Re: Kitchen Extension - what to automate?

[Mal Lansell <mal@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Andrew Walker wrote:
>
>
> What have others done? Is there any point to the extra expense.
>
> What about CAT-5, some fridges today I think already have ethernet
> connections, so what do I cat-5 to? Dishwasher, toaster, kettle,
boiler?
> Might seem a little silly now but in 10, 20, 30 years might I be
wishing
> I had?
>










I'm not sure I'd automate any of it.

Cookers usually have timers for the ovens.  Automating a hob would be
dangerous, IMO, with no-one checking if anything had been left on it.
Dishwashers, washing machines and dryers usually power on into a standby
mode, so controlling the mains won't get you anywhere (and besides,
these items often come with start-delay timers too).  Does boiling a
kettle or making toast really take so long as to need automating?

As for network conenctivity, I'd expect any networked appliances in the
future to be wireless, so no worries there.

The only HA item I'd make provision for in a kitchen would be a screen,
which could double up as an interface to an intranet providing recipes
or managing the shopping list etc.

Mal



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