Categories: Controversial issues, Home automation
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Comments on the article: 27

Disadvantages of Smart Home

 

Disadvantages of Smart HomeThe article describes the main disadvantages of implementing the "smart home" system in the construction or repair of a house. After reading this article, you will not want to do it yourself smart home system!

Nowadays, automation systems "smart home" are becoming quite popular. Advertising screams about the convenience, economy, comfort and many other advantages of such systems. An uninitiated layman sometimes does not imagine what problems he may encounter when buying such a system for his home. Consider some of the shortcomings of the "smart home" in more detail.

The first, and main, drawback of a smart home is the high cost of equipment, its installation and maintenance. This aspect repeatedly covers the cost of the entire effect of energy savings, indicated in the advantages of smart home systems. With careful calculations, you can make sure that the payback period is just fantastic. It is also worth noting the danger of failure of expensive equipment and possible inconvenience if it is necessary to carry out repairs and maintenance.

Further. Have you ever been inside a microwave ??? It should be noted that up to 200 meters of various wires passing inside the walls and on the ceiling can go to a room of 20 square meters, unless, of course, the devices of the "smart house" do not interact with each other via radio channels !!! And how much for the whole house? And yet, a sufficiently large cabinet with operating electrical equipment, an nth number of sensors. How dangerous is such a house to life and health?

Disadvantages of Smart HomeThe third drawback is the need for a special place in the house to accommodate equipment. The equipment must work constantly, stably and not break, which means it is necessary uninterruptable power source and stabilizer. And, in the ideal case - redundant power supply. As such, a generator running on gasoline or diesel fuel can act. The generator needs a separate, specially equipped room, specialized service. And if you live in an apartment ...

Let's continue. To implement the "smart home" system, it is necessary to completely replace all electrical wiring, install all the necessary "smart home" equipment, remodel the water supply, heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems, possibly replace windows and doors (if they open and close using electric drives), install electric shutters and curtains. Anyone who has made repairs at least once knows what this threatens. In fact, you have to destroy your home in order to rebuild it.

Construction deadlines may be delayed. This is due to the fact that the installation company must make an order, installation and commissioning of equipment, and not all at once, but at different stages of construction. In the event of a breakdown, how quickly will it be possible to fix it? How far and how urgently will smart home specialists come?

You will definitely need a design project to clearly determine the installation locations of all household appliances, furniture. The quantity and location of the smart home control panels depends on this, outletssensors, camcorders, etc. And if you have to rearrange the furniture or eventually make another bedroom out of the office?


And the last one. The author, in no case, does not discourage you from installing a "smart home" system. However, everyone has the right to weigh the pros and cons, clearly understand what he has to do, and not get unpleasant surprises in the installation process, rationally use time and money. Indeed, very often bright advertising is deceiving.

You must answer all the questions asked. Make a clear construction project, a design project for the future home, draw up a work schedule and require the builders to clearly comply with it.

Disadvantages of Smart Home

See also at bgv.electricianexp.com:

  • Smart home on the LOGO controller from SIEMENS
  • About the technology and principles of Smart Home operation using the BeNext system as an example
  • Saving with a smart home. Is it possible?
  • AYCT-102 remote control for giving and home
  • Smart Home Timers

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    Comments:

    # 1 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    A personal house will not even be “smart” of some enormous size, the stated minuses will not allow it. Unless out of great riches can this be allowed.

    But the office is “smart” on three floors with areas of more than 1000 square meters. I saw in St. Petersburg.

    There even the warm breath of the staff used.

     
    Comments:

    # 2 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Alexei, where exactly in St. Petersburg is there such a smart office?

     
    Comments:

    # 3 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I absolutely disagree with the author, moreover, I consider him a complete amateur who, to put it mildly, powders the brains of people. I do not presume to judge how much the author understands electrical engineering, but in smart homes he certainly does not understand anything. Almost none of the theses of the article is true.

    If the author has a desire to argue, I invite you to our office.

