My DIY home automation project

Post by **fatcat** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:29 pm

See my recently finished project on home automation:

Key features:

1. Heating control - IRC (individual room control)
2. Appliance/lights control - using X10
3. Weather forecast - downloaded from net
4. Irrigation
5. CCTV - camera + intercom at door
6. remote access - web remote access
7. controled with 15'' LCD touchscreen located in hallway

All i did myself (design,construction and software)
It's based on VIA EPIA SP13000G Mini ITX running WIN XP

OK now important bit: see it live
[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2gnSvP6idAU[/youtube]
www.smart-house.cz

Post by **Richard** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:03 pm

Look verry cool and neat. well done fatcat.

Do you have an (english) website wich provides more info about the project?

Richard

Post by **Snelvuur** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:35 pm

@fatcat: what did you use to do the individual heating? Is it normal radiators?

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **fatcat** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:32 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Richard
 Look verry cool and neat. well done fatcat.

Do you have an (english) website wich provides more info about the project?

Richard

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Richard, sorry english site is not ready yet.
however good News is that i'm working on

www.smart-house.cz

Post by **fatcat** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:44 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by snelvuur
 @fatcat: what did you use to do the individual heating? Is it normal radiators?

// Erik (binkey.nl)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Erik, it's like classic heating system (water boiler in the basement,
water pipes to each room, and water radiators) the difference is that valves are located on the pipe in the basement (as you can see in the movie)

Then there are thermometers in each room and each radiator can be turned on/off with valves attached to each radiator

it's very effective for example if you need rapidly increase temperature in one room, you can redirect throught valves all available heat power (12KW in my case) to one singe radiator which allows to raise temperature by 4 degrees in 20minutes or so.

also it's pretty effective from savings point of view.

www.smart-house.cz

Post by **Snelvuur** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:47 pm

in my case i have central heating (city heating) and i cant change 1 single radiator. You have the good part, you have different pipes to different radiators. (i dont see that often in .nl)

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **fatcat** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:28 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by snelvuur
 in my case i have central heating (city heating) and i cant change 1 single radiator. You have the good part, you have different pipes to different radiators. (i dont see that often in .nl)

// Erik (binkey.nl)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">i would say that even with central heating you can have IRC.
Only thing what you have to do is replace "radiator thermostats"
attached directly to radiator (it's really easy, you don't need plumber)

And you can replace them with RF controled radiator thermostats
such Honeywell HR20 or wired TWA danfoss (there are tons of these on the market)
www.smart-house.cz

Post by **Snelvuur** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:24 pm

Yes, but none of them easily controlled by the computer. no open source stuff etc.

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **Dowser** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:48 pm

Isn't that a challenge rather than a problem?

//Markus

Post by **Snelvuur** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 1:55 pm

Challenges comes with time consumption, and having time is a challenge, making it is a problem

// Erik (binkey.nl)

Post by **Dowser** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:33 am

An all to common problem...

//Markus