Home Automation Worth Another Look

I am not sure if it is because of the heart-stopping Duke Energy bills that many of us have been recently receiving or just a desire to be more “green,” but I have had several people ask me about home automation systems. Like so many questions of this ilk, the answer requires some background.

In the simplest form, home automation systems consist of three major components: a controller, various sensors and switches. With these components most everything in the house can be controlled remotely. You can use your home computer, your computer at work or your smart phone to set the thermostat, turn on lights, turn on the oven or open the front door. These systems have been very common in office buildings and other commercial building for years as they can save a ton of energy.

For example, if you are single and travel a lot on business you might install a system that allows you to control your heat and your hot water heater. You leave on Monday for a week-long business trip. Before you leave you set the heat to 50 degrees or so and turn off the hot water heater. Before you get on the plane at LAX for your return flight you can “call” your automation system and raise the temperature to 68 degrees and turn on the hot water. Six hours later you arrive at a warm house and can immediately take a hot shower. During the week, while you were absent, you were not wasting all that energy keeping your home warm and cozy and the water ready for that hot shower.

There are all kinds of home automation systems. The simplest is the programmable thermostat that many of us already have. While most can’t be remotely accessed, they do save energy and money. A system to handle the business trip scenario is more complex and does not come cheap.

Most new systems are wireless so the controls for the lights, furnace, hot water heater etc. do not need to be hard-wired. You do need to replace electrical outlets, switches, thermostats and any other device you want to have remote control over. Plan to pay about $35 for a regular light switch and about $100 for a switch to control a stove, oven or hot water heater.

You will also need to purchase a master controller. This device is either a stand-alone special purpose computer or a peripheral device that is attached to your home computer and the Internet. The controller sends signals to all the devices you control remotely. The higher the number of devices it can access, the more expensive it will be. You should plan on a minimum of about $250 for an entry level model.

The good news is that installation can be done by most anyone who is handy and able to replace a regular light switch or wall receptacle. You may need an electrician to handle the hot water tank module since you are dealing with higher voltages.

The good news is that you can start with controlling only a few energy hungry devices and add more as your budget and needs change. And there is always the “Wow Factor”

Home Automation Worth Another Look

I am not sure if it is because of the heart-stopping Duke Energy bills that many of us have been recently receiving or just a desire to be more “green,” but I have had several people ask me about home automation systems. Like so many questions of this ilk, the answer requires some background.

In the simplest form, home automation systems consist of three major components: a controller, various sensors and switches. With these components most everything in the house can be controlled remotely. You can use your home computer, your computer at work or your smart phone to set the thermostat, turn on lights, turn on the oven or open the front door. These systems have been very common in office buildings and other commercial building for years as they can save a ton of energy.

For example, if you are single and travel a lot on business you might install a system that allows you to control your heat and your hot water heater. You leave on Monday for a week-long business trip. Before you leave you set the heat to 50 degrees or so and turn off the hot water heater. Before you get on the plane at LAX for your return flight you can “call” your automation system and raise the temperature to 68 degrees and turn on the hot water. Six hours later you arrive at a warm house and can immediately take a hot shower. During the week, while you were absent, you were not wasting all that energy keeping your home warm and cozy and the water ready for that hot shower.

There are all kinds of home automation systems. The simplest is the programmable thermostat that many of us already have. While most can’t be remotely accessed, they do save energy and money. A system to handle the business trip scenario is more complex and does not come cheap.

Most new systems are wireless so the controls for the lights, furnace, hot water heater etc. do not need to be hard-wired. You do need to replace electrical outlets, switches, thermostats and any other device you want to have remote control over. Plan to pay about $35 for a regular light switch and about $100 for a switch to control a stove, oven or hot water heater.

You will also need to purchase a master controller. This device is either a stand-alone special purpose computer or a peripheral device that is attached to your home computer and the Internet. The controller sends signals to all the devices you control remotely. The higher the number of devices it can access, the more expensive it will be. You should plan on a minimum of about $250 for an entry level model.

The good news is that installation can be done by most anyone who is handy and able to replace a regular light switch or wall receptacle. You may need an electrician to handle the hot water tank module since you are dealing with higher voltages.

