Hi All,
I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. I've installed Security systems in previous houses and somewhat familiar with that. I've looked into HA for years now, but never had the $$/time to get started. I'm finally about to now and would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions you might have.
My initial efforts will be spent on the Security system. Over the months (or years) to follow, I will fill out my Home Automation setup. I will outline What I have and my plans below. Thanks for taking to time to read and provide any advice and suggestions.
My Security requirements are pretty typical. I don't want Fire/police notification or Monitoring, but I do want email/IM notification to me. I do want remote access via phone and Internet browser when I'm away from the home, mainly for HA and Survellience. I already have it setup for Survellience.
My house
2300 sq/ft split level dwelling (stick built in 1976)
Lower Level
(Main Computer area, laundry Rm, Bath Rm, Den area)
1 Laundry room (Where HA/Sec panel will be located)
1 exterior door (easy access for wiring)
6 windows (No access via cieling or floor)
6 lights + 1 ceiling fan (no easy access to 4 switches)
1 Smoke Detector (non-wired, battery operated)
1 Exterior Light (motion Sensing)
Mid level (Access: crawl space + attic)
(Kitchen, Living Rm, Dining Rm)
2 exterior doors (front + back to large deck/Hot tub)
Deck with fountain and Rainbird irrigation watering system for plants
1 door to garage
3 Exterior Lights (all motion sensing)
Garage (Access: attic)
1 garage door
1 exterior door
1 window
1 Exterior Light (motion sensing)
Upper level (Access: attic and floor access above laundry room)
(3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Storage area)
7 Windows
2 Smoke Detectors (non-wired, battery operated)
What I already have
Most of the house is already wired for 100MB computer network and phone. I run a Windows and a Linux Server 24/7 (located in lower level, adjacent to the laundry room). I have a Cisco PIX firewall, Cisco 24 port switch (+ patch panel), digital phone adapter and 802.11G wireless Access point (all in the Main Computer area). Another 802.11G Acess point at the other end of the house (mid-level) provides excellent wireless coverage.
For Survellience, I use the Axis 207W cameras and the Axis Camera Station for monitoring and recording. Ultimately, I want 5 cameras. 3 inside and two outside.
Each Bedroom, the Living room and the lower level Den area have separate Home Theatre setups, with Cable run to each one. The Den HT System is the main one powered by a Home Theatre PC, Overhead Projector and 7.1 Yamaha Home Theatre receiver. In addition to the Home Theatre PC, there are 3 other PCs, two laptops and my handheld Axim X50V. The PC in the kitchen drives an old HT system providing Audio for the Kitchen and back deck.
My Goals
#1 Put in place a Security System (Doors only initially)
Since I ran all the computer network and most of the phone wiring, I know the house pretty well. I can use wired hidden magnetic sensors for all doors.
At this point, I'm leaning seriously toward the Elk M1 Gold with Ethernet module and down the road Homeseer app or similar. I'll likely get most of my stuff from http://www.automatedoutlet.com/ since you folks think so highly of him.
#1a Wire and Tie windows into the Security system.
The mid and upper level windows are doable enough. The clearance above the outside wall is limited and will require eating some insulation, but I think the stability and cost of a wired system is worth the effort. $$Cost$$ is a big factor for me since I'm a single parent with a teenage daughter.
Yes, my teenage daughter is the push for these efforts now. :-|
The lower level windows are going to require some creative wire routing. I will likely have to pull wire above or below the window (in the wall) and hide it behind Crown or baseboard molding. The walls are paneling, so no trench and patching sheetrock. It's on a slab floor and there is no ceiling access.
I would love to hear any wireless suggestions folks have on this part. I don't mind replacing batteries, but I don't want to have to deal with false alarms.
#1b Replace the Smoke Detectors and add Motion detection/glass breakage sensors.
All the old smoke detectors are ceiling accessable. The interior walls where I would mount motion detectors are also acessable, so I plan to use wired devices.
#2 Add Home automation Lighting control
I can't decide on this one. I'm leaning toward Insteon or UPB lighting control, but not sure which would be best. I would really like to have the HA system be able to tell when lights are turned On/Off manually.
I would prefer ZigBee, but I don't think the technology has matured to a cost effective point. I'm still looking at Z-Wave and weighing the pro & cons, but I don't think you get status reporting with the M1 & Z-wave.
Another consideration is the fact that at least 3 of the lower floor switches will be very difficult to get wires too.
I haven't decided on proximity sensors yet either. I would like to have lights (inside and outside) turned On/Off as people enter a room, approach the house, go out onto the deck, etc. Suggestions on this one would be greatly appreciated too.
I would especially like to replace my old Key locks/deadbolt type with push button combo/HA controllable locksets, Preferably operated by a RFID proximity sensor, or similar. My daughter is always loosing her key.
Hot tub control, Environmental control/monitoring, hot water heater leak monitoring and Appliance monitoring are on mylist, but down the road a ways. I just replaced my HVAC system last year and installed a nice Honeywell Touchscreen programmable T-Stat and can't justify replacing it. I'm pretty sure it does not communicate with a HA controller.
#3 Audio/Video distribution
This is a nice to have down the road and I've considered it in the past, but I have so much tied up in individual systems that I can't afford to replace it.
I'm not concerned about Video distribution just because of the size of movies to store, server transfer times to a local Home Theater PC, etc. DVDs are just too cheap a medium not to use now.
