ᐅ Best Smart Home Upgrade for New Construction

And the support is world-class! With Gira, you haven’t even finished listening to the voicemail message before someone at MDT has already solved your problem.

MDT will definitely be among the top choices.

I also think the glass switches look quite good in the photos.

How is it done with KNX smart homes regarding power outlets?

Are all outlets made controllable from the distribution board, or can this be done with flush-mounted outlets?

I was planning to later convert a single outlet into a double or triple outlet myself. I know someone who could do that for me.

How is this usually handled with a KNX smart home? Should all outlets be installed and made controllable from the start, or only selected ones?

Pacc666 schrieb:

Is it common to make all power outlets controllable from the distribution board, or is it okay to wire them as flush-mounted?

It’s possible, but more expensive because it requires additional hardware. You don’t necessarily have to make all outlets controllable, so one or two five-core cables per room are probably sufficient. This way, you can decide later which outlets should be controllable and even add more if needed.

So I should have all the outlets installed with five-conductor cables?

How would it be possible to make the outlets switchable later on?

The ones you want to make switchable can be connected to the distribution board (DB). Generally wiring "all" devices radially to the DB is, in my opinion, excessive, although I have seen it done. This approach offers more flexibility later on but requires significantly more copper wiring and a good amount of free space in the DB. Later, the cables that were originally connected directly to the terminal blocks would simply be routed through the actuators. However, the electrician needs to prepare this carefully to ensure it works properly in the future.

For emergencies, there are also KNX RF actuators that can be installed flush-mounted in the wall box if there is still space available.

But first: consider what you actually want to switch. For example, TVs should not be switched off directly, as they generally do not handle that well. Typically, switchable devices include floor lamps or decorative lighting (for example, sockets in window reveals). Often, kitchen and laundry appliances (white goods) are made switchable too, as that allows power measurement for further automation scenarios.

If at some point you only want to control a floor lamp, this can be done with smart bulbs like Hue bulbs. There are several gateways available. For such emergencies, I have come to appreciate TP-Link KASA bulbs, which connect directly to the Wi-Fi and integrate seamlessly into my control system.

Just to clarify this a bit more: the most extreme option is to connect every outlet with a three-core cable directly from the distribution board. This way, you can – logically – control each outlet individually from there. If you only do this for a few outlets, you can only switch those few outlets; the others cannot be switched at all.

A practical middle ground – especially if it’s not yet precisely defined which outlets should be switchable – is to connect each room directly to the distribution board with a five-core or even seven-core cable, and then within the room run five-core or seven-core cable from outlet to outlet. This allows you to have up to two or even four switching groups per room, and you just need to connect the outlets accordingly to assign them to one of the three or five groups (group one is always constant power).

Despite all the theory, I would like to add that the idea of switchable lamps at the outlet sounds good in theory, but in practice it sometimes fails because many modern lamps remain off when the power supply is switched on and then need to be turned on separately using their built-in switch.