Home Automation

[WillandHelen]

While building my house I found it inexpensive to run audio video feeds to every room to have a whole house audio video system in a closet with controls in every room. Now I am looking at using x10 in my electrical system to automate switches and outdoor lighting. Anyone who is building for themselves should check this out. It is not expensive, it just requires more planning and individuality than any builder for hire would put into a house.

[edkemper]

Could you provide a little more details? Perhaps a link? I'm very interested in automation that is cheapest done at the time of the build.

[Free_Tibet]

I would love to hear how you did that as well. thanks

[Ellsworth]

You can also install?smurf tubes.? It makes future wiring upgrades easier.



<a href="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11509048">http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11509048</a>



<a href="http://ewweb.com/mag/electric_abcs_residential_structured_2/">http://ewweb.com/mag/electric_abcs_residential_structured_2/</a>

[WillandHelen]

First of all the cheapest and easiest way to run home Automation stuff is with "cat 5" cables. There are new variations to this cable. For instance, I installed cat 6 cable in my home. These cables are made to support almost any digital or analog signal out there. Speaker's can be supported by Cat 5 if they are powered themselves, or by speakerwire if not. Cat wire is great...use tons of it! I even ran 2 lines to my media outlets for future upgrades if needed. There is speakerwire made to be "pulled" through walls and shielded....get this kind.

With cat 5 and speaker wire you can do just about anything...and both are cheap in bulk. Now...what do you want to do?

Just look at the home automation websites...Like smarthome.com to find what kind of systems are right for you, before you build. You might be suprised at what you can do nowadays for not much money. I am wired for a 6-zone, 6 source system in my house that uses Cat 5 for the keypads in every room, cat 5 for the television feeds, Speaker wire for the speaker jacks in the walls of every room.

Next is x10. There are several types of systems that use a frequency embedded into your electrical system that can turn a socket on or off without actually wiring a switch. x10 is a popular one, but there are others. This could be very beneficial in a log home. Essentially, you only have to run power to everything, and then use x10 to actually "switch" things on and off. You can even use your computer or keypad to control all the x10 stuff in your house, or mount regular looking switches on the wall that actually are transmitters.
Sounds good huh? Not very expensive either. Check smarthome for this as well.

The key is planning. Find what you want and wire for it. Even the simplest change can be very hard once you put up drywall and chinking! The tubes can help and be a great asset, but you have to know where to run the tubes just like you have to know where to run the wires!