RE: Automating the loo lights and other cool stuff- was: Re: "Breaking" the latch on a pull switch

["Kenneth Watt" <kennethwatt@xxxxxxx>]

On the subject of HV I can only say that I think it is the best creation
since the bread slicer! It is well worth the money IMO and the backup from
Craig at CSI and Mike at Let's Automate has been, well, outstanding really
way above and beyond the call of duty. I had a couple of problems recently
with the MFEB and the service from CSI was extremely quick and very, very
good I'm sure anyone else that's had any kind of problem would echo that.

It is far more than just an input board and unless you want voice control
or
announcements it saves running a PC 24/7 to deal with the automation stuff.
The control on offer is just superb, as is the programming and easy too,
even I managed it - a total novice ;-)

Expandability it has via the phone/serial device, port extenders, Sylvia
boards and the Multi Function Expansion Board - plenty if you ask me and,
it's reliable to boot!

I know what you mean about dimmable halogen, this is a pain as most modern
LV lighting systems seem to use electronic transformers although some of
the
cheaper Ring sets do use wire-wound ones as they are cheaper to make in
third world countries and the far east apparently. I want the tiny little
LV
halogens in the kitchen and the bathroom when I do them up, set in a
pattern
and some to not engage at night and those that do dimmed - doubt I'll have
to compromise a bit on that one though!

The lights in the cooker hood should be fairly straightforward, it's the
fan
operation that could be a real pain to achieve, well via X10 anyways.

So far in the new house, I have put a Leviton switch outside the bathroom
downstairs, this controls lights in the kitchen, bathroom and foyer as this
switch resides at the junction of all these rooms, expensive solution, but
very good to date and 100% reliable since it was installed about a month or
so ago. This gives local control via X10 - but it will be automated fully
sooner rather than later as I still leave the bloody lights on!! Three
months since I had an automated bog and I still do it - twice last night,
although the Vodka probably swayed that one ;-)

K.


-----Original Message-----
From: 	Mark Hetherington [mailto:mark.egroups@xxxxxxx]
Sent:	09 June 2001 00:53
To:	ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject:	[ukha_d] Automating the loo lights and other cool stuff- was: Re:
"Breaking" the latch on a pull switch

--- In ukha_d@y..., "Kenneth Watt" <kennethwatt@y...>
wrote:
[hardwired vs RF]

Hard wired is not too big an issue for the bathroom since I have easy
access via the attic and with Node zero (the ex-airing cupboard)
being on the same floor I am fine with running wires between the two.

>
> What I did was this:
>
> At one corner of the bathroom I mounted a PIR and on the door I
mounted the
> door/window magnetic contact switch. I wired both back to an input
port on
> HV so HV could control and track the status of the bathroom and or
the
> lights and extraction fan. I think you can do much the same in other
> systems, but I have no experience with them.

I like the idea of using "standard" parts to provide automation
:)

But the main reason I was thinking RF is that I do not have HV and
since I will be dedicating a PC, HV seems expensive to use simply as
an input board since I am sure there will be a cheaper PC based
option.

My main issue with HV is despite its multi functionality, if it
breaks I am replacing the whole unit rather than one board or part in
a dedicated PC. At close to £500 it would take a lot of persuading to
get me to invest in such a unit. I learned many years ago from my
first PC, which had everything on the motherboard, that modularity
was definitely more cost effective and upgradable and do not wish to
be stung again.

Since you mentioned it when we first began the bathroom discussion I
have looked at the unit and it does combine a number of things I
eventually want but my main gripe is the lack of modularity. If it
was upgradable or more modular I would probably go for it. It may
cost a little more to get all of the functionality of HV using a
purely PC based solution but I know that repair and upgrade will be
far cheaper so long term will be more cost effective.

I will leave it to you and other HV users to persuade me otherwise.
This application you presented for bathroom lighting has me looking
much more seriously at it so I am not entirely a lost cause :)

[lighting]

Currently I have a single fitting using a "normal" 60W bulb but
am
looking at adding some flush ceiling mounted halogens (but will be
ensuring dimming capability first) so have an LD10 running the
lights. At the moment the light is on more than off until I fully
resolve the pull switch problem so not much energy saving at the
moment.

One of my aims with HA is as much support as possible for people used
to "normal" systems so that I can have visitors who are not
plunged
into darkness if something fails and are not too uncomfortable when
thay cannot find a light switch.

> Anyway, next I hooked the
> extraction fan up to an AD10 as well, seems extravagant but it's
not. The
> trick was that the bathroom was right next to the bedroom and if
one of us
> got up during the night the light from the fan could wake up the
person
> sleeping, so I set it up so that during the night the extraction
system was
> disabled, and let's face it, it's not often I wake up at 2AM
wanting a
> shower!!

Very true. To be honest I am seriously considering wiring the shower
mains switch to an AD10. I originally joked with a friend about
having it enable disable the actual shower itself (by leaving the
start/stop button pressed) but to be honest just want to make sure I
turn it off when not in use as is recommended, since I often forget
to do so. Writing this message just remined me to turn it off for the
night :) I am not sure how important it is to switch the shower power
supply off or how long is considered reasonable on time so any advice
on that would be appreciated.

> A BIK sensor in the new bathroom and en-suite to accomplish the
same thing

I think I will be another one in the line for BIK sensors once the
group has it all worked out :)

> One serious word of caution to anyone thinking of doing this
though; I still
> walk out most bathrooms expecting the lights to go off of their own
accord,
> you do get used to it rather quickly ;-)

LOL. I was telling a friend of mine about the soft on/off that I now
get from LD10 over the phone and he was switching his light on and
off while I talked to him complaining about how bad the "normal"
way
is compared to soft on/off and he hadn't even seen it! I dread to
think how he will be after playing with my house!

> Now if I could find a humidity and a (possibly) IR sensor that can
pick up
> steam and/or heat, I intend automating a cooker hood internally so
that it
> can operate the lights and fan from an appliance DIN module.

When you work it out let me know, I have been eying up the cooker
hood for the last couple days wishing I could automate it somehow :)


> Internally modifying a washer or a dishwasher is no problem
> for by actually finding somewhere to mount the module - so long as
it is not
> an electronic machine, this is extremely important, as some need a
constant
> feed! If anyone needs any info just get me the make and model and
so long as
> I can get a schematic it's no problem to figure it out if you want
to use
> white meter or suchlike.

Probably a dumb question but what is a white meter?

> Hope that's enough info for one night!

All very welcome... although I am going to be up all night listing
what I can automate next... hehe.

Mark.




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