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    #16
    Yeah. My 8 port Unifi POE switch is secondary to my 24 port switch! And I still never have enough room.
    cheeryfool

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      #17
      I did the Bali blinds and they were easy to deploy and are working really well.

      Steve

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        #18
        Originally posted by ServiceXp View Post
        Vents: Be very careful how you utilize these vent registers. Just make certain you don't have more then a 3rd closed at any one time ever (that is a rule of thumb, MAX). There could be serious consequences if there isn't adequate air moving through the heating/cooling system.

        Thermostat: Why does the thermostat need to interact with the vent registers? They just need to interact with HS. I think any of the Honeywell thermostats that supports a Total Connect Comfort account can be controlled via the Honeywell HS Plug-in.

        Window/Door Sensors: Invest in a dedicated security system that can talk to HS. IMO this is the most reliable means to providing home security for your family.

        Camera's: I would take a look at POE IP Network Cams (so you can power them with the network cable.) If you are serious about using/monitoring them you'll want to invest in hard wiring them. WiFi cams are not nearly as reliable.

        I have 5 cam's controlled via BlueIris, with the HS BI Plugin. The system works quite well, however you will need a fairly strong computer (an Intel CPU with QSV should work well)
        The great thing about Ecovent is they will monitor air pressure at the vents and ensure proper pressure is maintained. Very nice! :-)

        The Ecovent system works with the thermostats to call the system when it needs to adjist the rooms.

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          #19
          Originally posted by Harrysiii View Post
          The great thing about Ecovent is they will monitor air pressure at the vents and ensure proper pressure is maintained. Very nice! :-)

          The Ecovent system works with the thermostats to call the system when it needs to adjist the rooms.
          Interesting, I've not seen that before.

          In order for it to work properly, the measurement must be taken at the air handler, NOT at the end of a branch (register). Is it actually doing that, or is it using some built in sensor at the register?

          I guess some protection, albeit not very effective, is better then none.
          RJ_Make On YouTube

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            #20
            Hey Folks! Thanks for all the replies so far. Here's a few updates:

            • Networking - As mentioned, I went full Ubiquiti. I got the 24port 500w POE switch, Pro Security Gateway, Cloud Key, and 2 AC Pros. Networking is not my specialty. I was planning on installing the in-wall APs in every room where I had run ethernet, but a trusted friend told me that might be TOO much and actually hurt signal/performance. Thoughts? I ran cat6a to every room in the house, upstairs, downstairs, several extra runs through the attic that will feed cameras, and left some fish line to feed the shop. This was a huge PITA and required a lot of holes in the wall to notch studs. Luckily we're still remodeling and the final coat of paint hasn't gone up. Glad I did it though.
            • Heated Floors - I waffled back and forth on this. I finally went with the Nuheat Signature. As far as I can tell nobody has successfully got these working with HS, but the reviews seem decent. The other ones I looked at not only wouldn't work with HS but had terrible reviews for their app. We'll have two of these, one in the master bedroom and one in the master bath for independent control. I'm concerned that the screen will stay on at all times and keep us awake though. Anyone have experience here?
            • Locks - I went with the Yale locks. I like the looks and had great experiences with them at our old place. I think we'll have 4 total for the main house and then several on our outbuildings.
            • Switches and outlets - As I mentioned before, I went all Insteon. I'm MOSTLY done with the install. I've been doing it a little here a little there as I'm working on other stuff at the house.
            • Blinds - We are going Bali. Thanks to everyone that chimed in. We redid all of the casings for every window in the house, so we had to wait for new measurements before ordering. Hopefully they don't take too long to get here!
            • Thermostat and Ecovent - I'm still waffling on this. Ecovent isn't cheap for a house our size. I've already spent quite a bit of money as you can see. Neither of the recommended Thermostats blow my mind. I might just go with a Nest for now and call it good.
            • Appliances - Sigh. What can I say? There's so many things to deal with when you completely gut a house. I was super burned out one day and just bought all the Samsung smart ones to be done with it. No clue if that's going to be a very expensive mistake, but oh well!



            Still looking for recommendations on landscape lights, permanent christmas lights, and security systems/sensors. I'll do pictures/videos once we're moved in and settled of everything. Should be pretty nice!

