Legrand Intuity system
- Thread starter Markk
- Start date
ard
Well-known member
New to you or newly built?
A home automation system is a toy, or maybe more accurately a luxury.. "is it worth getting" isnt answerable.
Your installation will only be limited by your bank account.. lights, blinds, doors, pumps, sensors, alarm, audio & video entertainment, video monitoring... easy tens of thousands of dollars if you go nuts
A home automation system is a toy, or maybe more accurately a luxury.. "is it worth getting" isnt answerable.
Your installation will only be limited by your bank account.. lights, blinds, doors, pumps, sensors, alarm, audio & video entertainment, video monitoring... easy tens of thousands of dollars if you go nuts
kwschumm
Well-known member
Are you a DIYer? If so, check out the home automation forums.
I really like the integrated systems, if you're gonna have a security system it's not a big jump to an integrated security and automation system. The automation side can grow over time, with power line controlled lighting and all sorts of wireless stuff.
The integration lets you do things like turn on outdoor lights, after dusk, when you go out the door, or shut off fresh air fans during fire alarms, or notify YOU directly if there's a problem (like the Liftmaster garage door goes up when nobody is home), or unlock your front door when an expected visitor arrives. Everything is connected which means lots of opportunities for customization.
I really like the integrated systems, if you're gonna have a security system it's not a big jump to an integrated security and automation system. The automation side can grow over time, with power line controlled lighting and all sorts of wireless stuff.
The integration lets you do things like turn on outdoor lights, after dusk, when you go out the door, or shut off fresh air fans during fire alarms, or notify YOU directly if there's a problem (like the Liftmaster garage door goes up when nobody is home), or unlock your front door when an expected visitor arrives. Everything is connected which means lots of opportunities for customization.
ard
Well-known member
IMO you have then missed the boat on full integration.... Where you put switches, how you wire things, where boxes are located, etc, etc, will be different in a new home built around a control system.
I have a homeseer (zwave based) controller, with some limited things (a few lights inside, everything outside, pool controls). I have looked into the 2gig stuff. Ive been impressed with it, several alarm companies private label the 2gig stuff these days.
I would only do a system that I can configure and program.
ard
Well-known member
How many things do you plug in that you can 'control' by turning power on and off or dimming?
IMO the key is lighting, sensors and integrated controllers. and a smattering of plug ins for lamps if you have them.
Walk into a room and instead of a bank of 4,5 switches- a bunch of 3 and 4 ways, Id prefer a single scene controller.
I took a quick look at Legrand stuff, is it zwave ? zigbee?, or some proprietary system? IMO you want something NON-proprietary so you can add to it, not be stuck paying $120 a switch when a zwave is $39.
Lots of choices and paths....do your research. Enjoy!
IMO the key is lighting, sensors and integrated controllers. and a smattering of plug ins for lamps if you have them.
Walk into a room and instead of a bank of 4,5 switches- a bunch of 3 and 4 ways, Id prefer a single scene controller.
I took a quick look at Legrand stuff, is it zwave ? zigbee?, or some proprietary system? IMO you want something NON-proprietary so you can add to it, not be stuck paying $120 a switch when a zwave is $39.
Lots of choices and paths....do your research. Enjoy!
kwschumm
Well-known member
How many things do you plug in that you can 'control' by turning power on and off or dimming?
IMO the key is lighting, sensors and integrated controllers. and a smattering of plug ins for lamps if you have them.
Walk into a room and instead of a bank of 4,5 switches- a bunch of 3 and 4 ways, Id prefer a single scene controller.
I took a quick look at Legrand stuff, is it zwave ? zigbee?, or some proprietary system? IMO you want something NON-proprietary so you can add to it, not be stuck paying $120 a switch when a zwave is $39.
Lots of choices and paths....do your research. Enjoy!
This makes a lot of sense but I went with the big switch banks anyway. The reason? Because then you can go back to dumb switches and everything will work when the smart switches you use are no longer available, or you sell the house and the buyers don't understand the system and want it out. You can still program the smart switches for scenes so you don't have to use them all individually to turn stuff on.
The Legrand stuff is interesting to look at ..but the Intuity system fails where all of this "home automation" stuff falls short. What does it actually do .. and at what cost. I think the Intuity system is positioned for builder sales .. so they can offer what looks like "home automation" to people who have never had it.
Having done one "cost no object" project and two more where I still spent 10's of K by the time it was done .... I'm soured on the latest offerings. (and in many ways the need). With everything moving to a phone based control system -- you need to use one of those IMO .... because it's easily removed. When I did my first project I resisted doing remote switches with control panels ... when it was suggested a few months ago using Lutron radio system .. I said ... what happens in a few years when they stop making the system? That's been the history of the industry. I will have banks of remote switches and the need to upgrade the whole thing -- if I can> Better to figure out what you really need and make sure it's wired for that ..including neutrals everywhere.
I'm building a new house and I'm surprised how little progress has been made in the industry -- actually, in many cases it's not as good as it was 20+ years ago when it was all wired. My insurance company is demanding a wired alarm -- OK . If you are doing a big house with many floors (or a tall house in a city) ... you still need some form of intercom or phone system (no progress on those fronts) ... how about a doorbell if you have more than one door? Nope .... all the latest camera offerings really only work with one door. Really current offerings are stand alone phone based niceties -- video door phones/ internet cameras and door locks ... smart bulbs. Nothing works with the lasted HVAC controls on the VS systems.
Having room control in a large room with complex lighting -- is nice but really not critical ...and try getting it to all work with LED's. I'm still going to install some of them -- but a stand along systems .. all of my exterior lights will be banked timer controlled so I don;t have to think about it.
If you figure something out -- come back and let us know!
Having done one "cost no object" project and two more where I still spent 10's of K by the time it was done .... I'm soured on the latest offerings. (and in many ways the need). With everything moving to a phone based control system -- you need to use one of those IMO .... because it's easily removed. When I did my first project I resisted doing remote switches with control panels ... when it was suggested a few months ago using Lutron radio system .. I said ... what happens in a few years when they stop making the system? That's been the history of the industry. I will have banks of remote switches and the need to upgrade the whole thing -- if I can> Better to figure out what you really need and make sure it's wired for that ..including neutrals everywhere.
I'm building a new house and I'm surprised how little progress has been made in the industry -- actually, in many cases it's not as good as it was 20+ years ago when it was all wired. My insurance company is demanding a wired alarm -- OK . If you are doing a big house with many floors (or a tall house in a city) ... you still need some form of intercom or phone system (no progress on those fronts) ... how about a doorbell if you have more than one door? Nope .... all the latest camera offerings really only work with one door. Really current offerings are stand alone phone based niceties -- video door phones/ internet cameras and door locks ... smart bulbs. Nothing works with the lasted HVAC controls on the VS systems.
Having room control in a large room with complex lighting -- is nice but really not critical ...and try getting it to all work with LED's. I'm still going to install some of them -- but a stand along systems .. all of my exterior lights will be banked timer controlled so I don;t have to think about it.
If you figure something out -- come back and let us know!
ard
Well-known member
^ Interesting perspective, I have to agree with many points.
IMO the progress in the field has been all in the entry/retrofit end of things. There are 1000 customers looking for a door bell and 3 light system for every whole home/scene controller/automated system.
IMO the progress in the field has been all in the entry/retrofit end of things. There are 1000 customers looking for a door bell and 3 light system for every whole home/scene controller/automated system.