number20, SUPER explanation. even better to hear about a 100 alc install with ZERO fails! Do you mean zero fails as in not one was defective or didnt work and/or never broke to date? or do you litterally mean there has been ZERO instances of it not working EVER? not even one switch. Not even requiring you to hit the button twice? if you are saying its been 100% functional 100% of the time, WOW! What more could someone need to hear before KNOWING that alc IS the way to go?
I dont even think lutron is 100%.
I can't advise about Lutron. In our Lutron testing, the wired versions never failed while the RadioRa had too many failures for my taste. As you learn more about SETNET you will realize that quality of product is one of our prime reasons for selling the product. Should you ever come to one of our classroom sessions, ask to see our collection of test equipment for all subsystems. We really do put products to the acid test before endorsing them.
Now for your question. Yes - 100% with never a false or missed trigger and no failures since install last year. You may have read an earlier post about the Smarthouse conversion we did in April in Hawaii. That house was a 4 story and was totally smart. Now it's totally OnQ ALC. And it too had no failures and no bad parts.
We sell ALC to many installers, probably more than any single location anywhere. So we do get phone calls related to failures. OnQ tech support reports to me that there is about 1-2% failure rate that gets covered under warranty repair. With the numbers I offer, I say that most of those were:
1. Not bad at all (most common reason for a return to OnQ).
2. Damaged during install. If you hook the high voltage to the low voltage leads, you will let the smoke out and guess what? The smoke never goes back inside the switch.
3. The LV wires were terminated inside the box and became pinched when the switch is put inside and faceplate is installed. This is a common reason for believing a switch has failed. But when it is removed from the box and shipped for repair, nothing is found to be wrong.
4. A storm surge smokes them. For this reason we sell a really cool
Low Voltage Loop - Surge Arrestor . Note that surge damage is not as common as you may think.
The good news is that OnQ fixes or warranties switches many times when they really did not have too. And the out of warranty price to completely repair one is under $25.
Also remember that the ALC switch has been around for over 12 years. So it has history (one of the prime reasons I choose a product to sell). I have been the guinea pig way too many times and all the no new wires lighting products have got me real gun shy. I wish them well, but I am a doubting Thomas. And I want %100 (at least in new construction).
I will not slant my advice to promote what I sell. That would be a lie and I won't go there. But, I will strongly promote what we know to be solid products that meet our standards.
Over the years as an installer we did monster houses for Pro Atheletes, rock stars, nascar drivers and many of the just plain wealthy. Some of these folks wound up being where I "burned and learned". Even then I never charged for my learning curve. Instead I ate the bad products and the labor. Today we are wise enough to refuse to be a test case again. Today we leverage years of war experience to benefit people like you. It's a good chemistry if you trust our advice.
As a founder of the first Electronic House trade show in Orlando, I have seen many trade show over the years. And I have seen many venture capitalist throw money at the "Next Great Product". Way too many times the biggest boothes at the trade shows or the largest ads in magazines spent all the VC money and 3 year later went away. the bad news is that many of the real losers was the installers or the end users. Also - Something that glitters is not always Gold! the VC money believes that if you build it they will come. And many do. Then they run out of funds and give up. Go back a few years and research (if you can find it) the history of the CEbus lighting system. Millions was spent on that dream and today you will be hard pressed to find mention of the product.
Moral of the story is to pick products with longevity and a proven track record. 3 years and big marketing does not impress me!
