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Home Automation

Proposed Q&A site for home automation experts and enthusiasts; covering home automation hardware and software, solution design and installation, as well as the development of custom home automation solutions.
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Should Home Automation be merged with Home Improvement?

feb 10 at 8:18 Aphelion 151

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This proposal is now in the Commitment phase — example questions are locked!

20 Example Questions (2 closed)

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up vote 18 down vote
What do I need to remotely turn on/off the heating system in the local community hall from my house over the Internet?
added by dthorpe Sep 15 '10 at 21:29
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2  
We don't leave the heat on all the time in the community hall in our neighborhood. One of the designated supervisors ("hall monitors!") in the neighborhood has to tromp over there an hour or so before a meeting to turn the heat on, and again after the meeting to turn the heat off. Can't this be handled by some sort of remote control over the Internet? – dthorpe Sep 15 '10 at 21:30
up vote 14 down vote
Is the INSTEON brand compatible with other X10 devices?
added by dthorpe, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Nov 5 '11 at 8:05
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up vote 14 down vote
Where to get good resources to start learning about home automation?
added by bigown, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Nov 5 '11 at 7:59
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2  
I think this is a bit too vague as an example question. It's not off-topic, but i'd say it's not a "great" topic example either – patrickgamer Jun 3 '11 at 16:15
up vote 13 down vote
What binary value do you send to represent house code A when calling an X10 CM17A serial controller?
added by gwhitake, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Nov 5 '11 at 8:06
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I added this with the intent that it would be an on-topic question. I would like to support developers of home automation software as well as installers. – gwhitake Sep 16 '10 at 21:03
up vote 12 down vote
How do I know if I need an X10 signal bridge on my home breaker box?
added by gwhitake Sep 16 '10 at 15:36
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up vote 12 down vote
What are the advantages and disadvantages between Insteon, ZigBee, and Z-Wave devices?
added by gwhitake, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Nov 5 '11 at 8:04
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up vote 11 down vote
Can INSTEON or other X10 devices that echo the X10 wire signal wirelessly eliminate the need for an X10 signal bridge in the breaker box?
added by dthorpe Sep 16 '10 at 16:06
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up vote 11 down vote
What automation system is best for DIY and open source enthusiasts? (free software, open standards, no patents, concurring hardware providers)
added by Witek Mar 14 '11 at 10:03
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up vote 10 down vote
How do I set up my door bell to open a window on my computer screen when rung?
added by PleaseStand Nov 30 '10 at 2:38
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I think this question needs a bit of a context, e.g. what system (X10, Zigbee, etc.), otherwise it is too vague and cannot really be answered without further clarification. If it meant to be a completely stand-alone system, it is better to say that explicitly. – haimg Oct 3 '11 at 3:07
up vote 10 down vote
Can an X10 door/window sensor be used inside of a metal mailbox?
added by Bob Banks Jan 24 '11 at 1:42
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up vote 6 down vote
Will <name an automation> put my house outside of required code compliance in <name a region>?
added by blueberryfields Dec 8 '10 at 21:21
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Should this be on-topic? This almost feels to me like it will inevitably always be answered as "You need to consult your local government's building permits department or a licensed contractor." – gwhitake Jan 25 at 16:19
up vote 4 down vote
How can I send custom commands via the web to interact with my SmartLinc device?
added by Jesse Aug 11 '11 at 16:47
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up vote 3 down vote
Is it safe to rely on home automation?
added by A.Rashad, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 18 '11 at 10:20
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This, IMHO is an excellent question. How reliable are Home-Automation products / solutions ? Without automation, one is in-charge of mechanically flicking switches, drawing blinds, locking doors, checking meter readings etc. However, suddenly you have a "consumer electronic" doing all that for you. All that on which the security, safety and well-being of you and your loved-ones is extremely dependent. Can't these malfunction ? How well are these devices engineered and quality tested. And inspite of everything, can you "lose control" ? Are there some standards in place ? A body of knowledge ? – icarus74 Jan 20 at 6:14
There are these compliance codes in many countries, or many municipalities with some more strict than others, but are there some internationally accepted, well documented standards ? – icarus74 Jan 20 at 6:17
up vote 2 down vote
How do you disable load sensing on an Insteon lamp module?
added by gwhitake Oct 12 '10 at 22:42
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up vote 2 down vote
Are there any temperature sensors with a submersible probe that can be received by an RFX? I'd like to maintain temperature control of fermenting beer
added by Bob Banks, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Nov 5 '11 at 7:58
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2  
finally a worthy cause! :-) – Anders K Nov 25 '11 at 11:25
up vote 0 down vote
Who is a good home automation system installer in X city, state? [closed]
added by gwhitake Sep 17 '10 at 12:11
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closed as off topic by Grodriguez, bigown, aasc, user25500, StanS Nov 25 '10 at 21:56

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

This is an off-topic example. – gwhitake Sep 17 '10 at 12:12
up vote -1 down vote
What are some simple Rube Goldberg machines I can attempt to build myself? [closed]
added by blueberryfields Dec 8 '10 at 21:18
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closed as off topic by Bob Banks, Tegeril, patrickgamer, Matt D, PetroEkos Aug 5 '11 at 4:24

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote -1 down vote
How can you redirect the video output of different applications on a computer to different monitors around your home?
added by kidbrax, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 25 '11 at 9:08
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up vote -2 down vote
I'm looking to repair <name a car part> myself in the garage - is there a step-by-step guide?
added by blueberryfields, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Nov 5 '11 at 7:59
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1  
This is not mechanics.SE – PetroEkos Aug 5 '11 at 4:23
up vote -2 down vote
What is the fallback scenario when power goes off?
added by A.Rashad, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Dec 25 '11 at 9:09
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