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?
R
RotorMotor24 Jul 2022 21:07DaHias81 schrieb:
As I said: Read the book by Heinle, it gave me a good basic understanding. So you recommend someone who after half a year is still asking what can be done with B@H and wireless smart homes to read a 1,200-page book about KNX?
How much extra does the electrician charge for B@H for what you want?
We haven’t discussed the details yet.
For F@H, he said it would cost around €10,000 depending on the functionality.
He said he is reluctant to do KNX and that it starts at €20,000.
He would use MDT devices for KNX.
We had to wait a very long time for the electrician (the original electrician lost the contract from the developer because he didn’t follow up).
Now we have a new electrician and have already scheduled an appointment.
That’s why we haven’t been able to focus on the topic for a while.
F@H was basically off the table,
since I read online that F@H is worse than KNX and costs about the same.
With this electrician, KNX costs twice as much and it only starts at that price.
That’s why I’m starting to reconsider F@H.
€20,000 is already too much for us.
€10,000 might barely be okay if it’s worth it.
For F@H, he said it would cost around €10,000 depending on the functionality.
He said he is reluctant to do KNX and that it starts at €20,000.
He would use MDT devices for KNX.
We had to wait a very long time for the electrician (the original electrician lost the contract from the developer because he didn’t follow up).
Now we have a new electrician and have already scheduled an appointment.
That’s why we haven’t been able to focus on the topic for a while.
F@H was basically off the table,
since I read online that F@H is worse than KNX and costs about the same.
With this electrician, KNX costs twice as much and it only starts at that price.
That’s why I’m starting to reconsider F@H.
€20,000 is already too much for us.
€10,000 might barely be okay if it’s worth it.
A
akanezumi24 Jul 2022 22:38Why don’t you ask your electrician? If he’s so confident about F@H, he should be able to answer your questions sufficiently—he seems to have experience.
Otherwise, I follow the approach of most others here: especially in new construction, I wouldn’t install a wireless solution nor commit to a single manufacturer (since you never know how long they will continue producing a product).
The claim that an F@H installation costs at most 50% of a KNX system seems too general to me. It always depends on what you install. You can certainly make an F@H solution twice as expensive as a small KNX installation. For a similar range of functions, I expect similar costs.
Otherwise, I follow the approach of most others here: especially in new construction, I wouldn’t install a wireless solution nor commit to a single manufacturer (since you never know how long they will continue producing a product).
The claim that an F@H installation costs at most 50% of a KNX system seems too general to me. It always depends on what you install. You can certainly make an F@H solution twice as expensive as a small KNX installation. For a similar range of functions, I expect similar costs.
1. He chooses F@H because it doesn’t require any skills.
2. He doesn’t choose KNX or offers a low price to avoid it because KNX requires expertise.
3. Wired systems, regardless of which one, are ALWAYS better than wireless.
4. For a somewhat professional solution, you have no choice but F@H, since that’s what your electrician insists on.
5. Do what your electrician knows or wants to do; systems forced on an electrician against their will almost never work well and usually cost significantly more.
6. F@H has already been discussed here many times.
2. He doesn’t choose KNX or offers a low price to avoid it because KNX requires expertise.
3. Wired systems, regardless of which one, are ALWAYS better than wireless.
4. For a somewhat professional solution, you have no choice but F@H, since that’s what your electrician insists on.
5. Do what your electrician knows or wants to do; systems forced on an electrician against their will almost never work well and usually cost significantly more.
6. F@H has already been discussed here many times.
@[B]akanezumi I want to get information independently from the electrician.
Regarding KNX, he will probably give a defensive offer, saying that we definitely shouldn’t use KNX but maybe only his Free@Home (F@H).
I haven’t found detailed information about F@H here (maybe I’m not using the search function correctly). Most threads basically say that F@H is not as good as KNX, so it’s better to choose KNX directly, and that the price difference is hardly significant.
My questions:
How complex can automation be with F@H?
Is F@H even worth it? How high do you estimate the risk that B J will eventually discontinue Free@Home?
Is F@H really worth around €10,000 (about $11,000)?
Does Free@Home have any other advantages besides being wired compared to a wireless smart home? I mean especially in terms of functionality.
Regarding KNX, he will probably give a defensive offer, saying that we definitely shouldn’t use KNX but maybe only his Free@Home (F@H).
I haven’t found detailed information about F@H here (maybe I’m not using the search function correctly). Most threads basically say that F@H is not as good as KNX, so it’s better to choose KNX directly, and that the price difference is hardly significant.
My questions:
How complex can automation be with F@H?
Is F@H even worth it? How high do you estimate the risk that B J will eventually discontinue Free@Home?
Is F@H really worth around €10,000 (about $11,000)?
Does Free@Home have any other advantages besides being wired compared to a wireless smart home? I mean especially in terms of functionality.
N
Neubau202225 Jul 2022 09:02Pacc666 schrieb:
Our requirements are as follows:
Automatic shading (for heat protection) – unfortunately, we only have roller shutters (blinds were not an option).
Link roller shutters with window sensors.
Lighting control.
Maybe a few power outlets.
Underfloor heating probably doesn’t make sense to make smart, right?
What else is there?
We want to control all of this via switches (e.g., light switches) as well as with a smartphone or voice assistant like Alexa.
What do you think about Free@Home?
Or would a wireless smart home system be sufficient for us? (e.g., EnOcean or the new Matter once it’s available)Then you’re roughly at my "smart" level 😎 You can do all of this quite easily. I have:
- Roller shutters: Bosch Smart Home roller shutter control. If you have corporate benefits, they cost about €45 each.
- Lighting: Can be controlled well via Philips Hue.
- Smoke detectors: Bosch Guard smoke detector. It’s smart and can perform a few additional measurements.
- Motion detectors: Also from Bosch. Can be linked with the Guard smoke detector and also serves as an alarm/motion detector.
This isn’t really smart home, more like fun gadgets :-)