    I answer on points:

    1. Concerning cost and payback.

    For a really long time, especially about 5-6 years ago, the Smart Home system of buildings and houses automation was the lot of very rich people. The systems that were offered on the market were mainly American, for example AMX, Crestron, which cost a lot of money and were mainly offered for controlling home theaters and creating multi-room zones. They are now used on the market, but less often than before, since alternative systems have already appeared. For example, distributed systems such as KNX, Clipsal, Beckhoff and some others really reduce the cost of an automation project, although they still remain quite expensive. For example, in Europe, where the KNX system dominates, the payback period is 3 years and banks are happy to give loans for such projects. Automation of commercial buildings, such as office or shopping centers, really increases their investment attractiveness by saving energy and human resources.

    And the HDL automation system that our company is promoting on the market generally reduces the project cost to a level accessible to the middle class.

    You need to understand that, in principle, automation will not be cheap for a few more years, but the downward trend is unambiguous and soon classical electrics will be more expensive than automation.

    Continuation further.

    What is the maximum text length? A couple of lines gives place but no longer. If you fix the glitch, I will add it.

     
    Comments:

    # 4 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Agree with Eduard Arakelov it turns out too easy with smart homes, they are expensive and you do not need to look at them. A good order of the article, the performance is weakly expressed at the thesis level without informativeness.

     
    Comments:

    # 5 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    On account of exposure to electromagnetic, magnetic and electric fields, one can argue. Regarding accessibility, without a doubt, this is only for millionaires.

    Himself put an uninterruptible for a smart home. 17 kVA of power was under warranty (3 hours) and 32 kVA was just for stabilization. To do this, it was necessary to drag a UPS weighing 235 kg and a rechargeable battery weighing 2 tons (60 pcs. Blocks of 100 Ah each) into the attic.

    Indeed, all the walls in the house are crammed with wires.

    The entire attic in the ventilation pipes is like a spider web in the old attic. The most complicated air conditioning and heating system.

    To service such a house, you need to hire not only a maid, but also an experienced energy engineer.

     
    Comments:

    # 6 wrote: Pavlik | [quote]

     
     

    A smart home is certainly cool ... for the cool, and then not for everyone. It’s just that you sometimes come across very greedy cool ones :-)

    Here the people, for the most part, are not able to change the wiring in the apartment for a new one. At a price the apartment pulls a hundred thousand, but they want to persuade us to automate everything there, so that the house becomes completely smart.That would be quite fun and good for a person to live! And also all the fun for companies that will mount and service all these things. And all this at an average charge of twenty thousand.

    I noticed, as soon as someone questions the importance of such a cool thing as a “smart home”, indignant and very sharp gentlemen, such as Eduard Arakelov, immediately appear and smash amateurs, manipulating the cunning abbreviations AMX, KNX, Clipsal, Beckhoff. .. They all think that we are so naive and stupid that we can’t understand what happiness is in store for us with their favorite toy and breadwinner called “smart home”. That's right, it is necessary to strangle the dilentants in the bud, otherwise the business will take and cover itself, but you want to eat.

    I have a question ripened here. Mr. Arakelov, what about automation in your own home? How is your own “smart home” doing? Or do you only give happiness to other people, and you yourself are more old-fashioned?

     
    Comments:

    # 7 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Dear Pavlik,

    Firstly, I was not going to agitate anyone for a smart home, but only expressed my disagreement with the author about specific points. Unfortunately, I could not completely write what I wanted, the site does not. Writes that long comment.

    The choice always remains with the client. You just do not need to mislead people and write about what you do not know.

    Secondly, my house is fully automated on the system that I sell. It has been working for 2 years without problems, and more importantly, the wife and my mother-in-law are happy with my mother.

    continuation of my post. It seems that the bug was fixed.

    2. Number of wires

    Complete nonsense. Almost all automation systems use low-voltage wires to connect devices to each other. Wires from loads, such as groups of fixtures, go directly to the actuators: dimmers or relays, which can be located in close proximity to the loads. No junction boxes, no classic live switches, etc. Savings on wires in all sections of the project. This is proven by practice. Ready to argue for money.

    3. Uninterrupted power.

    It has nothing to do with the automation system. You might think of a classic electrician, everything will work for you if the electricity goes out. Stupid argument.

    4. Generally complete nonsense. I still understand the argument for remaking the wiring diagram, and then not in all cases it is required, but why redo the water supply and plumbing? What you said about the construction, again, has nothing to do with the smart home. These are common problems of any construction and the process of implementing a power supply project will not differ from the automation project in terms of the implementation of the construction stages: design, supply, installation, commissioning, etc.

