When you’re planning to build a smart home, there are low-voltage must-haves you need to keep in mind! Every home is different, and your low-voltage system should be planned according to the specific needs of your home. Here are four tips to help make sure your low-voltage home is up to par:
AV Rack Location:
One low-voltage planning tip is to think about where you will put your AV rack. You’ll want to make sure that the rack is accessible and ventilated properly. If you’re not sure where to put it, consult a low-voltage home automation specialist who can help you plan the best possible location for your AV Rack.
A good AV rack location takes into account:
- Where the major sources of heat and cold are in your home
- The path of low-voltage cabling
- Where you’ll be spending most of your time
Dedicated Electric Circuits:
Another low-voltage must-have is dedicated electric circuits for your home automation system. This means that the electricity for your low-voltage system is isolated from the rest of your home’s power so that fluctuations in your home’s power don’t affect your low-voltage system.
Dedicated electric circuits also help to protect your low-voltage system from power surges. A well-designed low-voltage system will have dedicated electric circuits for each low-voltage component.
Have CAT6 Wiring in Place For All Potential WiFi & Camera Locations:
CAT6 wiring is the latest and greatest in low-voltage cabling. CAT6 is designed to support data rates up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps). That’s 10 times the data rate of CAT5e cabling, which is the minimum low-voltage cabling you should use for your home automation system.
If you’re planning on installing any WiFi or IP cameras in your home, make sure you have CAT6 wiring in place for all potential locations. This will ensure that you have the best possible low-voltage cabling for your home automation system.
Take TV placement into consideration during construction:
If you’re building a new home, make sure to take TV placement into consideration during construction. This low-voltage planning tip will save you a lot of headaches later on!
When you’re planning where to put your TV, think about:
- The path of low-voltage cabling
- The location of dedicated electric circuits
- The amount of sunlight the TV will be exposed to
Installing recessed back boxes at your tv location will ensure a clean installation. Recessed back boxes are low-voltage junction boxes that are installed behind your TV. They give you a place to neatly route low-voltage cabling and make it easy to install low-voltage outlets near your TV.
If you’re not building a new home, you can still take TV placement into consideration when planning your low-voltage system. Just make sure to consult a low-voltage home automation specialist who can help you plan the best possible location for your TV.
By following these low-voltage tips, you can be sure that your home automation system is up to par!
Low-Voltage Tips Summary
- Think about where you will put your AV rack, taking into account heat and cold sources, low-voltage cabling paths, and where you spend most of your time.
- Have dedicated electric circuits for each low-voltage component in order to protect against power surges.
- Use CAT6 wiring for all potential WiFi & camera locations.
- Consider TV placement during construction or when planning your low-voltage system so that recessed back boxes can be installed neatly behind the TV.
