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July 1999
By
Bill Rauser
 Imagine this: you’re driving down the road and realize you didn’t turn on your crock pot for tonight’s dinner or change the thermostat so your AC won’t run full force while you’re gone. No worry. You simply call your home on your cell phone, press a few keys, and your “home management system” takes care of both tasks for you.
Thanks to advances in technology, we’re fast approaching the ability to have a home like the Jetsons that will make our lives easier and safer than ever. According to Andrew Finkel, systems integrator at Diversified Technologies (a subcontractor used for custom homes), the key to incorporating technology into today’s construction (whether new home or renovation) is the wiring infrastructure.
Wiring a home to accommodate the needs the owners have now, and even ones they don’t yet anticipate (such as converting a child’s bedroom into a home office several years from now or even incorporating video conferencing technology in an existing home-based business), makes the investment pay for itself many times over. It pays for itself in the context of providing flexibility and convenience for the homeowner to use space differently over time, plus the resale value of such home management systems is increased $3-$4 for every dollar the homeowner spends on the system.
Finkel says that these home management systems, especially those being installed in custom homes, are so sophisticated they can accommodate up to 64 individual thermostats and 128 outlets or lights at the press of a few keys on a phone, keypad or via the internet—even if you’re in a different country. Many homeowners have the whole house wired to accommodate computers and put a server in the basement like “command central.”
Additionally, the home management system not only provides incredible versatility for the client to adapt over time or to program different appliances and lighting patterns (especially handy for those who travel a lot but want the house to look lived in), but it is all connected to a security system with Maryland-based monitoring. If there is a fire, for instance, the system automatically sounds an alarm, calls 911 immediately, shuts off all fans and heating/air conditioning systems in the house, turns on all hallway lights and indicates on a key pad the exact location of the fire. The system even turns all outdoor lights on in a flashing mode to make it easier for emergency crews to find the house.
While many homeowners are fortunate enough not to experience an emergency as dramatic as a fire, potential emergencies can be avoided thanks to the home technology. Finkel cites January’s ice storm as an example of the sensor capability that saved homeowners thousands of dollars. Specifically, if the homeowner is away, and the temperature in the house drops below 39 degrees, the system will automatically call up to eight numbers pre-designated by the homeowner (one of which could be the HVAC contractor designated by the homeowner). Think of the thousands of dollars in damage that frozen pipes could have caused.
With technology changing every day—including a recently introduced refrigerator that can even make a grocery list (based on the food the homeowner normally keeps in the fridge)—we’re probably not far away from the likes of Jane Jetson’s home where she can even mix the cake from a remote location. Nonetheless, the existing technology is making our lives safer and easier every day.
Bill Rauser is president of Rauser Professional Contracting. He can be reached at 410-833-3883 or br@rauser.com.
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