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Thread: anybody ever use HomeSeer home automation software or hardware?

  1. #1
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    Default anybody ever use HomeSeer home automation software or hardware?

    Almost bought a house but we have decided to build instead, which will let me wire the house myself and therefore have everything I want. Anyone have any experience with HomeSeer? Took a look at it and am contemplating using it in the new house.


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    Quote Originally Posted by weazel View Post
    Almost bought a house but we have decided to build instead, which will let me wire the house myself and therefore have everything I want. Anyone have any experience with HomeSeer? Took a look at it and am contemplating using it in the new house.
    I haven't, but have done a lot of research on home automation lately. If homeseer has a subscription, or a monthly payment, pass on it. There isn't anything they can install or provide that you can't install (or have installed) with a system that can do the same things and not have the monthly fee.

    Some of the nicer things like automated locks, be sure you do research as some of THEM have monthly fees. Keeping track of heat and air from your phone is great, I have it. But be sure your furnace is compatible. Meanning, I had to have a new furnace installed and after it was installed found out that the "wifi" thermostats cause fuses to burn out unit I got. So I had to go back to the normal one.

    Security is pretty easy to install on yoru own (or have installed) and you can program it to call you, family, neighbors, and police... without monthly fees.

    Having lighting systems.. there are a TON of them out there, but the coolest one is Phillips Hue. They are still improving as they go, but right now they have the neatest setups...and no montly fees. Add in some WeMo light switches and add-ons, and that would give you some VERy cool control.

    Having a unit tell you if your garage door is up/down, been left up, or having the ability to open from a remote location is VERY handy. Say someone lost their keys, and you need to let them in? Or a neighbor calls and says they need to borrow somting and you want to let them into the house...or they heard someting wrong in your home and they need to get in? Open the garage door for them from your phone. Again, VERY easy install by yousrelf, and no montly fees.

    The fact that you can build this INTO your home as you are building it is awesome. Pick yourself out a system and have cat-5 run throughout the home (or cat6)... with the ability to have touch screen control pads near the doors as well as wi-fi acess points so that you have great reception everywhere.

    There is EVEn a very cool thing you can look into, that would/could control the dampers on your AC system. Example: Lets say you have the air set for 72 degrees during the summer. You can set it up so that ONE room (with seperate thermostat) to be at 68 degrees.... the dampers will automatically open and shut pushing air to the rooms that need cooling. VERY cool...especially if you are building and adding this in as you go! That means no running air to parts of the house that don't need it and only running air to the parts/part that does!

    Smartthings has some nice add-ons so that each door connection or window connection (alarm connectons) can actually tell you the temperature at each point, as well as tell you if they are open/closed.

    Cameras can be installed easily, BUT.. check with yoru cable company (internet provider). Sometimes cameras will store info off site... and that uploading will/can eat through your "limits" (that cable companies are putting in now)... and thus cost you money. Lots of options on cameras, but be sure to check taht they aren't streaming when you don't want them to stream, and how much bandwidth they are eating up. That cost would just go on TOP of any monthly fees your home automation company would charge you.
    (the previous comment was not directed at any particular individual and was not intended to slander,disrespect or offend any reader of said statement)

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  4. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by weazel View Post
    Almost bought a house but we have decided to build instead, which will let me wire the house myself and therefore have everything I want. Anyone have any experience with HomeSeer? Took a look at it and am contemplating using it in the new house.
    That can control Zwave, which has quite a few big manufactures making locks, lighting/dimming, water valves (leak detection - shut off), switched outlets, etc.

    Last year I looked at it, and there were two major players for controlling zwave, homeseer being one (i think homeseer can control more than zwave, but it seemed best to me).

    I'm building a home and seriously considered it, but I was too afraid of a DIY solution and something going wrong when I'm traveling in Europe and my wife not being able to turn on lights or something.

    In the end, I decided to go with Lutron installed by a dealer, but I was really close to pulling trigger on a Zwave solution and homeseer looked like a good controller.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

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    I always liked what Sphere had to offer. The kickstart "ninja sphere" is a pretty interesting system the way it maps out a 3D image of the space in yoru home so it can tell when someone enters and leaves around the house, and where they are within the house. That's pretty interesting.
    (the previous comment was not directed at any particular individual and was not intended to slander,disrespect or offend any reader of said statement)

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    I will try to reply to all posts in this one post.
    Yeah HomeSeer is DIY, so no monthly fees at all. I would buy the software and put it on a computer I build rather than the units they sell, they seem a little under powered.

    I will definitely be running CAT6, speaker wire, HDMI throughout the house. I did that in our current home as well, just none of the automation.

    As for the furnace, I am going with a 3 stage which will let me have 3 separate zones so no need for the damper work-around. Thanks for the info on getting the correct unit, I will have to check that out for sure.

    I want to do as much as I can using Z-Wave but HomeSeer has controllers for all of the wired/non-wired standards, which is why I was thinking about it. I ahve had experience with X-10 and really didn't like the results so would like to stay away from any control over power line protocols. What CAN'T z-wave do that the electrical wired ones do?

    My biggest worry is the HomeSeer's ability to control and distribute video and audio and the devices, the information on their site isn't very clear on it which leads me to believe it doesnt work that well.

    I hope it works well because I really don't want to go the Control4 or RTI way and have to have an installer do everything and re-configure everything everytime I replace an item or add something new. I probably won't do it at all if I have to do that.

    I will have to look at that ninja-sphere
    Last edited by weazel; 06-11-2014 at 11:18 AM.


    Quote Originally Posted by Timmy! View Post
    Effing school zones suck. It's only a matter of time before I get nailed in one.
    Quote Originally Posted by Valar Morghulis View Post
    I take the fat out of the pan once no longer hot, smear it all over my genitals, then enter consenting people with my tumescent member.

  9. #6
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    I thought the AV looked weak when I checked into it. Also, I was worried about UBP, but some swear by it. Saying in a new home there is very little chance of interference.

    My installer is going to give me Lutron software, and if I go with elan g, that too.

    Let me know how it goes, because I was real close.

    Also, three stage and zoning are not the same. Look at EWC controls for a quick overview of zoning. http://ewccontrols.com

    Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Forum Runner
    Last edited by Tned; 06-11-2014 at 08:24 PM.

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