Smart home automation for new build
Discussion
In the process of planning out the electrics for our new build and I have done the standard bit of running Ethernet cables to each room including to the hallways (for PoE access points), and externally (for PoE security cameras). All of this will be terminated in a rack in my study/home office. I am also planning some speakers in the ceiling etc for where our home cinema setup will be placed to future proof for Dolby Atmos.
The one bit that thoroughly confuses me is how to about inserting some sort of lighting automation. What I would ideally like is a way of controlling the lights to come on and off when we're away on holiday - to simulate occupation. One option I did consider was using smart lighting which integrates with Alexa etc, but the issue I have is that all of these are in the shape of bulbs and we won't really have any light fittings in the new place which can take these. It will either be spotlights for task lighting, bedside reading lamps and some decorative chandeliers.
So what I'm really after is some sort of system that can control the lights at the source (switch) rather than the light fitting itself being the smart element, if that makes sense. Systems like Control4 seem to start at around £5k which seems quite a bit and was wondering if there are any other suggestions to look at.
The one bit that thoroughly confuses me is how to about inserting some sort of lighting automation. What I would ideally like is a way of controlling the lights to come on and off when we're away on holiday - to simulate occupation. One option I did consider was using smart lighting which integrates with Alexa etc, but the issue I have is that all of these are in the shape of bulbs and we won't really have any light fittings in the new place which can take these. It will either be spotlights for task lighting, bedside reading lamps and some decorative chandeliers.
So what I'm really after is some sort of system that can control the lights at the source (switch) rather than the light fitting itself being the smart element, if that makes sense. Systems like Control4 seem to start at around £5k which seems quite a bit and was wondering if there are any other suggestions to look at.
According to Alexa we have 130 ad-hoc smart devices which is mainly Ikea, Phillips Hue, Somfy, Tado and Samsung and includes lights, motorised blinds, garage door, central heating including smart TRV's and even the TV's, fridge, washer, dryer.
I have a stack of smart hubs piled up in my router cabinet.
There is no central smart controller to cover everything so we use Alexa to group different devices and use very simple on/off and open/close voice commands. Apart from using the app we don't do anything smart with the central heating. The washer and dryer send alerts when a cycle is completed but we don't smart control the units as such.
Some lighting works with motion sensors which is very useful in bathrooms although if I stand still in the garage for more than 1 minute I am plunged into darkness.
All mainly useful but I can guarantee that from time to time stuff just does not work and it can be very frustrating to keep it all working.
I have a stack of smart hubs piled up in my router cabinet.
There is no central smart controller to cover everything so we use Alexa to group different devices and use very simple on/off and open/close voice commands. Apart from using the app we don't do anything smart with the central heating. The washer and dryer send alerts when a cycle is completed but we don't smart control the units as such.
Some lighting works with motion sensors which is very useful in bathrooms although if I stand still in the garage for more than 1 minute I am plunged into darkness.
All mainly useful but I can guarantee that from time to time stuff just does not work and it can be very frustrating to keep it all working.
Spent time looking into this when we did our new build. The reality is as long as you have 3 core cable going between switch and light, it does open up pretty reasonable automation very cheaply. Ie £10 smart switch, and job jobbed
The only issue we had is they are all 45mm deep vs standard 35mm deep (from memory), so we need to fit a 10mm spacer,which looks daft but is soon forgotten.
You'd also be aamzdd at how rarely you actually use automation. We only have it in the rooms the kids leave the light on... Ie family bathroom. (where you can set an auto off timer)
Not really bothered anywhere else.
The only issue we had is they are all 45mm deep vs standard 35mm deep (from memory), so we need to fit a 10mm spacer,which looks daft but is soon forgotten.
You'd also be aamzdd at how rarely you actually use automation. We only have it in the rooms the kids leave the light on... Ie family bathroom. (where you can set an auto off timer)
Not really bothered anywhere else.
Smart Switches are way better than smart bulbs in my opinion, as anyone who doesn't know your system can just flick the switch and they work like normal. My BiL has Hue lighting and if someone flips a switch the bulb drops off the network.
I'm using Zigbee switches (a mix of Moes and Smartwise) and home assistant running on a miniPC to control them. Home assistant does need a bit of fettling every so often with system updates and the like so read up on it you want to go down that route, however it's very powerful and can do way more than I use it for, which is mainly voice (via Alexa) and motion sensor activation of lights. There's a whole thread on Home Assistant on here, and a useful reddit as well.
If you're building at the moment and plan to go the home automation route, think about things like neutral to light switches, power/conduit to corners of rooms and windows for motion sensors and powered blinds, and ethernet to sensible places to put wifi repeaters.
I'm using Zigbee switches (a mix of Moes and Smartwise) and home assistant running on a miniPC to control them. Home assistant does need a bit of fettling every so often with system updates and the like so read up on it you want to go down that route, however it's very powerful and can do way more than I use it for, which is mainly voice (via Alexa) and motion sensor activation of lights. There's a whole thread on Home Assistant on here, and a useful reddit as well.
