Hello
we are currently building our new house.
We had the first appointment with the electrician, and for the smart home system, he recommended Free@home.
The electrician does not offer KNX.
What would you recommend? Should we go with Free@home or install a wireless smart home system ourselves later?
we are currently building our new house.
We had the first appointment with the electrician, and for the smart home system, he recommended Free@home.
The electrician does not offer KNX.
What would you recommend? Should we go with Free@home or install a wireless smart home system ourselves later?
X
xMisterDx28 Jul 2022 09:15I believe that with f@h, €10,000 (about $10,900) only just scratches the surface.
Let’s be honest, the expensive part of a smart home with wired connections is often the cables themselves.
Bus cables need to be run, at least partially, inside conduit; and electricians will charge extra for 5x1.5 mm² (5x16 AWG) instead of 3x1.5 mm² (3x16 AWG).
Are the €10,000 (about $10,900) already including additional requests beyond the “standard” installation? Depending on your requirements, it’s easy to spend another €4,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 (about $4,350, $5,450, or $10,900). For example, I pay €33 (about $36) net for an additional power outlet and €131 (about $143) for a data socket. I decided to install many individual outlets initially and expand later to double or triple sockets myself if I find I need more.
Let’s be honest, the expensive part of a smart home with wired connections is often the cables themselves.
Bus cables need to be run, at least partially, inside conduit; and electricians will charge extra for 5x1.5 mm² (5x16 AWG) instead of 3x1.5 mm² (3x16 AWG).
Are the €10,000 (about $10,900) already including additional requests beyond the “standard” installation? Depending on your requirements, it’s easy to spend another €4,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 (about $4,350, $5,450, or $10,900). For example, I pay €33 (about $36) net for an additional power outlet and €131 (about $143) for a data socket. I decided to install many individual outlets initially and expand later to double or triple sockets myself if I find I need more.
@xMisterDx According to the electrician, the €10,000 for smart home automation should be sufficient.
The €10,000 is really just for the smart home system; the rest will be billed separately.
Your electrician offers even better prices.
We are paying €65 for single outlets and €250 net for CAT duplex outlets.
We will also install many outlets ourselves, so expanding from one outlet to two or three is not a problem, nor is installing an outlet under light or roller shutter switches.
Unfortunately, we will have to go with wireless because €20,000 is too much for KNX, and I don’t think the €10,000 for smart home automation is worth it since the system has too many limitations that might be frustrating.
May I ask you something about the video doorbell?
We are now planning to get a Wi-Fi video doorbell that can be seamlessly integrated into smart displays (Amazon Echo or Google Nest Hub).
At what height would you install the cameras? About 1.50 m (5 ft)?
In addition, we want to use the new ekey xLine (once it becomes available), which would be installed at around 1.20 m (4 ft) or 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in).
The €10,000 is really just for the smart home system; the rest will be billed separately.
Your electrician offers even better prices.
We are paying €65 for single outlets and €250 net for CAT duplex outlets.
We will also install many outlets ourselves, so expanding from one outlet to two or three is not a problem, nor is installing an outlet under light or roller shutter switches.
Unfortunately, we will have to go with wireless because €20,000 is too much for KNX, and I don’t think the €10,000 for smart home automation is worth it since the system has too many limitations that might be frustrating.
May I ask you something about the video doorbell?
We are now planning to get a Wi-Fi video doorbell that can be seamlessly integrated into smart displays (Amazon Echo or Google Nest Hub).
At what height would you install the cameras? About 1.50 m (5 ft)?
In addition, we want to use the new ekey xLine (once it becomes available), which would be installed at around 1.20 m (4 ft) or 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in).
Pacc666 schrieb:
According to the electrician, the 10,000€ for F@H should be roughly sufficient.Since F&H is more expensive than KNX in a comparable setup, this statement from the electrician most likely indicates that he has little or no experience with KNX or lacks the necessary qualifications and therefore has to outsource that expertise. However, he can handle F&H himself and thus offers it.X
xMisterDx28 Jul 2022 11:14When it comes to Wi-Fi doorbells, video systems, and so on, I’m out—I’m more focused on power outlets. Alexa, Nest Hub, or anything like that won’t be allowed in my house either.
Always remember, once your smart home controller is connected to Wi-Fi, an attacker can cause all kinds of mischief...
And with systems like ekey, it gets even more critical because if that gets hacked, the whole house is open... without any signs of a break-in, which any home insurance company will be happy about since they usually won’t pay in such cases.
I’m going to configure my Bosch Smart Home system (Bosch is involved with Matter, the new Zigbee standard, by the way) and then disconnect the router. From then on, everything will work wirelessly using preconfigured control units. I don’t plan full operation via app, mainly because then the kids wouldn’t be able to turn anything on 😀
But the pricing is interesting. A double wall box is definitely not four times as complicated to install as a single one. They have to chisel out the slot anyway, and the box has to be installed, and a double box doesn’t cost more than a single one... well, they do have to pull a second cable...
Most likely, they do it because many people think they absolutely need double boxes, which I think is nonsense. But well, to each their own 😉
Always remember, once your smart home controller is connected to Wi-Fi, an attacker can cause all kinds of mischief...
And with systems like ekey, it gets even more critical because if that gets hacked, the whole house is open... without any signs of a break-in, which any home insurance company will be happy about since they usually won’t pay in such cases.
I’m going to configure my Bosch Smart Home system (Bosch is involved with Matter, the new Zigbee standard, by the way) and then disconnect the router. From then on, everything will work wirelessly using preconfigured control units. I don’t plan full operation via app, mainly because then the kids wouldn’t be able to turn anything on 😀
But the pricing is interesting. A double wall box is definitely not four times as complicated to install as a single one. They have to chisel out the slot anyway, and the box has to be installed, and a double box doesn’t cost more than a single one... well, they do have to pull a second cable...
Most likely, they do it because many people think they absolutely need double boxes, which I think is nonsense. But well, to each their own 😉
@Mycraft It could be that he’s not very familiar with KNX and needs to buy the information, or maybe he just isn’t interested. The electrician, however, is KNX certified.
@xMisterDx Which doorbell do you use? But I think 1.50m (5 feet) height is fine and you can’t really go wrong, right? Echo Show or Nest Hub—the displays are supposed to become the smart home control center and would replace the tablet on the wall.
What bothers me about Bosch (and many others) is that you still need their gateway, and that their new devices don’t support Thread directly yet to do without the gateway.
What do you all think about EnOcean technology? Will it be able to coexist alongside Matter, or will Matter eventually replace everything?
The ekey is operated separately (so it’s not connected with Alexa).
@xMisterDx Which doorbell do you use? But I think 1.50m (5 feet) height is fine and you can’t really go wrong, right? Echo Show or Nest Hub—the displays are supposed to become the smart home control center and would replace the tablet on the wall.
What bothers me about Bosch (and many others) is that you still need their gateway, and that their new devices don’t support Thread directly yet to do without the gateway.
What do you all think about EnOcean technology? Will it be able to coexist alongside Matter, or will Matter eventually replace everything?
The ekey is operated separately (so it’s not connected with Alexa).
Pacc666 schrieb:
What do you think about EnOcean technology? Will it be able to coexist alongside Matter, or will Matter eventually replace everything? Matter will not replace anything. It is simply another standard alongside the ones already available. EnOcean has its supporters and will continue to exist in those areas. The downsides are the tactile feel, design, and noise generated by the components. Otherwise, it is a good system for fans of a wired and wireless hybrid setup.