vacation rental, vera and only a couple of zwave devices

Other Devices & Integrations Door Locks & Sensors
#1

Hi -
I’ve got the opportunity to add some controls to a couple of vacation properties in the mountains. I’m thinking of a thermostat, front door access control and a porch light. That’s probably it to start.

I’ve heard with zwave that more devices provide better range. With only three devices am I likely to have a problem? Any help that the front door access control and porch light are probably right near each other? Don’t know yet where the thermostat(s) will be.

I’ve been a UPB guy for years and have no experience with zwave or vera yet.

I’m thinking of a Vera Light as I need to install these in the next couple of months otherwise I’d be tempted to wait for the new hardware that I saw at CES.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

#2

If all devices are close and Vera is not too far away you should be fine.

#3

I started off with a Vera2 in master bedroom closet of rental cabin and a thermostat. Gradually added in a deadbolt, temperature sensors, door sensors, 3in1. Light switches. Been perfect even from the start. Really depends on size of unit, distance, wall material etc…

ONLY problem I have had is once when a guest pulled the airgap switch on a Jasco wall switch. Remotely it appears as though it has just stopped talking to vera. Luckily the cleaner found it after I asked her to check the switch to see if it was at least working locally.

I ended up putting my vera in a CG 1500 Demarc Box on wall of closet to at least try to keep guests fingers off it. (Most guests don’t carry can wrenches or nut drivers with them)

Hope this helps.

Les

#4

Les - Good point about the air gap. Never thought that through. Renters have probably never seen zwave switches so they will fiddle with it out of curiosity. If they pop the air gap they may think they broke it and leave it or think that is the proper way of turning the light off.

Beerguy - Make sure you have a C wire for the stat and confirm it is working (remove batteries to test). Zwave stats such as the ct100 can “sleep” and run off batteries alone for months. Not ideal but acceptable if you don’t have a C and live in the house. Not using a C wire in a stat for a property in the mountains is begging Murphy. Renters could borrow the batteries for their ipod transmitter on the drive home and the cleaner might not come till the next morning to find burst pipes and the property destroyed.

To be safe I’d install a old fashioned mercury stat between the furnace and zwave stat set to 50 as a failsafe even if you have a C wire. You could be remotely checking on things and accidentally turn off the heat with an errant click and not realize it for days. If I leave my phone out my son loves hitting icons. Just a matter of time till he destroys my home.

#5

[quote=“Les F, post:3, topic:174076”]I started off with a Vera2 in master bedroom closet of rental cabin and a thermostat. Gradually added in a deadbolt, temperature sensors, door sensors, 3in1. Light switches. Been perfect even from the start. Really depends on size of unit, distance, wall material etc…

ONLY problem I have had is once when a guest pulled the airgap switch on a Jasco wall switch. Remotely it appears as though it has just stopped talking to vera. Luckily the cleaner found it after I asked her to check the switch to see if it was at least working locally.

I ended up putting my vera in a CG 1500 Demarc Box on wall of closet to at least try to keep guests fingers off it. (Most guests don’t carry can wrenches or nut drivers with them)

Hope this helps.

Les[/quote]

Les–

How do you keep the hardware cool enough to run inside the Demarc Box? I know Vera doesn’t generate much heat…

Don