            Comment


              #21
              Originally posted by Blackbeard View Post
              Hey Folks! Thanks for all the replies so far. Here's a few updates:

              • Networking - As mentioned, I went full Ubiquiti. I got the 24port 500w POE switch, Pro Security Gateway, Cloud Key, and 2 AC Pros. Networking is not my specialty. I was planning on installing the in-wall APs in every room where I had run ethernet, but a trusted friend told me that might be TOO much and actually hurt signal/performance. Thoughts? I ran cat6a to every room in the house, upstairs, downstairs, several extra runs through the attic that will feed cameras, and left some fish line to feed the shop. This was a huge PITA and required a lot of holes in the wall to notch studs. Luckily we're still remodeling and the final coat of paint hasn't gone up. Glad I did it though.
              • Heated Floors - I waffled back and forth on this. I finally went with the Nuheat Signature. As far as I can tell nobody has successfully got these working with HS, but the reviews seem decent. The other ones I looked at not only wouldn't work with HS but had terrible reviews for their app. We'll have two of these, one in the master bedroom and one in the master bath for independent control. I'm concerned that the screen will stay on at all times and keep us awake though. Anyone have experience here?
              • Locks - I went with the Yale locks. I like the looks and had great experiences with them at our old place. I think we'll have 4 total for the main house and then several on our outbuildings.
              • Switches and outlets - As I mentioned before, I went all Insteon. I'm MOSTLY done with the install. I've been doing it a little here a little there as I'm working on other stuff at the house.
              • Blinds - We are going Bali. Thanks to everyone that chimed in. We redid all of the casings for every window in the house, so we had to wait for new measurements before ordering. Hopefully they don't take too long to get here!
              • Thermostat and Ecovent - I'm still waffling on this. Ecovent isn't cheap for a house our size. I've already spent quite a bit of money as you can see. Neither of the recommended Thermostats blow my mind. I might just go with a Nest for now and call it good.
              • Appliances - Sigh. What can I say? There's so many things to deal with when you completely gut a house. I was super burned out one day and just bought all the Samsung smart ones to be done with it. No clue if that's going to be a very expensive mistake, but oh well!



              Still looking for recommendations on landscape lights, permanent christmas lights, and security systems/sensors. I'll do pictures/videos once we're moved in and settled of everything. Should be pretty nice!

              Heated Floors: Depending on installation/ floor type make sure you break the area up into multiple zones if possible. Those heaters do fail and are very expensive to replace/repair if using them in an in-bedded floor system.

              Thermostat and Ecovent: I would again recommend you use a traditional zoning system for HVAC zone control, and let the dedicated zoning system keep everything safe. Honeywell makes good systems and if you use thermostats that connect to their on-line service, you can use Shill's PI to control settings.

              Appliances: We do a fair amount of work on Samsung appliances. . That said YMMV..

              PS: The thinking behind multiple heater zones is for a small amount of redundancy.
              RJ_Make On YouTube

              Comment


                #22
                A few more updates for you good folks:


                Thermostat/Vents: I bit the bullet and went with Ecovent. They gave me a pretty good discount which was still WAY cheaper than putting in a second heating/air zone. I had some trouble with the first Thermostat (zen) and couldn't get the system up and running even with the help of their support team. They said they'd get back to me in a day. A week and half later I get an email that the zen isn't supported anymore. So they sent me a Sensi (which is actually the thermostat I tried to order originally). Finally got the system up and running yesterday.


                Initial thoughts are actually pretty good. The upstairs is no longer 15+ degrees warmer than the downstairs constantly. Everything seems much more even. We'll see how the day goes. The master bedroom even with our 3 dogs that total over 400lbs sleeping on the floor didn't get extremely hot last night. I call that a win.

                Downsides so far. Even though everything seems to be much more balanced, I feel like some of the thermostats are reading way off. I have one that says my office is 79 degrees right now which isn't possible. I'd be melting. I don't know if they just need time to calibrate or if something else is going on. I'm going to contact support later today.

                Some of my vents were bigger than they make vents for. They sent me these "adapters" for those vents. They are god awful ugly. Luckily most of them are hidden, but one is pretty obvious on the ceiling. Hopefully I can figure out a custom solution or they will come up with something better.

                In general though I'm +1 on Ecovent.

                Blinds: The Bali blinds have been awesome so far. No issues. I've got them tied into some scenes which makes the house feel so custom and luxurious. They open in the morning to let the sun in and they close when we start "Movie Time." It's pretty great. Highly recommend.

                Landscape Lights: I'm actually glad I waited on this. We gutted the inside of the house, built a huge deck, put up fencing, got the house painted, etc and we are just about to start on landscaping. I was close to pulling the trigger on some led strips and raspberry pi or something to control them when I got an email from Hue about their new outdoor lighting. Anyone else see this? I pre-ordered a bunch to line the perimeter of the deck and highlight some of our ornamental plants. High hopes considering I've had such good experiences with their other products. I'll let you know how the install goes once they get here.

                Comment


                  #23
                  Originally posted by Blackbeard View Post
                  Some of my vents were bigger than they make vents for. They sent me these "adapters" for those vents. They are god awful ugly. Luckily most of them are hidden, but one is pretty obvious on the ceiling. Hopefully I can figure out a custom solution or they will come up with something better.
                  Here's one possibility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnD-QRPzjZI
                  -Wade

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