Home Automation
System Description
Our home automation system is the Omni by Home Automation Systems. It combines security, heating/cooling control, and home automation into one system.
The home automation side is handled through a mixture of hard-wired and X-10 devices. The Omni also controls the thermostat, allowing it be set to different temperatures throughout the day.
So far, we have the system performing simple operations such as:
Turning on the front porch/driveway lights at dusk to a dim level, and then brightening them for one minute whenever someone comes to the house. (this saves power, but as my dad pointed out, the energy savings will take light years to pay for the automation system - oh well - it still impresses the neighbors!) The front lights are then turned off at sunrise.
Turning off all inside lights at midnight on weekdays.
Adjusting the thermostat to warm the house up in the morning (when people are home), and turn it down during the day and night.
Turning on the hall light at night whenever someone walks down the hall.
Turning on the laundry room light for five minutes whenever the garage door is opened (very nice when coming home to a dark house at night).
The hardwired smoke alarm system in the house is also connected to the Omni. This allows the system to perform various tasks in the event of a fire. For example, lights can be turned on, fans activated, etc.
The Omni is also a security system, and can perform various automation actions based on the security status of the system (i.e. lights can be turned on in the house at night if someone is in the back yard or if the alarm system gets tripped, the garage doors can be automatically closed if they are open when the security system is armed, etc.).
