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Charlotte Homes Wired For The Future

By
Home Inspector with Home Inspection Carolina
Wiring For The Future The phrase structured wiring system is entering our lexicon as a way to describe wiring that will efficiently distribute a variety of data signals throughout the home. That sounds complicated but it refers to signals including cable television and phone, as well as Ethernet computer networks. This wiring system differs from previous schematics because of the amount of data it will be required to transmit, as well as the monitoring and control functions it will provide. When some experts describe the technology, they talk about a wiring system that can serve current data needs, as well as expand to serve a family’s needs three to five years down the road or more. How does it work? In actuality, structured wiring operates on a design similar to that of a home’s electrical system. Just as electricity flows into the home and is distributed via a circuit breaker box, external data lines come into the home and are connected to a central control box. The circuit breaker box and the data control box are even roughly the same size. They are often housed in a similar location as well, such as a utility closet. From the data control box, bundles of wires are run through the walls of the house to different rooms. One advantage of this system includes the capability of playing a DVD in one location in the home, but being able to watch it on an unused channel from any room monitor in the house. When it comes to a home computer network, this data configuration can easily accommodate all users in a household. The control box correctly routes data to individual computers, allowing multiple users to share a single broadband connection with no interference. Other functions that might be integrated into a structured wiring system include residential security and home automation systems that can be controlled remotely. Some systems make it possible for homeowners to turn on heating or cooling systems remotely, or pre-heat the oven, all with a push of a button on their cellular device. One green option that may be very attractive to homeowners is the ability to control window shades remotely. When the sun begins to heat up the house, the shades covering the windows on the east side of the home can be programmed to go down to protect the inside environment from the morning sun. Late in the day, those shades can be drawn up to let in natural light and the shades on the other side of the home can be lowered. Monitoring systems are being produced that can be sensitive to the energy consumption for particular electrical outlets, and utilities such as water and gas, allowing homeowners to make changes in their usage to save energy and dollars. Some builders are incorporating structured wiring in new home construction. For existing homeowners, the time to give real consideration to structured wiring is when undertaking a major home renovation, when walls are open and wiring and cabling is easier to install. Even if a homeowner’s current needs don’t include a home computer network, a structured wiring system may be a real selling point when the Home is placed on the market in the future. For more home inspection information, please visit our site: http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com/ http://www.askthecharlotteinspector.com/