Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Home Control and Automation only available for new construction?
No.  Obviously new construction provides greater ease in wiring during the framing and rough-in stage, before sheetrock is installed, but if you are able to endure a mild to moderate remodel effort, then retrofitting an existing home is certainly an option.  Additionally, for some applications, wireless technology is greatly simplifying the installation process by reducing the need for some wiring installation.
Don’t you have to know a lot about computers to use this kind of system?
No.  As you can imagine, it takes computer technology to run the system on the back end, but knowing how to program, administer and maintain the system is what you hire the Eclipse Technologies Team to do.  Our job is make sure that you know how to USE the system so that you can ENJOY the added safety, comfort and convenience that Home Control and Automation provides to you and your family.
Why would I be interested in “Alternative Energy?” 
That depends!  For some people, supplementing their regular power consumption is a “passion,” while for others it may be a necessity or a nice convenience.  Alternative Energy solutions (i.e. solar, wind, micro hydro) are not for everyone or every situation, but for some they provide great ways to provide backup, supplemental, or even completely “off-grid” power.  Alternative energy is as much about a “way of life” as anything, and many people are experimenting with alternative energy solutions to help further the future cause of research and development.
How much does all this technology cost? 
That depends! (and believe us, we really dislike having to give that answer) Think about Home Automation and Control as a big set of modular building blocks.  When designing a solution for any particular application, the modular blocks used to develop the solution depend on numerous factors, such as the size of the home, whether the project is a new construction or a retrofit, the number of desired features, and perhaps budget constraints.  For instance, you can easily have just a couple of “automated” lights in the house, or else you have every light in the house setup as part of the automation system.  By contrast, you can see that the cost of just a couple of automated light switches would be quite low, however a moderate to large home today could have as many as 50 lighting circuits.  The point is that solutions can be small and simple, or large and incredibly complex, therefore the actual cost of a solution can vary dramatically.  But don’t worry, let the Eclipse Technologies Team sit down with you and develop a solution that will work for you and your specific situation.

Now here comes the fun part.  The following FAQ’s represent the “it sure would be nice if” questions that people often ask.  These questions will give you an idea of the wide range of things that we know we can do for you with a Home Control and Automation solution.  This section is intended to get you “thinking” about the challenges that you face in your home life and help exhibit the power of this amazing technology.

“I always forget to close the garage door at night.   Can the system help me to remember to close the garage door?” 
Better than that, the system can actually close the garage door FOR YOU.  We can set the system to close the door each night at a specified time, or to close it automatically when you ARM the security system at night.  And if that was not enough, the system can even remind you to set the garbage out for collection each week.
“It would be so cool if the system could let me know when my son comes home from school.  Can it notify me?” 
Yes it can.  The system can provide a number of outward bound communications, either in the form of a voice message delivered by telephone, or even as an email message to your office or email-enabled mobile phone.
“My parents just had a water pipe in their house burst.  It sure would be nice if one of these systems could have helped prevent that from happening.” 
Well, we can’t necessarily prevent the pipe or hose from bursting, but we can certainly detect most water leaks and at least limit the damage.  By installing leak detection sensors at the common leak locations (e.g. under sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, hot water heaters and ice makers) when a leak is detected the system can trigger an automated valve to shut off the main water supply, then provide you with a phone call or email to let you know that something has happened and that you should check on the property.  Similarly, these systems are designed to monitor for and alert you to potential FREEZE warnings, which could also prevent frozen and burst water pipes.