Newbie with no experience - second home automation suggestions

[JanetC]

I'm looking to automate a vacation rental and have gotten lost in all the HA jargon -- mostly because I have NO experience in programming and NO experience in electrical wiring.

Looking to automate and control (via computer/cell phone - the home does not have a phone line)
- front door lock (with capability to change access codes remotely)
- lighting (do people need to use the controller to control or can they use the manual switches on the walls?)
- heating (in-wall heaters have plugs and are not hard-wired into the system)
- security camera (possibly with motion sensor)
- possible appliance control

Definitely need 2-way communication as the home is 5 hours away.

From the forums, looks like the best way would be to start small -- if this is the case, I'd probably begin with the front door lock. Have looked at Insteon and Z-wave, although not sure if both need a monthly subscription to gain remote access...?

Sorry for the stupid questions, any suggestions on how to begin would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[tmbrown97]

Take a good look at the MiCasaVerde Vera - you can use Z-Wave for locks, thermostats, and lights, and I believe it supports Cameras as well.

No phone line or always-on computer required.

 

[JanetC]

Take a good look at the MiCasaVerde Vera - you can use Z-Wave for locks, thermostats, and lights, and I believe it supports Cameras as well.

No phone line or always-on computer required.

Does this require a monthly subscription or fee to use?

Thanks Cocoonut!

 

[tmbrown97]

Nope!

 

[jmorris644]

I would also take a look at the combination of HAI and Haiku. Might be a little overkill for a small 2nd home though depending on your budget.

Joe

 

[oberkc]

I am not in a position to tell you one protocol is better than another, but i can answer a couple of questions with regards to insteon.

No...no subscription required for remote access...just the correct hardware.
Yes...you can use wall switches...but you will need some type of controller for remote access...and you can still use the wall switches.
Insteon can handle appliances, lighting, heating (dependent on power requirements)

One question you need to ask yourself is whether you want a computer running around the clock. The answer to this question may limit your controller options.

 

[JanetC]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I've decided to go with MiCasaVerde and a Kwikset deadbolt lever to start. Once that gets installed, I'm itching to find out how to remote access my heaters, which brings up my next question:

I have a 3 bedroom condo in a ski resort town. Each room has an in-wall heater, but no thermostat control (unless you count the dial that you have to manually turn on each heater). Is there any hardware out there that I can install that would give me remote access to each heater? If so, would guests who manually change the dial on the heater mess up my remote access and control? My goal is to have a thermostat (or multiple) so guests can use those to control heat, rather than turning the dials on my units, and that each thermostat could be controlled remotely. Any suggestions?

 

[tmbrown97]

It's doable - there are a lot of factors at play. Since it's a rental, I'd suggest finding a way to adapt regular communicating thermostats to work with the existing heaters. From there, you have both local and remote control. Of course, there's so much more you can do if you're electronically savvy, but that requires more on-site controls and much more integration. If you can adapt your system to accept a few HAI thermostats, this would be easy to control.