House refurb, what would you add?
Discussion
So, redoing the old house which is in a sorry state. At the moment, new ring mains going in, new central heating system going in, and then all the usual, led lights, new kitchen etc etc.
I'm just wondering what gadgets are worth doing now, while the place is being done and floorboards are up.
A friend is good with all the Cat6 and TV stuff, so he's coming in, and drawing up a wiring diagram for me, I'll be running 2x coax and 4x cat6 to the master bedroom, living room and upstair office.
Bathrooms aren't being done (apart from fitting leds).
Is there anything else gadget wise that is (relatively simple) and worth doing, and/or a bit of fun, that needs to go in at this point as opposed to much later?
I don't want to be silly, since the house is rarely used at the moment. Usefull stuff that has gone in is CCTV, and a nest thermostat.
I'm just wondering what gadgets are worth doing now, while the place is being done and floorboards are up.
A friend is good with all the Cat6 and TV stuff, so he's coming in, and drawing up a wiring diagram for me, I'll be running 2x coax and 4x cat6 to the master bedroom, living room and upstair office.
Bathrooms aren't being done (apart from fitting leds).
Is there anything else gadget wise that is (relatively simple) and worth doing, and/or a bit of fun, that needs to go in at this point as opposed to much later?
I don't want to be silly, since the house is rarely used at the moment. Usefull stuff that has gone in is CCTV, and a nest thermostat.
I read quite a lengthy article about those USB sockets and how unsafe they are. Can't find it now but here is something similar: http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/mediafile/...
gr1340 said:
I read quite a lengthy article about those USB sockets and how unsafe they are. Can't find it now but here is something similar: http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/mediafile/...
To be fair, there was no failure at 1500VAC, the failure occurred at 800VDC, and the other fail they mention (clearance) is semi-negated by the triple insulated wiring. However I expect they have tested a lot worst than this...!
Durzel said:
Cat 6 everywhere to be honest. I don't think USB is a particularly "safe" standard to have in sockets, those don't look like USB 3.0 ports, which are different to USB 3.1, and also USB-C which is coming up in the world, etc.
This. We did an extension recently and I ran in Cat6 around the house, changed and added some mains sockets elsewhere, ran TV co-ax around etc. I looked at USB charging points, both socket-integrated and stand alone ones like these and decided it was better just to make enough mains points available in each room rather than have dedicated USB chargers.HotJambalaya said:
So, redoing the old house which is in a sorry state. At the moment, new ring mains going in, new central heating system going in, and then all the usual, led lights, new kitchen etc etc.
I'm just wondering what gadgets are worth doing now, while the place is being done and floorboards are up.
A friend is good with all the Cat6 and TV stuff, so he's coming in, and drawing up a wiring diagram for me, I'll be running 2x coax and 4x cat6 to the master bedroom, living room and upstair office.
Bathrooms aren't being done (apart from fitting leds).
Is there anything else gadget wise that is (relatively simple) and worth doing, and/or a bit of fun, that needs to go in at this point as opposed to much later?
I don't want to be silly, since the house is rarely used at the moment. Usefull stuff that has gone in is CCTV, and a nest thermostat.
NAS box, you could have run cctv from it also.I'm just wondering what gadgets are worth doing now, while the place is being done and floorboards are up.
A friend is good with all the Cat6 and TV stuff, so he's coming in, and drawing up a wiring diagram for me, I'll be running 2x coax and 4x cat6 to the master bedroom, living room and upstair office.
Bathrooms aren't being done (apart from fitting leds).
Is there anything else gadget wise that is (relatively simple) and worth doing, and/or a bit of fun, that needs to go in at this point as opposed to much later?
I don't want to be silly, since the house is rarely used at the moment. Usefull stuff that has gone in is CCTV, and a nest thermostat.
Durzel said:
Cat 6 everywhere to be honest. I don't think USB is a particularly "safe" standard to have in sockets, those don't look like USB 3.0 ports, which are different to USB 3.1, and also USB-C which is coming up in the world, etc.
They're for charging devices, not transferring data!We had a 'low loss header' installed when we updated our heating. Makes the system more efficient and our house heats up very quickly.
Pressurised tank for hot water......stick it in the loft. I prefer this to a combi. And you can use an immersion heater too.
Add insulation where you can
Solar ..... ?
Pressurised tank for hot water......stick it in the loft. I prefer this to a combi. And you can use an immersion heater too.
Add insulation where you can
Solar ..... ?
33q said:
We had a 'low loss header' installed when we updated our heating. Makes the system more efficient and our house heats up very quickly.
Pressurised tank for hot water......stick it in the loft. I prefer this to a combi. And you can use an immersion heater too.
Add insulation where you can
Well the place is rarely used, so solar would quite literally never pay itself back. Insulation is the big one, its only a single block wall, so I'm getting quotes at the moment for external insulation. (In addition to meeting the insurance company for a subsidence check....)Pressurised tank for hot water......stick it in the loft. I prefer this to a combi. And you can use an immersion heater too.
