Five Significant Keys To Low-voltage Component Placement In New & Remodeled Houses

One of the key things you have to take into deliberation when calculating your integral installation is where in the house you will install not only the security system, but all of the equipment for the other electronic systems you will install. If you have already designated a utility room or closet as your electronics room, more the better.

Protect Electronics From The Elements

You need to choose a site that is protected from the elements. Out in the garage is not a acceptable place as cold and heat will influence the performance of the electronic components. That site will also deteriorate them as well. This is especially true if you reside anywhere near a coastline where salty air is present.

Locate The Center of The Home

Another very significant consideration is to locate a place that is halfway centered within the structure. You will not be able to select a spot that is squarely in the center, but do the best you can. With a halfway centered spot none of the cable runs are unacceptably longer than the other cables. It can influence the cost of your project if you are making multiple cable runs the full length of your structure. Your cable cost can snowball.

How Big Is Your Electronics Closet?

Once you have selected a location for your components the ensuing step becomes critical to the success of your installation. The amount of wall space required for your unique installation depends on the totality of the systems you plan to install in your house. On several of my installations I get by with a wall the size of a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. If you do the same a 4 x 8 wall will give you plenty of space to spread things out. If you are only going to install an alarm system and perhaps one other, then you could get by with a 3 x 8 plywood space.

Nows The Time

Speaking of plywood, while the walls are all open, before the drywall is installed, is when I install the 4 x 8 sheet of ¾" plywood. Depending on how discerning my client is, I either install the plywood flush to where the drywall will later be mounted or I leave adequate reveal so that the plywood can be covered with drywall. The reason I install the plywood is to have a hard surface to cut out to facilitate flush mounting my equipment. I like a professional looking flush installation and so will you.

Install Your Rough-In Enclosures

Once you have your plywood installed you will be measuring the height of the enclosure for the security controller and cutting out a square hole to the exact measurements of the panel you select. I could give you the measurements now, but it wouldn't matter. When the enclosure (can) is in your hands, lift it up to the plywood, make sure it is level, and draw lines marking the top, bottom, left, and right.

Wall Space Behind The Enclosure

Another significant consideration is the amount of room you extend your electronic equipment wall out from the initial wall. In other words, is it extended out a couple feet so that you can walk in behind the equipment and make connections and equipment hookups like mine, or will yours just come out a little bit? The absolute minimum you should accept is to frame your equipment wall out six inches. The more room you tolerate for yourself, the easier the installation.

Ample Electrical Duplex Outlets

The subsequent thing you have to do that is equally significant to the completion of your installation is to make sure you have ample electrical outlets mounted by your electrical contractor. You need to have at least one duplex outlet behind the top of your electronics distribution panel and one near the bottom of your panel. While the walls are open I also strategically pre-mount a couple of power strips on the back side of my 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. Believe me, by the time you start wiring up all the power supplies for all the equipment, cameras, hubs, etc., you will be appreciative you have enough places to plug in stuff.

Another deliberation about the electrician that may come up is the following: He may not fully understand what you are doing and that it is against the building code to mount outlets inside closed walls. You will need to explain they will not be in a closed wall as there will be at least two places where you can open a door or hatch and have access to the outlets.

Install Equipment Controllers From Ceiling to Floor

There are a couple things you will want to achieve. You will want to install your components from top to bottom. I have some equipment close to the ceiling and some near to the floor. That is a smart play. You won't necessarily want everything at waist or eye level. Once you get the systems installed, you rarely need to open most of them again except on rare occasions. There is no need for components to be at waist level when you will go for years without opening some of the equipment panels. You will also want to spread the equipment out as far apart left and right as you can.

Remove Mother Boards

OK, I will presume you have installed the 4 x 8 foot, ¾" plywood vertically, measured and mounted the rough-in cans. If you have not already done so, take out the screws that mount the security controller mother board in the can and store it safely in a box. When you remove the mother board, try to handle it with kid gloves. In fact, wear gloves if you have them or use a clean rag so that your hands are not all over the electronic components on the mother board. Will that harm it? Likely handling it will not harm anything as it is quite robust, however there is salt in your sweat and you don't want anything on your circuit board. Months will elapse before you have to locate and install the mother board back into the enclosure, so keep it safe in a padded box. Do I sound paranoid? Well maybe I am a little but I have seen strange things happen to electronic components.

Extra Low-Voltage Power Supply

Let me stop so that we can have an edification about linking multiple console keypads, color touch screens, motion sensors, glass break sensors, etc.,. The OmniPro II panel has a restrictive limit on the amount of power it can produce in order to power these units. If you look at the specifications on the controller you will see an upper limit of 1 amp. You don't have to be an electronic expert to see that if you are going to install multiple components you will need an additional power supply to power all these 12Vdc devices.

Well the information I have provided here is just part of the information you will need to properly plan out your low-voltage technology installation. It has been my experience that when people are considering one system for their new or remodeled home, they are probably considering other systems as well. It would be in your best interest to have installation books on each system you would like to include in your home. Read them all then procure your components, special tools, and wiring so that they are all on the job site in advance of your proposed start date.