Automate Your Home
Automating your home is an excellent way to increase security, cut energy costs, and gain increased control over your surroundings. Home automation can be an inexpensive project, and some even find it to be an interesting hobby.
Steps
- Define your objectives. Do you want to control your house from your phone and check on your fishtank pH balance from across the world, or are your goals more simplistic? Write down what your ideal home automation scenario - Most installations start out small but knowing where you want to end up is key in proper planning.
- Choose a home automation standard. The two dominant standards are X10 and Insteon. X10 was created by the X10 company, and Insteon was created by Smarthome. Both are similar; X10 tends to be cheaper, while Insteon provides more data for your home automation system to work with. There are also Z-Wave and ZigBee. (HAI is also used but typically for professional installations exceeding $50,000 USD). The different technologies use varying methods for communication, from powerline to wireless and software support varies, so research your choice before committing.
- Install in phases. Home automation aims to make life simpler, but too large of an installation at once can leave you feeling that the opposite is true! Plan your installation in phases, ensuring that all components behave like they should prior to installing the next phase. Schematics are an excellent guide to keep things organized and can make troubleshooting much easier.
- Choose software. X10's Activehome is an easy to use, inexpensive option, but it has limited functionality. For more advanced systems, Powerhome is a good option, but it has a shallow learning curve. Write macros and add functions. Depending on your software, you can gather all sorts of data for use with you home automation system. Some software even allows you to control your home using voice commands, or to access your home automation system from a remote location.
- Set up a home automation computer. If you're using software other than Activehome, you'll likely have to run the computer 24/7. Install the software, then attach an X10 or Insteon controller (available for purchase through either X10 or Smarthome)
- Install home automation modules. In order to automate lights, use a Lamp Module or Wall Switch. For appliances or large loads, choose an Appliance Module. If you are using X10, you can automate things like garage door openers using a Universal Module. Most modules simply plug into the wall and act like a normal electrical outlet. For wall switches, follow the basic procedure in Replace a Defective Electrical Switch or Outlet.
Tips
- To conserve electricity, consider adding sensors to your system. These will allow your system to automatically turn off lights when you leave a room.
- Once you have your system up and running, consider writing code that allows it to connect to the Internet and gather data from websites. This sort of code allows your system to access all kinds of information, and with good programming, it can then make choices based on that information (i.e. flashing lights to warn you when a storm watch is issued).
- Whenever possible, use wired modules (like wall switches) in place of plug-in modules. This will insure that you can still operate your lights and appliances without having to use your home automation system
Warnings
- There are some home appliances that should not be automated (heaters, fireplaces, etc.), as undesired operation of these appliances could pose a safety hazard.
- Whenever dealing with electricity, ask yourself whether you understand exactly what you're doing. If you're unsure, hire a professional.