Add insulation where you can
Literally no idea what a low loss header is, and after googling it I'm still at a bit of a loss, but I'm on an oil boiler. Cocked up the new hot water cylinder and ended up with unpressurised. Not that worried, one shower has a pump, the other is ok off gravity... The immersion heater has been a great shout. The sparky didn't realise that when I said I wanted a spur for an immersion heater that I also meant with all the wiring to go with it. He rocked up with a spur switch and expected to be done in 5 mins. 1 day later, carpets up, furniture moved and a lot of swearing the switch was installed. Great idea, and bloody hot and now don't have to run the boiler every time I want a shower.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yeah, I have a couple of rolls of cat5e laying around from my cctv install, but the guy I'm getting to do it (family friend) is insisting on cat6. I have to get special angled wall plates because I'll be using low profile back boxes, so that the cat 6 doesn't come out of the ground and do an immediate 90 degree turn. Sparky is putting in a lot more sockets, due to new ring mains. I would suggest increasing you cat5e/6 to 4 to each room instead of 2. (well thats what I've been told to do.) since you're running the wire anyway. That way you'll be able to run your sky through to every room too. -Check out Neet extenders for Cat5/6 to hdmi. You'll need 2 of your data cables for that alone.was8v said:
Don't forget Cat5/6 can be used for stuff beyond networking - like sending HDMI or audio etc.
Thats what I'm using it for, 4 cat6 and 2 co-ax to the rooms where I'll be likely to have a tv. 2 of the Cat6 are going to be used to distribute audio. Hopefully will be powering a simple magic eye through the coax to control sky.PorscheGT4 said:
NAS box, you could have run cctv from it also.
As in one of those storage thingies? I really know zero about them....!Edited by HotJambalaya on Thursday 8th October 00:36
I'd be building in flexibility. E.g. a duct you can pull a new cable through is going to be handy when CATx ceases to be useful.
A lot of home technology is currently a rather awkward compromise between old standards and new capability. Dimmable LED lighting is a case in point. It should be a completely trivial problem, but if you want to make it backwardly compatible with 240V dimmers designed for incandescent bulbs you've suddenly got a real challenge on your hands, and that's where we are at the moment. At some point I imagine this will be rationalised, but it might well mean having fairly low voltage DC light circuits installed.
For home automation, I reckon the way forward is devices that mesh over radio and mains. Installing cabling for it I suspect will be a waste of time.
I'm also inclined to think that cabling for data is going to be of limited value and that wireless solutions will keep up pretty well with bandwidth requirements for consumer devices simply because you don't want the end device tethered to the wall if you can avoid it. Possibly it'll be useful to have some point to point backbone linking transceivers, but the hassle of that compared to just plugging in a few transceivers that mesh themselves?
So I'd hazard a guess that installing the current generation of cool home toys might leave you in a few years with a load of redundant data cabling and short a new power standard. That shouldn't stop you installing the cabling necessary for the current generation of toys, but it leaves me thinking that future-proofing is not about having a lot of redundant CAT6 installed now just in case.
A lot of home technology is currently a rather awkward compromise between old standards and new capability. Dimmable LED lighting is a case in point. It should be a completely trivial problem, but if you want to make it backwardly compatible with 240V dimmers designed for incandescent bulbs you've suddenly got a real challenge on your hands, and that's where we are at the moment. At some point I imagine this will be rationalised, but it might well mean having fairly low voltage DC light circuits installed.
For home automation, I reckon the way forward is devices that mesh over radio and mains. Installing cabling for it I suspect will be a waste of time.
I'm also inclined to think that cabling for data is going to be of limited value and that wireless solutions will keep up pretty well with bandwidth requirements for consumer devices simply because you don't want the end device tethered to the wall if you can avoid it. Possibly it'll be useful to have some point to point backbone linking transceivers, but the hassle of that compared to just plugging in a few transceivers that mesh themselves?
So I'd hazard a guess that installing the current generation of cool home toys might leave you in a few years with a load of redundant data cabling and short a new power standard. That shouldn't stop you installing the cabling necessary for the current generation of toys, but it leaves me thinking that future-proofing is not about having a lot of redundant CAT6 installed now just in case.
Oakey said:
They're for charging devices, not transferring data!
The point is still valid imo. USB 3.1 charging specs are for up to 100W. USB-C is a different port entirely. It's also debatable whether all devices would charge correctly from something like this, I've seen devices that are very particular about it - e.g. some Samsung tablets.In the rooms where you're going to have TV/projector or hi fi. Speaker cables and wall plates from a central panel and also ceiling speakers for rear and other channels. Also sub cables from central panels to various points so you can choose where to put the sub.
Also lots and lots cat5e/6 cable to a patch panel.
When wall sockets are put in - get them done with v.deep boxes then if you do want to put in or swap out a USBx or whatever combined plate in the future you will have space in the wall.
TV on the wall ? Then ducting from below the point to a hole behind where it will go.
I hate visible cables !
Also lots and lots cat5e/6 cable to a patch panel.
When wall sockets are put in - get them done with v.deep boxes then if you do want to put in or swap out a USBx or whatever combined plate in the future you will have space in the wall.
TV on the wall ? Then ducting from below the point to a hole behind where it will go.
I hate visible cables !
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Maybe wire them into cupboards then if the floor doesn't appeal ? Gets them out of sight, all IT kit is pig ugly in a home, really ruins the expense you go to with furnishings and decoration.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
What's wrong with a Cisco AP ? Much more horsepower than the domestic stuff so will cope far better with multiple devices streaming, you don't need the controllers obviously. UniFi are OK, the pro devices are good value.I'm not suggesting reducing the number of power points but they are ugly, seriously hamper the ambience if you can't hide them and not everybody wants a load of furniture to hide the ugly walls.
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