Home Automation FAQs Why should I install a Home Automation System? Energy Management is a “hot topic” in the world today. Managing the use of energy can be a daunting task for many of us. With children in the house, it can be difficult to ensure lighting is turned off and heating and air conditioning settings are at a reasonable level. A Home Automation system can simplify these tasks and ensure your home appears “lived in”, even while you are away, a great security feature. Heating and cooling can be automatically set back during times the home is unoccupied. Lighting can react to sunrise and sunset, or even a patio door being opened during nighttime conditions. Heating and cooling can be programmed to turn off when windows are opened, eliminating costly utility bills and wasted energy. Feel good about saving our natural resources while enjoying the automated features available. What are some of the features the Home Automation System can perform? Never enter a dark home again; program a light to turn on when the garage entry door is opened while the alarm is set. Call your home and adjust the heating and cooling over the phone. Simply push a pre-programmed button to adjust the lighting for entertaining guest. Arm the security, adjust the A/C, and turn off all lighting when going to bed, all with one push of a button. Set up a program to automatically turn the patio lights off at 10:00 pm. My system cycles between the heating and air conditioning frequently, why? Setting the heat and air conditioning temperature too close to each other can result in excessive cycling of the heat and air. As an example: Heating set to 70, Air conditioning set to 72. When I try to adjust my air conditioning to a cooler setting, it won’t adjust any cooler? The first thing to check is the heat setting; the system will not let you set the two systems (heat/air) to the same temperature. I have a two-story house with two thermostats; do I have to go downstairs to adjust the temperature on that floor? No, each thermostat can be adjusted from any Touchscreen. Never go downstairs again to check if you turned off the A/C. Why can’t I have one button to turn off my alarm and turn on my lighting and air conditioning, all at the same time? It is possible to have one button controlling everything, including the alarm, however it is not recommended since a burglar would be able to turn the alarm off without a code. We recommend programming your system to use a code to disarm the alarm, with lighting and A/C commands following the alarm status. I want to have my kitchen lights come on at dusk only if I’m home; can the Home Automation System do that? First, we will assume you had a remote controllable light switch installed for the kitchen lights. If so, yes, it’s a simple program to set up. If the alarm is disarmed, and it is sundown, the light command will be activated. If you had a dimmable remote controlled light switch installed, you can even specify how bright to have the lights come on at. Can I add more remote controllable light switches? Typically the answer is yes. There are three different models of HAI Omni Controls, Omni LT – 16 light switches Omni II – 64 light switches Omni Pro II – 256 light switches What counts as a switch? I have two three-way switches, one at each end of my hall; do they count as two switches? No, in a three-way or four-way application, there is only one “primary”. The “primary” switch is enrolled in the system and assigned a unique name. The other 3-way or 4-way switches are “secondary” switches, they only communicate with the “primary” switch. What is a three-way switch? A term “three-way switch” is misleading, as there are only two switches. Basically, a three-way switch allows you to control a light fixture from two different locations, like at each end of a hallway. What is a four-way switch? Four-way switches, like a three-way switch is misleading. A four-way switch can be any number of switches (above two) that all control the same light. An example might be a Foyer light that can be controlled from the front door, the hallway, and the top of the stairwell. Three switches controlling only one light fixture. The number of switches is almost limitless in this configuration. If I have a three-way or four-way switch application, will I be able to dim the light from any of the switch locations? Yes, assuming a dimmable, remote controllable set of switches was installed. The dimmable switches will allow dimming commands to be initiated from any three-way or four-way switch in the set. Can I put a dimmer on a fluorescent light? No, standard dimmers are made for incandescent bulbs, not for fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lights will flicker (and eventually fail), even when they are physically turned off if they are wired to a dimmer. The dimmer could also be damaged. A non-dimmable switch must be used. What about the fluorescent bulbs I bought at the hardware store to replace my standard bulbs, they screw into a standard light socket? Can I use a dimmer with them? No, standard dimmers are made for incandescent bulbs not for fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lights will flicker (and eventually fail), even when they are physically turned off if they are wired to a dimmer. The dimmer could also be damaged. A non-dimmable switch must be used. Why do my lights turn on at the wrong time? Check your clock settings, including AM/PM. The most common problem reported is a clock set incorrectly. My Home Automation System seems to be acting erratic, when I push a button, nothing happens, what can I do? Home Automation Systems are actually controlled by a computer. The computer is the “brain” that responds to different stimuli, (i.e. an arming command, a button pushed, dusk, a timed event, etc). And like all computers, sometimes it needs to be reset, or rebooted. To accomplish this, you will need to disconnect power from the system for a moment. The steps are listed below: 1. In the closet below the alarm panel, you will find a plug-in transformer. Unplug it. (There might be two devices plugged in, one is a transformer, one is a lighting interface module, unplug both if you aren’t sure which is which, each device is pictured below) 2. Open the panel lid, locate the backup battery inside the panel and disconnect one lead (either black or red, it doesn’t matter). 3. Wait 60 seconds. 4. Reconnect the transformer (and the lighting interface module). 5. Reconnect the battery (Red is +, Black is -) 6. Wait 60 seconds; check keypad or Touchscreen for proper operation. My Transformer doesn’t look exactly like the one pictured, is it the right one? Not all transformers are white; yours might be a light tan. The picture is used to give you a general idea of what to look for. You should see two wires attached at the bottom of the transformer when you unplug it. If I disconnect power to my Home Automation System, will I lose my User Codes or any other programming? No, the Home Automation System stores all custom programming, when you power the system back on, all programming will be restored.