Home Automation

Face it – leaks happen. Worse yet, busted pipes happen too. And of course, Murphy’s Law says they’ll probably happen in the middle of the night! The Elk Water Shutoff Valve mitigates this by detecting and shutting off the water main in less than 4 seconds. In a nutshell, you would connect the Elk valve to your home automation controller, and placing a water sensor in high-risk locations like under your washing machine, water heater, or bathroom floor.

You will need a water sensor to tell your home automation system if there’s water leaking. The Elk water shutoff valve is a full-port, 2-way ball valve with a 1-inch bore, and it is made of 316 stainless steel and is safe for drinking water. he motorized actuator has a permanently lubricated gear drive with sufficient torque to open or close the valve under high pressure or after long periods of inactivity. This valve is built with commercial-grade seats and seals for a long service life.

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Elk Emergency Water Shutoff ValveRead More »

The long awaited wireless remote control for INSTEON systems is here. TheRemoteLinc Wireless Remote Control sends INSTEON commands to your INSTEON devices to control them remotely. Sweet. You can create multiple lighting ‘scenes’. For example, let’s say you have a party and want to turn up all the lights at once, or perhaps only the lights in the TV room, those are scenes that you can program and access via a few clicks. The RemoteLinc lets you control up to 417 INSTEON devices including their ON/OFF and DIM/BRIGHT states.

It only takes a few minutes to set up using the typical INSTEON ‘Plug and Tap’ process. The RemoteLinc comes in Silver and the pictured sueded black.
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INSTEON RemoteLinc Wireless Remote ControlRead More »

I remember seeing a couple of these new ‘for Dummies’ products at CES, which are more than just the books that have become practically a household phrase; they are books plus an actual product. For example, the one I remember was Digital Photography for Dummies that came with an actual digital camera. This particular product is very cool for Do-it-Yourself geeks – it’s a Cable and Satellite Wiring Kit that comes with cable, wire stripper/cutter, crimping tool and connectors.

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Cable & Satellite Wiring Kit for DummiesRead More »

Don’t you hate going from one room to the next in your house only to be hot in one and freezing in the other? This Programmable InteliVent could be the answer if you don’t want to spend the money involved in upgrading to a zone-based thermostat system. The InteliVent can also block air coming out of unoccupied rooms saving energy.

The Programmable InteliVent installs easily in any floor vent opening and uses a programmable interface to open and close the vent based on when you want the room heated. The Programmable InteliVent is powered by four AA batteries (sold separately), which should last up to two years.

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The EZIO Wireless Sensor Receiver brings true wireless RF (radio frequency) products into the INSTEON world via compatibility with all Dakota Alert Series 3000 transmitters. This combination includes an RF Receiver and a Wireless Motion Sensor Transmitter for a simple-to-install driveway alert system trigger various automated tasks in your INSTEON network. You could also put the motion sensor near your prized roses to turn on lights and scare away the deer if they come around to utilize your roses as food.

With support for over 4,000 different wireless devices, you have the flexibility to set up a multitude of sensors in and around your house to keep your home safe resulting in Home Automation Heaven…

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SimpleHomeNet EZIO Wireless Sensor Receiver & Dakota Alert Motion Sensor TransmitterRead More »

Summer is coming up very fast and if you don’t have an nice sun-screening umbrella, then take a look at this motorized patio umbrella, which can be remotely controlled using a table-mounted switch. This system is also available with a handheld RF remote control, which can be used up to 40 feet away. Not that complicated; go get one.

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Add Remote Control and Motorization to your Patio UmbrellaRead More »