Hi Barry,
I have X10 installed in my home for the last 5 years now, and works great. I have all lights and security x10 enabled, including the central heating.
Very good system, but as you said there are lots of options when going for automation, from professional level systems like CBUS etc (which are pricy and need seperate wiring infrastructure), to the more diy based systems like x10 (does not need seperate wiring infrastrucutre) and more recent systems like Z wave etc (wireless based system, also does not need additional wiring).
I find X10 to be very good, as I installed it from new build and over 5 years ago, some things havr changed for the better since mine went in. The newer modules can be fitted directly behind an existing light switch, which means there is absolutely no change in standard wiring to a normal house. I used the older modules which work from the fuseboard, so my wiring was don e differently.
Z wave seems very good, but is newer and less variation of modules are about for European electrical standards, so might not give you everything you want at the moment.
No matter what system you go for (and I personally think X10 is excellent), the two most important things you consider are:-
1) Controller. How good your controller is pretty much what will dictate how good your overall system is and how reliable and flexible it is.
2) Sensors. It is all very well to be able to turn on lights etc automatically, but tyo automate it, you have to plan how sensors etc are to be layed out. I use PIR's mainly to activate my lights as you enter the room and exit, but I did miss out some sensors that I should have put in. Door sensors on internal doors important in my opinion, especially on bathroom doors etc. If you wnat more info, I will go into more detail, but I have a habit of ranting so I wont.
I will give an overview of what my system will do:-
1) All lights are automated. If it is dark, the lights will activate when you walk into a room. They will turn off automatically once they have sensed no motion for a certain period of timed
2) Heating is automated. I can create schedules for my heating, hork it off a thermostat, based on whether the house, or portion of the house is occupied or not.
3) I have dial in access to my entire system, where I can activate any light or device, more importantly the heating (great for those evenings on the way home in winter).
4) I can control any device, including heating etc via the internet. Set up schedules, timed events etc. (works but still improving on this one)
5) I can control any device, including the heating via my tv remote control on a customised channel on the TV. I can turn on/off heating, activate lighting scenes etc without getting off my chair (how lazy am I!!)
5) When I leave the house and activate the house alarm, all lights and audio/video equipment is automattically turned off. If the house is un occupied at nigh, the security system will randommly activate lights etc.
6) My wife has a keyfob on her car key. When she arives home late she can have all the main living area lights on in the house before she even gets inside the door.
7) An X10 alarm clock on my bedside locker has buttons on it to activate certain house functions. At night time I press one button, and the house goes into "night mode", where all lights are turned off, all tv's, sky etc are turned off, and the alarm is activated.
8) When I (or one of the kids) go wandering at night, the lights in the hall etc come on and turn off themselves when motion is sensed etc.
With a sonos system
www.sonos.com I can have whole house audio announcements when certain things happen, eg phone rings, email arrives, news headlines when I wake up in the morning. This is a work in progress though, along with voice control etc.
A couple of websites that are worth visiting:
www.letsautomate.com
www.laser.co.uk
www.sonos.com
www.csi3.com
Happy reading, let me know if you need any more info.
Regards,
Eamon
