HA ongoing build. Based around HAI.

Looks pretty good. Only things I might do differently are, I would definitely tie thermostat(s) into the HAI including outside sensor. Very nice to be able to look at thermostat to see outside temp and to adjust HVAC while away from the home.
And I probably would mount the HAI box closer to the floor. You're probably taller than me ;-).

Good luck. The good thing about HAI is they keep making improvements and adding features. I'm only inside the box maybe once a year.

Where's your security camera?

I don't have any experience with the HAI cams. I just use standalone webcams from Panasonic.

HAI does offer its own DVR and cameras. But I can't think of a good reason to buy them as you can integrate other systems into HAI just as well. And have a much wider range of choices.

thats a good idea. since were on this topic, is there any use to use to using an interior sensor and put it say in the basement or upper floor? i have asked a few and most agreed that the sensor in the basement (with thermostat on the main floor) would screw things up as the temp difference is usually atleast 1 degree (celcius) and it would constantly be trying to adjust to compensate. would you say this is correct?

also, is it possible for one to change the temperature using the alarm pad (omni console)?

I'm not following your question. There are several types of temp sensors that you can use with this system and I'm not clear which you are talking about. There's a dedicated exterior temp sensor. When you use this, the thermostat display alternates between internal temp and external temp. There's an alternate temp sensor that you can use with the thermostat if the convenient location for your thermostat is not a good place for sensing temperature (for example, an exterior wall in a cold climate). In this case, you DISABLE the built in sensor in the thermostat and run a wire to this remote sensor in another location. Finally, you can put in sensors to detect temperature in various locations in your house (often used for freeze detection). WHich are you talking about?

Yes, you can change the temperature using the alarm pad but it takes a few more steps than just pressing the up/down button on the thermostat.

yes, that is what i meant. basically, its standard practice to place a thermostat on the main floor. however with this approach (in canada atleast), the basement is usually a couple degrees colder in the winter and the upper floor a couple degrees hotter than what the thermostat indicates. so, one would think to place additional sensors in the basement as well as the upper floor. but by doing this, i was told that the thermostat will always be trying to compensate for any differences and hence the furnace will be running basically all the time. is this a correct assumption?

oh, and what is exactly involved if one wants to change temp. from the alarm pad? thanks.

A thermostat only has one sensor. You can use the built in sensor or you can disable the built in sensor and run a wire to a remote sensor.
It sounds like you have a simple, single zone of heat, if so, there is nothing that you can do with the thermostat to balance the temperature from basement to 2nd floor. Depending on whether you have hot air or hot water heat, there are things you can do to balance the heat better, but that has nothing to do with the thermostat.

To change the temp from the alarm panel you press TEMP, then use the up/down arrows to select the thermostat (if you only have one, you can skip this step), press # to select the thermostat, then select HEAT (or COOL) to set the heat or ac temperature, then enter the desired temperature using the keypad then # again.

One nifty thing you can do:

1. Get a HAI Form C relay (they come in 4 or 8 relay units) for $40.
2. Stick it in your HAI enclosure and connect it per the directions.
3. Run a 2-conductor wire from the relay to the back of your garage door opener.

With the correct programming, you can set a flag for when the garage door is open or closed based on the alarm contacts. I have programmed the garage door to close at night at a certain time if it is left open. I have set up a button command so I can close the garage door from any keypad (it energizes the circuit for 2 seconds).

This does not interfere in any way with the usual button press garage door opener.

Alan

Sounds dangerous without visual confirmation that the garage door should actually be closed... might be better just to have the keypad somehow display if the garage door is open or closed -- you're really only concerned about leaving the garage door open at night on accident, and not concerned that you can't close it from across the house.

As long as you are taping into the same wiring that triggers the motor to open/close when the button on the wired keypad is pressed, its still going to check the sensors to ensure nothing is under the door. I suppose there could be an issue if someone or something was straddling the Line of Site of the sensors.

I could see this being really dangerous, is if you were going straight to the motor itself and powering it directly to close regardless of the state of the detection sensors. However, I didnt think this was the setup he was trying to convey from the above post.

Throw in a camera looking down the line of the garage door and you could visually check to see if anything was under the door before remotely closing it.

The sensors are there to make sure kids don't get killed. They dont' guard against all accidents. What if I am standing outside talking to someone, with my had over the track at 6 feet? Garage door goes down and crushes my finger. Ditto for long hair blowing into it. Small chance of these things happening of course. But folks need to know the risk before going down this path.

I am putting automation for the door but only to make sure when I arm the alarm and leaving the house, that it is closed for sure.

As far as your finger is concerned.. it could happen if the same situation occurred and another member of the household was on their way home, triggered the opener with the remote from their car shortly before getting to the house - and not actually seeing if the garage door was already open, or if your finger was on the track. This is a standard feature :-) If anyone is standing with their finger in my garage door track when I go to bed - they deserve to lose a finger.

As far as long hair, if you are standing around the garage door, and your hair is long enough to blow to 7-feet into the air to where the door's wheels are when it initially when the door is all the way open - you must have a 7' tall wife, whose head is also resting on the door. If you are generally standing around it, you would have plenty of time to move before any hair gets pulled from your scalp, unless of course they braid their hair into the track - for this situation, same as above.

For HA integration, throw a CCTV camera into the garage as well, and check it before you hit the button remotely. Unless you just dont want your wife to have access to what you are REALLY doing in there :-)

Another possibly cheaper solution, would be to add a warning speaker and message which is activated when the button is pressed, warning anyone in the garage to move away from the door. Also have the signal to the garage opener delayed for XX seconds until after the message is done playing.

Without a camera how do you know the garage door actually closed by your remote input, and the signal wasnt missed? Without watching a live feed of this, someone could potentially jump the Line of Sight sensors and enter your garage as the door is closing, and you wouldnt know someone is inside your garage and possibly your home.

Obviously there are endless cases for most any HA situation, but as far as the garage door integration being safe, I dont think anything dangerous could occur by integrating this than what could happen with the standard remotes that come with the opener.

Yes, this was my point (obviously you want the knee-high sensors working with your button). I guess I just prefer safety over convenience.


If I forget to close the garage door then I deserve to drag my lazy butt over to the garage to close it before I go to bed.

Besides, I'm more likely to remember next time and won't make a habit of just closing it before I go to bed (kind of a security hazard to leave the garage open all evening, don't ya think?).

A knee high sensor isn't going to protect against someone with their finger in the track any more than an ankle high sensor.

Can you explain any situation where a knee high sensor would be better than the ankle? My wife has left items not quite all the way into the garage a couple of times, such as a small flower pot. A knee high sensor would not have caught this. Certainly this isnt so much of a humane safety issue, but Id like to hear of any ways the knee high sensor is better.

Er, yes, I meant ankle/floor-high sensor. Knee was the first word that came to mind for some reason.

I want to limit the number of wall panels keypads, thermostats etc. Can I use a single HAI touchscreen to control security and HVAC and use temp sensors to control zones instead of having a surface mount thermostat in every zone? I was hoping to have a security keypad at front door, a single touch panel in master and a touch panel in the kitchen with no other wall mounted controls. Can i program the HAI screen to work with a Niles audio system?