New System Advice
- Thread starter J0be269
- Start date
acdcelectric
Member
I was exactly where you are now 18 months ago. Far too much to choose from and losts of personal opinion (and no definitive answers).
I chose to approach it as if I were designing a system for a client. You want it to be as bullet proof as possible, low maintenance (no service calls), easy to program and operate, upgradeable, and affordable. Most of these criteria are polar opposites with price.
The structured wiring layout is the most important part of the install. Wire is cheap campared to tearing out drywall later. Use the biggest can you can find, and make sure you have lots of outlets avialable inside. You will be amazed at the mumber of transformers (called worts) that you will have to find an outlet for. I missed this one and ended up giiving up valuable can space for a power strip for the power hookups. Also, install a spare conduit both up into the attic and down into the crawl space for even more wiring. I guaruntee you will think of where another wire would be just perfect after the walls are closed.
2nd most imprtant is integration. If your subsytms (security, lighting, audio, video, sprinkler control, internet,...etc) and house controller cannot efecctively communicate without lots of specialized programming, you will spend many frustrating hours trying to find a programming "work around". If you read the threads here you will see a huge number of work around solutions for some basic systme incmpatibilites between manufacturers.
So you have to make one huge decision. Do you put all your effort into one ...(just now in the middle of this sentence, I had to reboot my wireless extender when the house lights flickered and dimmed out for a second)...master controller such as HAI or try to set up subsytems that will still run if the others go down. Even these choices are a compromise.
I chose the susbsystem route myself. Not because of budget, but becasue I knew that as I lived with the systems and learned more (that never seems to end) I am able to adjust/change/discard components as needed. I studied bulletin boards and talked to manufactures/distributers for almost a year before I selected my systems and I still made some poor choices, But the flexibility of a strutured wiring system allows me to adapt and correct the weaker links in my house.
I also can see the advantages of an all in one control solution and am in the early stages of designing one for a 6,000 sq ft cutom home. Actually, there is no "alll in one system" that will meet every need, but they can come close. So you will always have the subsystem compatability to consider.
I also am using the same philosophy for my customer installs, becase free service calls can really impact the bottom line of a business, and customers always have budget limitations.
Use every resource you can find for info, go beyoond this message board and be wary of hype. There wouldn't be hundreds of threads if there weren't hundreds of potential problems out there.
OH and welcome to the twilight zone. It's a lot of fun out here Will Robison.
I chose to approach it as if I were designing a system for a client. You want it to be as bullet proof as possible, low maintenance (no service calls), easy to program and operate, upgradeable, and affordable. Most of these criteria are polar opposites with price.
The structured wiring layout is the most important part of the install. Wire is cheap campared to tearing out drywall later. Use the biggest can you can find, and make sure you have lots of outlets avialable inside. You will be amazed at the mumber of transformers (called worts) that you will have to find an outlet for. I missed this one and ended up giiving up valuable can space for a power strip for the power hookups. Also, install a spare conduit both up into the attic and down into the crawl space for even more wiring. I guaruntee you will think of where another wire would be just perfect after the walls are closed.
2nd most imprtant is integration. If your subsytms (security, lighting, audio, video, sprinkler control, internet,...etc) and house controller cannot efecctively communicate without lots of specialized programming, you will spend many frustrating hours trying to find a programming "work around". If you read the threads here you will see a huge number of work around solutions for some basic systme incmpatibilites between manufacturers.
So you have to make one huge decision. Do you put all your effort into one ...(just now in the middle of this sentence, I had to reboot my wireless extender when the house lights flickered and dimmed out for a second)...master controller such as HAI or try to set up subsytems that will still run if the others go down. Even these choices are a compromise.
I chose the susbsystem route myself. Not because of budget, but becasue I knew that as I lived with the systems and learned more (that never seems to end) I am able to adjust/change/discard components as needed. I studied bulletin boards and talked to manufactures/distributers for almost a year before I selected my systems and I still made some poor choices, But the flexibility of a strutured wiring system allows me to adapt and correct the weaker links in my house.
I also can see the advantages of an all in one control solution and am in the early stages of designing one for a 6,000 sq ft cutom home. Actually, there is no "alll in one system" that will meet every need, but they can come close. So you will always have the subsystem compatability to consider.
I also am using the same philosophy for my customer installs, becase free service calls can really impact the bottom line of a business, and customers always have budget limitations.
Use every resource you can find for info, go beyoond this message board and be wary of hype. There wouldn't be hundreds of threads if there weren't hundreds of potential problems out there.
OH and welcome to the twilight zone. It's a lot of fun out here Will Robison.
ctay
Active Member
Please let me know how your EDT install goes and how you feel about the system. I have a couple months before I will be ready to install in my new house and I am very interested in the perceptions of those who have actually used the products I'm considering...J0be269 said:
Chris