I would like to consider distributing Satellite Radio or HD over the air broascast some day from a central server, but this is way down the road for me.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
~Jim
I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. I've installed Security systems in previous houses and somewhat familiar with that. I've looked into HA for years now, but never had the $$/time to get started. I'm finally about to now and would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions you might have.
My initial efforts will be spent on the Security system. Over the months (or years) to follow, I will fill out my Home Automation setup. I will outline What I have and my plans below. Thanks for taking to time to read and provide any advice and suggestions.
My Security requirements are pretty typical. I don't want Fire/police notification or Monitoring, but I do want email/IM notification to me. I do want remote access via phone and Internet browser when I'm away from the home, mainly for HA and Survellience. I already have it setup for Survellience.
My house
2300 sq/ft split level dwelling (stick built in 1976)
Lower Level
(Main Computer area, laundry Rm, Bath Rm, Den area)
1 Laundry room (Where HA/Sec panel will be located)
1 exterior door (easy access for wiring)
6 windows (No access via cieling or floor)
6 lights + 1 ceiling fan (no easy access to 4 switches)
1 Smoke Detector (non-wired, battery operated)
1 Exterior Light (motion Sensing)
Mid level (Access: crawl space + attic)
(Kitchen, Living Rm, Dining Rm)
2 exterior doors (front + back to large deck/Hot tub)
Deck with fountain and Rainbird irrigation watering system for plants
1 door to garage
3 Exterior Lights (all motion sensing)
Garage (Access: attic)
1 garage door
1 exterior door
1 window
1 Exterior Light (motion sensing)
Upper level (Access: attic and floor access above laundry room)
(3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Storage area)
7 Windows
2 Smoke Detectors (non-wired, battery operated)
What I already have
Most of the house is already wired for 100MB computer network and phone. I run a Windows and a Linux Server 24/7 (located in lower level, adjacent to the laundry room). I have a Cisco PIX firewall, Cisco 24 port switch (+ patch panel), digital phone adapter and 802.11G wireless Access point (all in the Main Computer area). Another 802.11G Acess point at the other end of the house (mid-level) provides excellent wireless coverage.
For Survellience, I use the Axis 207W cameras and the Axis Camera Station for monitoring and recording. Ultimately, I want 5 cameras. 3 inside and two outside.
Each Bedroom, the Living room and the lower level Den area have separate Home Theatre setups, with Cable run to each one. The Den HT System is the main one powered by a Home Theatre PC, Overhead Projector and 7.1 Yamaha Home Theatre receiver. In addition to the Home Theatre PC, there are 3 other PCs, two laptops and my handheld Axim X50V. The PC in the kitchen drives an old HT system providing Audio for the Kitchen and back deck.
My Goals
#1 Put in place a Security System (Doors only initially)
Since I ran all the computer network and most of the phone wiring, I know the house pretty well. I can use wired hidden magnetic sensors for all doors.
At this point, I'm leaning seriously toward the Elk M1 Gold with Ethernet module and down the road Homeseer app or similar. I'll likely get most of my stuff from http://www.automatedoutlet.com/ since you folks think so highly of him.
#1a Wire and Tie windows into the Security system.
The mid and upper level windows are doable enough. The clearance above the outside wall is limited and will require eating some insulation, but I think the stability and cost of a wired system is worth the effort. $$Cost$$ is a big factor for me since I'm a single parent with a teenage daughter.
Yes, my teenage daughter is the push for these efforts now. :-|
The lower level windows are going to require some creative wire routing. I will likely have to pull wire above or below the window (in the wall) and hide it behind Crown or baseboard molding. The walls are paneling, so no trench and patching sheetrock. It's on a slab floor and there is no ceiling access.
I would love to hear any wireless suggestions folks have on this part. I don't mind replacing batteries, but I don't want to have to deal with false alarms.
#1b Replace the Smoke Detectors and add Motion detection/glass breakage sensors.
All the old smoke detectors are ceiling accessable. The interior walls where I would mount motion detectors are also acessable, so I plan to use wired devices.
#2 Add Home automation Lighting control
I can't decide on this one. I'm leaning toward Insteon or UPB lighting control, but not sure which would be best. I would really like to have the HA system be able to tell when lights are turned On/Off manually.
I would prefer ZigBee, but I don't think the technology has matured to a cost effective point. I'm still looking at Z-Wave and weighing the pro & cons, but I don't think you get status reporting with the M1 & Z-wave.
Another consideration is the fact that at least 3 of the lower floor switches will be very difficult to get wires too.
I haven't decided on proximity sensors yet either. I would like to have lights (inside and outside) turned On/Off as people enter a room, approach the house, go out onto the deck, etc. Suggestions on this one would be greatly appreciated too.
I would especially like to replace my old Key locks/deadbolt type with push button combo/HA controllable locksets, Preferably operated by a RFID proximity sensor, or similar. My daughter is always loosing her key.
Hot tub control, Environmental control/monitoring, hot water heater leak monitoring and Appliance monitoring are on mylist, but down the road a ways. I just replaced my HVAC system last year and installed a nice Honeywell Touchscreen programmable T-Stat and can't justify replacing it. I'm pretty sure it does not communicate with a HA controller.
#3 Audio/Video distribution
This is a nice to have down the road and I've considered it in the past, but I have so much tied up in individual systems that I can't afford to replace it.
I'm not concerned about Video distribution just because of the size of movies to store, server transfer times to a local Home Theater PC, etc. DVDs are just too cheap a medium not to use now.
I would like to consider distributing Satellite Radio or HD over the air broascast some day from a central server, but this is way down the road for me.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
~Jim
