Hi,
I’m still undecided about installing home automation in our planned new build.
My requirements are as follows:
- Control of roller shutters or blinds (possibly window contacts to detect open windows)
- Control of heating / air source heat pump or solar system
- Control of a video intercom system via a tablet
Of course, I have looked into KNX and the material costs alone would be around 6000€ (approximately 6,350 USD). As an alternative, Loxone is mentioned increasingly often, although the proprietary format is a bit off-putting.
My requirements could also be met with a manufacturer-specific system.
Do you have any recommendations for or against home automation (in my case)?
Best regards
Acd85
I’m still undecided about installing home automation in our planned new build.
My requirements are as follows:
- Control of roller shutters or blinds (possibly window contacts to detect open windows)
- Control of heating / air source heat pump or solar system
- Control of a video intercom system via a tablet
Of course, I have looked into KNX and the material costs alone would be around 6000€ (approximately 6,350 USD). As an alternative, Loxone is mentioned increasingly often, although the proprietary format is a bit off-putting.
My requirements could also be met with a manufacturer-specific system.
Do you have any recommendations for or against home automation (in my case)?
Best regards
Acd85
See, I told you, if you’re not familiar with it, you don’t really need it...
And you don’t even have a bike anymore, since your roller shutters already operate automatically...
Actually, there is, but you only realize it once you’ve lived in a house or apartment equipped like that.
And you don’t even have a bike anymore, since your roller shutters already operate automatically...
Saruss schrieb:
And there really isn’t anything that gets you to your goal six times faster and much more comfortably in everyday life than KNX (compared to a car and a bike).
Actually, there is, but you only realize it once you’ve lived in a house or apartment equipped like that.
Mycraft schrieb:
You see, I keep saying it: if you don’t know it, you don’t need it...
But it does exist, though you only realize it once you have lived in a house or apartment like that. So far, just empty words :P
Then tell me what exactly saves me a lot of time and increases comfort, and what can’t simply and affordably be solved, for example, by local presence switches.
My weather station, for example, keeps the heat out in summer and retains warmth in winter without me having to lift a finger.
Of course, you could achieve this with just any system, but that requires significantly more effort because you have to synchronize all the systems, which often fails. This results in a whole range of devices performing their tasks independently.
In KNX, you need a weather station that collects external data and makes it available within the system. This way, the data can be accessed and processed by every device. Shutters, blinds, awnings, roof windows, HVAC systems, and more can all “communicate” and adjust to the situation automatically without the resident having to intervene.
In homes with automated garden irrigation systems, such devices can also be integrated so that watering is done based on actual need instead of just on a timer.
In houses without networking, you either have a collection of independent systems that often work against each other, or no technology at all, meaning you have to go to every light switch, for example, to turn things on or off.
By the way, local occupancy sensors can usually only switch a single group of lights locally—nothing more. Occupancy sensors within a KNX system can do much more.
Of course, you could achieve this with just any system, but that requires significantly more effort because you have to synchronize all the systems, which often fails. This results in a whole range of devices performing their tasks independently.
In KNX, you need a weather station that collects external data and makes it available within the system. This way, the data can be accessed and processed by every device. Shutters, blinds, awnings, roof windows, HVAC systems, and more can all “communicate” and adjust to the situation automatically without the resident having to intervene.
In homes with automated garden irrigation systems, such devices can also be integrated so that watering is done based on actual need instead of just on a timer.
In houses without networking, you either have a collection of independent systems that often work against each other, or no technology at all, meaning you have to go to every light switch, for example, to turn things on or off.
By the way, local occupancy sensors can usually only switch a single group of lights locally—nothing more. Occupancy sensors within a KNX system can do much more.
Saruss schrieb:
So far, just empty words.
Then tell me how exactly I save a lot of time and gain comfort, and what cannot be easily and affordably solved, for example, by local toggle switches.Example: Watching TV scene. All necessary devices turn on, lights and blinds adjust to the preset settings.
Example: Absence simulation. You simply start the vacation scene. Randomly, music plays in the house for half an hour. Lights turn on in the evening.
Example: Severe weather/fire. Blinds automatically go up based on data from the weather station/smoke detectors.
Example: Break-in. Reed switch is triggered even though no owner is at home. An automatic call is made to the phone with video transmission from the property.
This list could go on endlessly.)
Well, my controlled residential ventilation system and the electric roller shutters automatically manage heat protection in the summer and heating in the winter, all without any manual input. I only need garden irrigation if it becomes significantly drier, and there are systems that can receive weather reports without home automation and water accordingly.
Of course, local presence detectors switch devices only locally, but even a KNX system cannot predict where I will go next. So far, I turn the lights on almost everywhere when entering and off when leaving (0 seconds effort), and I don’t see how I could improve on that; at most, you could avoid pressing the switch—but what if the light should stay on briefly (e.g., quickly going from the office to the kitchen)? Alternatively, keeping the light on automatically for a slightly longer time would also be wasteful.
Of course, local presence detectors switch devices only locally, but even a KNX system cannot predict where I will go next. So far, I turn the lights on almost everywhere when entering and off when leaving (0 seconds effort), and I don’t see how I could improve on that; at most, you could avoid pressing the switch—but what if the light should stay on briefly (e.g., quickly going from the office to the kitchen)? Alternatively, keeping the light on automatically for a slightly longer time would also be wasteful.
@Mycraft
To be honest, I still couldn’t see any clear advantage from your post.
So let’s get to the point!
What practical, real-life things can I actually do with a bus system?
Please don’t list the usual nonsense like turning on the lights via the internet, switching the washing machine on/off, or similar.
I simply can’t imagine a scenario where I would absolutely need to switch on the basement light from my office.
The only real added value I can see is for people with physical disabilities who can control everything from any location without having to struggle to reach the light switch with a wheelchair or walker. But hopefully, I still have at least 30–40 years before that becomes relevant for me…
So: what do you actually do at home with your KNX? What exactly is possible with it? I would also appreciate a link where really useful, practical use cases are described. Honestly, I couldn’t find anything quickly.
Best regards,
Andreas
To be honest, I still couldn’t see any clear advantage from your post.
There are advantages, but you only recognize them once you have actually lived in such a house/apartment.
So let’s get to the point!
What practical, real-life things can I actually do with a bus system?
Please don’t list the usual nonsense like turning on the lights via the internet, switching the washing machine on/off, or similar.
I simply can’t imagine a scenario where I would absolutely need to switch on the basement light from my office.
The only real added value I can see is for people with physical disabilities who can control everything from any location without having to struggle to reach the light switch with a wheelchair or walker. But hopefully, I still have at least 30–40 years before that becomes relevant for me…
So: what do you actually do at home with your KNX? What exactly is possible with it? I would also appreciate a link where really useful, practical use cases are described. Honestly, I couldn’t find anything quickly.
Best regards,
Andreas