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You
arrive at your home, as you enter the living room the air
conditioning gently starts up with a soft buzz, lights in the house
automatically switches on as you enter the rooms and sets itself dim
to your pre-programmed ‘welcome’ mode and the curtains open slightly
towards the back garden just as you have set it for home arrival.
This today is all very possible with home automation systems
available on the market in these modern times.
Many
people does not think twice to spend hundreds of thousands of your
hard earned money on a luxury car with no amount of money being
spared to have all the latest bells and whistles available. Why not
do the same in your home? You probably spend more time in your house
than in your car anyway and installing such a system will
substantially increase the resale value of your home, which
definitely is not the case with the luxury sedan in the garage.
As
sophisticated technology becomes more affordable and readily
available, so home automation will become an increasingly standard
feature in the 21st century home. Homeowners who choose
to modernize their homes stand to receive a sizable return on their
investment when it comes to the resale of the property.
Home
automation systems are pre-programmed to your specific needs and
preferences. These can be based on factors such as time of day,
sunlight level, intrusion, your current mood, your movements within
the house, or whether you are at home or out. Sensors in and around
the house together with a central computer automatically controls
heating and cooling, lights, irrigation and water features, security
beams and locks, audio-visual equipment and even blinds, curtains
and skylights.
Three
basic mediums are in use within the various available systems:
Electrical systems
Electricity connections in the home are used to send signals to
various devices to be turned on or off. The same system, also called
power line or X10 systems can also determine the status of a device
within the home.
Digital systems
A
‘bus’ or digitally connected system utilizes an extra cable
alongside the conventional wiring of a device for the intelligent
controlling of such a device.
Radio
systems
The
devices are inter-connected by means of radio signal transmitters
and receivers.
Using
one or a combination of the above mentioned systems, various
controlled devices are deployed throughout your home to control the
devices of your choice. Add personal remote controls and a central
logical control computer and your home becomes more than a mere
living space, it becomes an opulent experience!
Written
by JB, architect & founder of
dreamhouses. Reproductions of
this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to
http://www.dreamhouses.co.za |