If you're building at the moment and plan to go the home automation route, think about things like neutral to light switches, power/conduit to corners of rooms and windows for motion sensors and powered blinds, and ethernet to sensible places to put wifi repeaters.
We've got Control 4, it was installed in a new build house we bought 95% finished. We had never heard of it and didn't want it initially, but having lived with it, we have expanded the system as its actually very good. Especially so if you have electrics gates, pedestrian gates with mag locks, garage doors etc - we find the range of functionality available via the keypad switches across multiple rooms is handy - ie can press the same button once to open the gates, twice to hold, even 3 times if you want it to close etc
We've got speakers in a couple of rooms with cables from the rack to every room in the house, cat 6 or whatever they use for the AV distribution to tv points in all rooms, lighting, heating integration with heatmiser thermostats, CCTV, garage door, gates and the Control 4 intercom (DS2?) and would actually highly recommend it.
Currently the scenes, lights on/off etc can only be programmed via the professional installer's software, but I understand this is going to change towards the end of the year when it will become programmable via the app - doesn't really matter to us as most of the lighting is set for on at dusk and off at either midnight ish or dawn for the exterior etc.
What I would say is having bought a few of the keypads and the dimmable pucks required for the lighting set ups, and experienced the rates charged by the installers to programme them, I don't think £5k would would even begin to get close to a system of any discernible use, but then tbf I have no idea what the system we inherited cost. I also imagine everything it does can be achieved via some of the other suggestions for a fraction of the cost, and as someone else said, I understand that as long as you have a neutral wire (and ideally 47mm back boxes) at your light switches the possibilities are vast.
We've got speakers in a couple of rooms with cables from the rack to every room in the house, cat 6 or whatever they use for the AV distribution to tv points in all rooms, lighting, heating integration with heatmiser thermostats, CCTV, garage door, gates and the Control 4 intercom (DS2?) and would actually highly recommend it.
Currently the scenes, lights on/off etc can only be programmed via the professional installer's software, but I understand this is going to change towards the end of the year when it will become programmable via the app - doesn't really matter to us as most of the lighting is set for on at dusk and off at either midnight ish or dawn for the exterior etc.
What I would say is having bought a few of the keypads and the dimmable pucks required for the lighting set ups, and experienced the rates charged by the installers to programme them, I don't think £5k would would even begin to get close to a system of any discernible use, but then tbf I have no idea what the system we inherited cost. I also imagine everything it does can be achieved via some of the other suggestions for a fraction of the cost, and as someone else said, I understand that as long as you have a neutral wire (and ideally 47mm back boxes) at your light switches the possibilities are vast.
Jayyy said:
We've got Control 4, it was installed in a new build house we bought 95% finished. We had never heard of it and didn't want it initially, but having lived with it, we have expanded the system as its actually very good. Especially so if you have electrics gates, pedestrian gates with mag locks, garage doors etc - we find the range of functionality available via the keypad switches across multiple rooms is handy - ie can press the same button once to open the gates, twice to hold, even 3 times if you want it to close etc
We've got speakers in a couple of rooms with cables from the rack to every room in the house, cat 6 or whatever they use for the AV distribution to tv points in all rooms, lighting, heating integration with heatmiser thermostats, CCTV, garage door, gates and the Control 4 intercom (DS2?) and would actually highly recommend it.
Currently the scenes, lights on/off etc can only be programmed via the professional installer's software, but I understand this is going to change towards the end of the year when it will become programmable via the app - doesn't really matter to us as most of the lighting is set for on at dusk and off at either midnight ish or dawn for the exterior etc.
What I would say is having bought a few of the keypads and the dimmable pucks required for the lighting set ups, and experienced the rates charged by the installers to programme them, I don't think £5k would would even begin to get close to a system of any discernible use, but then tbf I have no idea what the system we inherited cost. I also imagine everything it does can be achieved via some of the other suggestions for a fraction of the cost, and as someone else said, I understand that as long as you have a neutral wire (and ideally 47mm back boxes) at your light switches the possibilities are vast.
You're right there - £5k is the entry point into such a system and for a whole home automation setup like the one you've described, I'd be very surprised if its lower than £30-£40k installed by a professional team. We've got speakers in a couple of rooms with cables from the rack to every room in the house, cat 6 or whatever they use for the AV distribution to tv points in all rooms, lighting, heating integration with heatmiser thermostats, CCTV, garage door, gates and the Control 4 intercom (DS2?) and would actually highly recommend it.
Currently the scenes, lights on/off etc can only be programmed via the professional installer's software, but I understand this is going to change towards the end of the year when it will become programmable via the app - doesn't really matter to us as most of the lighting is set for on at dusk and off at either midnight ish or dawn for the exterior etc.
What I would say is having bought a few of the keypads and the dimmable pucks required for the lighting set ups, and experienced the rates charged by the installers to programme them, I don't think £5k would would even begin to get close to a system of any discernible use, but then tbf I have no idea what the system we inherited cost. I also imagine everything it does can be achieved via some of the other suggestions for a fraction of the cost, and as someone else said, I understand that as long as you have a neutral wire (and ideally 47mm back boxes) at your light switches the possibilities are vast.
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