next few years and options are likely to expand.

I can only wait for Computerworld or some other industry publication to proclaim that the Internet of Things says you need to change the way you remotely turn on and off your lights because the current remote lights on / off methods are clearly obsolete.

Seriously, most companies market applied technology horribly. I don't expect the new automation standards will be any different.

For example, Azure and Amazon's competing service, along with others is a good example of terrible marketing. To poke fun at Microsoft, they market Azure terribly. I still have only a vague idea of what it is and what it could do for me or anyone else. Rather than provide examples of great things to do with Azure and then say this is how you get in on this great thing, they say Azure is great and force you to dig into dense TechNet articles to figure out just what Azure is.

To me, I THINK it's just a versatile timeshare system that you connect with over the internet. But they pad the image by using vague CLOUD sales verbiage rather than elderly Timeshare verbiage. Rather then selling applications and their related benefits, they sell vague concepts that you have to dig deeply to define for yourself. Other vendors are no different. To put it bluntly, a lot of advanced technical marketing is done by dimwits who have no concept of why other people would want to use their product, so they sell gobbledygook and, for some reason, the people who manage the bottom line let them get away with it.

Home Automation is only a couple of steps better in getting the idea across of what it is, how to use it, and what it can do for me.

 

[stevech]

You'd have a larger Home Automation archive and audience than here, by reading posts on HomeSeer.com and CoCoontech.com/forums

 

[AdvHomeServer]

You'd have a larger Home Automation archive and audience than here, by reading posts on HomeSeer.com and CoCoon.com/forums

Thank You. I bookmarked HomeSeer for future reference and will look at CoCoon.

 

[thiggins]

You'd have a larger Home Automation archive and audience than here, by reading posts on HomeSeer.com and CoCoon.com/forums

Cocoon.com is a junk link site, Steve. The correct site is cocoontech.com