How to future-proof a home dependent on HAI Omni ?

[swb_mct]

We rewired our 100 year old cabin when it was stripped to the studs in a major renovation. Foolishly, I had the 120v wiring done with no manual switches for some lighting circuits, centralized switching at the panel for some lighting circuits and some conventional in-the-room switches in some locations.

This cabin is only occupied about 50 days per year with year-around heating. With 480 lines of programming on an OMNI controller and 14 exterior video cameras we can monitor everything and all the controls works great. We still use the SnapLink phone app because it covers everything . . Security, HVAC, lighting and Well Pump, HotWater, and a Ventilation system. In addition to SnapLink we use the email alerts provided by HAI "Web-Link II" running on an Oracle VirtualBox VM instance of Windows XP. Lighting scenes and HVAC are controlled with Security-Mode conditions, outside temperature conditions and motion conditions when the cabin is unoccupied.

The last time I checked there was no turn-key OMNI replacement to get all of that controlled under a 1 vendor system. When I called an established Home automation company, they said to replace that much integration between systems would be very expensive build with a multi-vendor solution.

This is my concern . . . we are old and this cabin will be passed to the next generation at some point. We don't want to give them a nightmare when the HAI / X10 system that is no longer serviceable. Because the 120 wiring was done without conventional in-the-room control in many places, we can't just remove automation without rewiring much of the house.

IS THERE A TURNKEY ALTERNATIVE TO OUR HAI / X10 WHEN HAI IS NO LONGER SERVICEABLE ?

 

[Frunple]

Homeseer.
It'll do anything you need but you didn't mention which protocols you use.
You did say x10, which still works but should be replaced for a more reliable system.
I still use UPB for main lighting with some Zwave and Zigbee mixed in.
Have a look at Homeseer, it has an HAI plugin so you can use it with the existing panel and move things off as needed.

 

[electron]

If you want to figure this out sooner than later, then I'd go the Z-Wave route. It has been around for years, huge eco system, and is supported by some of the more modern alarm systems should you be willing to upgrade.

Here are some options I'd consider (these are DIY). I'm not including all details since there's just too much to talk about, but hopefully you can spend a few minutes checking them out.

1. Hub​

Product	Deployment	Pros	Cons
Home Assistant	Hardware kits available, or install in VM, old PC or Raspberry Pi	Cloud connectivity available, integrates with almost everything, including HAI. Software is free, cloud connection is cheap, but not required. Allows you to slowly evaluate/integrate multiple platforms. Huge support community.	Rapid development means more updates, so it may take some additional maintenance. It runs fine if you don't touch it for long periods of time, but it may make the updating process more difficult. Steep learning curve.
Homeseer	Hardware or DIY install	Proven track record, integrates with HAI, and is pretty flexible.	Probably the most expensive option in this list, but once configured properly, it's pretty stable (although I haven't run v4 myself).
Z-Box Hub	Hardware controller	Cheap, low maintenance, no HAI support.	It's a new product, but Zooz has great technical support. Z-Wave only.
Hubitat	Hardware controller	More flexible than Z-Box, has been around for a while and has matured significantly.	Don't have too much experience with this hub, but looked promising.

2. Lighting​

You could just replace the X10 hardware with Z-Wave hardware, either using relays, or just regular light switches and use remote paddles/buttons to control these switches.

3. Security​

Either go with a typical cloud connected system such as Ring and SimpliSafe, or the more traditional route such as the ELK M1. However if you pick Home Assistant or Homeseer, you could probably keep HAI around for a while.

If you're willing to wait, then you might be able to jump on the Matter platform, but it has some major growing to do before I'd consider it stable. Based on the options you're looking for, it should be easy to narrow down what solution will make the most sense.

 

[sjht]

I‘m migrating from a OP2 to Alarm.com (using Surety) with a Qolsys IQ Panel 4. My lighting is Lutron Radio RA2, but locks are Zwave. I bet the simplest would be the Panel and Zwave. You can add wired zones with an expansion. Also integrates with a lot of other things (garage control, HVAC, etc.). App is pretty good. We pay $22/month for full integration and cellular monitoring. Support has been very good. Automation is pretty basic. I also run HomeSeer for a few things, but could trim back if needed. My OP2 setup was fairly extensive with lots of code, but decided it was time to simplify. Good luck!

 

[heffneil]

I have gone full home assistant with an Elk M1. I would suggest going Elk M1 with a Home Assistant topper.