    5. Design project is not required, but desirable not only for the automation system, but also for classical electricians. The location of the sensors does not necessarily depend on the location of the furniture, and the actuators do not depend on it at all. The management of the system is more flexible than with the classic version and vice versa enables the owner to more freely determine the layout of the room.

    6. And the last. No need to bring the blame on the healthy and hang up the solution of professional issues to the client. If the client wants to make his living space more comfortable, rational and save on costs, you need to contact the professionals, and not decide which system to use, where which devices to place, etc. The client must indicate the budget, and specialists will make an offer. The client may accept it, or may turn to others for another decision.

     
    Comments:

    # 8 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Radik,
    Eduard Arakelov
    .
    You gentlemen, where do you live? It is only very far away ... Do you almost imagine how to make at least five kilometers from St. Petersburg at least a complete set for an existing building? It is exploited! You just imagine those about whom Radik speaks. A conversation on the topic is possible, but only for the projected building and with a large (if not very) financial backlog. So far this is a topic for intellectual discussion or ADVERTISING. Sprinkle with the names of manufacturers is not a reason to advise others. Only the one who at least or is capable of holding the tool or who is competent and responsible in his words and recommendations can and only knows about the true volume of installation work and their cost

    I read your answer to Pavlik and I want to completely answer paragraph 6) of your essay. Well, if you exclude from volumes of re-equipment on the topic of sewage, in the sense of general technical, tady I take my leave and convey to you, my dear, hello and Lenin's parting words study ................... .

     
    Comments:

    # 9 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Dear Kondrat,

    Once again, I would like to repeat that you confuse the essence of the issue. Personally, I am not campaigning for the ubiquitous installation of smart homes and I am clearly aware of the "availability" of this solution. I do not argue that the majority of our population can not afford such a decision, although "Ice has broken," as the famous character said. Now on sale there are more and more “smart” electrical products that are quite accessible to most people. We will not leave progress anywhere.

    I argued about the theses of this article about the shortcomings of the "smart home", many of which have nothing to do with it, or are indirectly related.

    In particular, you do not agree on the issue of "sewage". Can you explain how this system relates to smart home? Why should it be converted? If you install an automation system, will your sewage system perform its function differently? We had a project where, for example, we had to control the level of drains, but this did not affect the operation of the sewage system in any way.

    You are absolutely right that automation is best used at the design stage, even before laying the wires. It is definitely cheaper. But this does not mean that automation cannot be applied to a finished object. There are solutions that allow you to use the already laid power wiring or use devices that work using wireless communication protocols.

     
    Comments:

    # 10 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Smart home is good !!

    Firstly, it is convenient: a well-made project simply gives pleasure during use;

    Secondly, a big plus - remote control: imagine, on the way home from a smartphone a couple of commands - and upon arrival the air conditioner is turned on (a fireplace is lit), coffee is smoking in the kitchen and a hot bath is typed ...

    Thirdly, it just raises your status in the eyes of friends and acquaintances and your own self-esteem.

    Yes, it's a little expensive, but worth it. And if the project is well thought out and assembled by a good specialist, then there will be no problems with the equipment (of course, if the client does not "pick" the equipment) - my company gives, for example, a 3-year warranty and a discount on a 2-year post-warranty service. This is a lot, because customers are also abroad, for example, in Spain, Belgium, Italy.

    We are waiting for P / S, from the “smart home” - according to rumors, there will be something very cool with voice control ...

     
    Comments:

    # 11 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Hmm, fun :). May I have some sarcasm?

    MisterPavlik Of course, you are a smart amateur and you can’t just go around on a lame mare, but I’ve already heard everything you say about cell phones and smartphones, the Internet, laptop computers and so on. and tp .. (in figs, they are cellular and expensive and inconvenient to carry and harmful radiation in 10 years, we’ll die out, let them all sorts of capitalists who have a lot of money :)) but if some rich people didn’t have it when it was expensive they would understand that it’s just convenient, they wouldn’t spend money - we didn’t have all these ordinary people, and you wouldn’t write to this site at all.