The good news is that you can start with controlling only a few energy hungry devices and add more as your budget and needs change. And there is always the “Wow Factor”

Setting up home wireless network is easy and inexpensive

The lazy days of summer are here. It is a time when many of us move outside for the next three months. Grilling on our decks or sitting out and enjoying the evening breezes. Just as you have been able to take your telephone conversations with you to the back yard or deck using a cordless phone, you can also take your laptop as well. Setting up a home wireless computer network is really quite easy and inexpensive. Even if you don’t venture outside, having access to the internet in any room of the house and having multiple family members share the single connection is a real plus.

A home wireless network consists of a small device that connects directly to your cable or DSL modem. It is called a Wireless Network Router. Instead of maintaining the connection to all the computers in the house over wires, it actually “broadcasts” to these computers within about 100 feet of the device using high frequency radio waves. Each computer must be equipped with a wireless network card. So for most of us mortals who live in standard size houses, the 100 ft. radius encompasses all the rooms in the house and the back yard.

Each computer using this wireless network signal must have the appropriate add-on hardware. Often laptops come with a built in card. There are also adapters that plug into the USB port of your desktop computer.

You can set up a home network that includes the wireless router and three cards or add-on devices for three computers for a total of about $125.00. All computer stores and the major appliance retailers have the equipment for sale. Two of the most popular brands are Lynksys and D-Link.

The cost of the equipment is a function of the speed that it can send and receive data and the distance it can broadcast. For most homes look for a label on the device that reads “802.11g.” This should work fine, unless you are a power user sending high definition video around your home on this network.

Be sure that you follow the directions to “secure” your network. A person driving down your street with the proper equipment could eavesdrop on your connection and capture data that might have your banking or other private information. If you live in the city where apartments or homes are close together, a non secure network could provide free internet access to several of your neighbors. The only way you would know is that your connection might get very slow.

Oh yes, both Cincinnati Bell ZoomTown™ and Time Warner Road Runner™ will provide and set up a wireless network for you for an extra monthly fee. When I last looked, the cost of doing it yourself would be recouped in about 24 months.

So break out the brews, the hotdogs and the laptop and go wireless this summer.

Setting up home wireless network is easy and inexpensive

The lazy days of summer are here. It is a time when many of us move outside for the next three months. Grilling on our decks or sitting out and enjoying the evening breezes. Just as you have been able to take your telephone conversations with you to the back yard or deck using a cordless phone, you can also take your laptop as well. Setting up a home wireless computer network is really quite easy and inexpensive. Even if you don’t venture outside, having access to the internet in any room of the house and having multiple family members share the single connection is a real plus.

A home wireless network consists of a small device that connects directly to your cable or DSL modem. It is called a Wireless Network Router. Instead of maintaining the connection to all the computers in the house over wires, it actually “broadcasts” to these computers within about 100 feet of the device using high frequency radio waves. Each computer must be equipped with a wireless network card. So for most of us mortals who live in standard size houses, the 100 ft. radius encompasses all the rooms in the house and the back yard.

Each computer using this wireless network signal must have the appropriate add-on hardware. Often laptops come with a built in card. There are also adapters that plug into the USB port of your desktop computer.

You can set up a home network that includes the wireless router and three cards or add-on devices for three computers for a total of about $125.00. All computer stores and the major appliance retailers have the equipment for sale. Two of the most popular brands are Lynksys and D-Link.

The cost of the equipment is a function of the speed that it can send and receive data and the distance it can broadcast. For most homes look for a label on the device that reads “802.11g.” This should work fine, unless you are a power user sending high definition video around your home on this network.

Be sure that you follow the directions to “secure” your network. A person driving down your street with the proper equipment could eavesdrop on your connection and capture data that might have your banking or other private information. If you live in the city where apartments or homes are close together, a non secure network could provide free internet access to several of your neighbors. The only way you would know is that your connection might get very slow.

Oh yes, both Cincinnati Bell ZoomTown™ and Time Warner Road Runner™ will provide and set up a wireless network for you for an extra monthly fee. When I last looked, the cost of doing it yourself would be recouped in about 24 months.

So break out the brews, the hotdogs and the laptop and go wireless this summer.