    Mister Kondrat before you teach others, learn yourself yeah.Are you going to change the camera in the sewers to put there to watch how d-mo merge? And if you confuse sewers with a water supply system (water supply system) and heating (batteries), then you still have to study and study.
    By the way, the cost of remodeling the water supply and heating is the price of the devices themselves installed in these systems (but they cost differently as an outlet, you can buy it for 30 rubles or you can buy it for 500 rubles).
    I had one interesting case here - they posted an announcement that a valve could be installed in the heating system on the battery, but only if the battery was changed to a modern aluminum one. I’m a geek engineer - why can’t I put a valve on my old battery?
    And he answers that - The heating system does not provide for such manipulations with old batteries.
    Of course, I laughed for a long time and then I said - I worked for 5 years as a plumber and with an old battery I installed a valve and can’t imagine I didn’t remodel the heating system of the whole house.
    Now he is hiding from me :). But the engineer responsible for the systems at home. It’s good that he didn’t advise me to remake the sewer so that a valve would be put on the battery.

     
    Comments:

    # 12 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Good day. I have not mastered the article to the end and do not regret it. I decided to spend reading time on writing a comment. Dear author, to put it mildly, I sincerely recommend that you go in for self-education. All the shortcomings of a smart home described by you are complete nonsense. What is only a "microwave". You also did not take into account the category of people who can afford to install an intelligent system. Cost, payback and other monetary issues come to naught at a high level of comfort. Otherwise Mercedes S-class would not be sold. The only thing good about all this is that people who want to install a smart home system will never read this article ...

     
    Comments:

    # 13 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Smart homes are already beginning to appear everywhere, while in the bud, take at least the introduction of dimmers, motion sensors (we have it in the entrance), the price is certainly still high, but progress does not stand still. The future is for smart homes, and I won’t be surprised if in 20-30 years artificial intelligence will study your behavior in the house and control all electrical appliances .... sockets and switches will die out definitely.

     
    Comments:

    # 14 wrote: Evgeny | [quote]

     
     

    I read, neighing, thanks to the author-clown))) And now, in order

    1. Most who do not know what a smart home is - learn materiel

    2. The second. A smart home is, first of all, NOT energy saving (we DO NOT have Europe), but ease of use and comfort.

    3. The rest of the clowns, denying the fact of the convenience of automation, special applause. Only gentlemen, amateurs, or rather, sprinkling with dementia, do not forget to switch to ancient methods of living. Bonfire, hut, etc. is it cheaper? No need to change the wiring, no need to pay for energy and gas. I chopped wood and go ...

    The car is expensive (it’s more economical to walk on foot), to rest, so swim in a puddle nearby (the same water, why go somewhere? Expensive after all)

     
    Comments:

    # 15 wrote: Shura | [quote]

     
     

    Of course, I am an amateur, I just have an idea about the resonances of buildings, radio permeability, "algorithmization", interruptions, ventilation, heating,
    PID regulation, specialists know what it is about, but ...

    A smart home is for a person, but not vice versa. The choice, after all, is up to the person ... Again BUT. Microwave? Someone mentioned (not by night be said). And they themselves measured how much the so-called "energy-saving Philips" emit, but how much are the actual costs (energy, operation)? I only ask you to measure with AUTHORIZED devices, and with some imported surrogates. I'm afraid the topic of saving will disappear immediately. Under energy-collecting (energy-saving) - gas-discharge lamps (mercury or similar in light generation). I agree that LEDs also lose in price too ... But, something no one complains about the LED on the front of the TV, which, they say, needs to be changed again. Many do not even notice him. Confused? I agree. But, about the microwave.Since, as a rule, the sensors transmit (the vast majority) the information at a constant level, the microwave cell-phone is orders of magnitude more dangerous. I agree with the statements of Eugene: a smart home helps in comfort, and does not replace you. About the prices. I think it depends on the specific level of "humification." At least the “head” (the main decision-making device) can be purchased starting from 500 (!) Rubles. I draw your attention to the level of "humification". The most expensive one is not more expensive than an average computer (and this infection is already in almost every apartment, or even not one! And no one talks about microwave, especially with LCD monitors!). Sensors are even cheaper. The only expensive thing is actuating devices for moving. And then this is a moot point. In short, a serious "smart home" is no more expensive than a LADA car, however, they also buy it ...

    P.S. "Smart home" is far from the most expensive thing you can buy. Question on purchase: how much this is necessary (I have a system of {own collection} for controlling unauthorized entry with messages to the "secret police" and I personally, with wiretapping, "peeping", recording, broadcasting to a cell phone, cost 15t.rub ( with a monthly fee)). I do not think that TV, CPU, etc. are cheaper.

     
    Comments:

    # 16 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I ask the apologists (I am not an adversary, I am an observer) of a smart home to give a definition of a smart home .... just don’t get into a fight ...

    I do not need a smart home, I need a LIVING house ....

     
    Comments:

    # 17 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    There are no words ...
    The author is not in the subject. Or according to rumors, he wrote or conducted a market analysis 5 years ago.

     
    Comments:

    # 18 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    At first glance, it might seem that the author, apparently, was very offended by some kind of intelligent electronic / electrical device in childhood. And that, probably, after all that has happened, he has the right to share his misfortune with us (somewhere one must pour out his grief).
    BUT .... If you think a little deeper, the article, along with the comments, will most likely act on a more or less literate reader differently than "After reading this article, you will not want to make a smart home system!"
    Competent publicity stunt.

     
    Comments:

    # 19 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    The article is complete nonsense. It seems that she wrote a woman who is afraid of electrics.

    Pavlik, you are a very strange guy of some kind. No offense, but time goes on.

    Respect Edward. 

     
    Comments:

    # 20 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    "... you don’t want to make a“ smart home "system in yourselves! The author is annealing! The article looked diagonally - the highest nonsense on all counts! Aftor - go drink poison and kill yourself against the wall!

     
    Comments:

    # 21 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    Yes, what is a publicity stunt? What are you talking about. This is about the same - do not buy planes, do not. What did he advertise? The non-purchase of the smart home system? Yes, cf .. I wanted someone’s opinion if I wanted to buy something. But the facts? The price is certainly considerable, for example, a house somewhere 150-170sq.m. at a minimum it will cost about 700-1000 thousand rubles. (and this is a minimum of functions, and not all the installation will be done by the company). By the way, for the sake of interest, you can ring several companies and find out the price, or pre-order on their sites with a description of the house (apartment) and you will get a price. If 1 million rubles. This is a pleasant trifle, then a flag in hand.

     
    Comments:

    # 22 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    What does payback period mean? The payback period can only be that which ultimately makes a profit. What profit can a smart home system bring? And what does multimedia have to do with smart home? Solid delicacy.

     
    Comments:

    # 23 wrote: Smart House | [quote]

     
     

    Soon we will rise AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Slam the front door like a microwave door and fry you! Run, fools, run into the caves while you have time!

     
    Comments:

    # 24 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I read the article reluctantly. Comments turned out to be better.
    It seems to me that what the author wrote is called an autonomous system at home. An important detail is the smooth operation in the event of a "nuclear disaster", but not comfort and convenience.
    I agree with most commenters.Prices have now become much cheaper. Wires? Wireless technology allows you to connect all sensors, sockets and paws with a control device. I can be mistaken, not strong in technical specifications, but the frequency at which the wireless system operates does not exceed 1 Hz. (869 MHz) even mobile phones work at 1800-1900 MHz. WiFi everyone's favorite 2400 MHz. (and even 5000 MHz) the radio receiver of the home telephone is also 2400 MHz. Well, and what of this your fry in the stove ???
    I could not help but write an answer. so that people who decide to simplify their life in the apartment / cottage a bit do not change their mind with their idea. In addition, if you know how to use the search and carefully read the articles, the whole system can be assembled on simple equipment (mini computers, sensors). There are a bunch of resources where you just need to do ctrl + c - ctrl + v and do not even need to know programming.
    p.s. For smart people who take offense at smart words and names. In my comment, I did not indicate a single name or even links to sites))

     
    Comments:

    # 25 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    You can make a "half-wit house" on the far end .... well, smart ... but only half ... something to add there ... sensors and a bunch of reels ... click right ...

     
    Comments:

    # 26 wrote: | [quote]

     
     

    I use to access the camera in the country and the sensors of the "smart home" from the Internet.
    This is the only option for me, because there is no white IP, and the connection from the outside is closed by the provider, although ddns works, but there’s no sense
    About the speed did not check, but my camera normally shows on the smartphone. Perhaps this method of access will interest those who are introducing a "smart home".

     
    Comments:

    # 27 wrote: Andrew | [quote]

     
     

    Envy and begging makes people write similar articles about which they do not even have a clue.