| Modem / Router |
The Living In Place Institute Idea Home has a fast modem and router, with current bandwidth speeds up to 2 Gigabits per second. |
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| Ethernet Switches |
To get the most speed and security to many critical items in the home (e.g., computers, televisions, audio receivers, smart circuit breaker panels, exterior cameras, etc.), and to offload demands of the Wi-Fi router, there are over 45 ethernet lines in the Idea Home that is connected to ethernet switches. |
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| Access Points |
For good signal strength through the home to various devices that have to rely on Wi-Fi, there are four ethernet-connected access points that help to offload connectivity demands of the router. |
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| Over-The-Air Television Coaxial Cable Junction Box |
In cutting the cable, it was decided to have an over-the-air television antenna installed in the attic. The signal from this went down to a junction box where it is amplified and directed to 9 different locations. |
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| Future Proofing Home |
In the process of the build before insulation and drywall was installed, flexible tubing was installed that went from the utility room to the garage, and then out of the home using conduit toward the street in case new and improved internet technology becomes available. |
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| Forced Air Units |
The utility room has two of the three forced air units that will heat and cool the home, one for the basement and one the first floor. |
LG HVAC |
| Energy Recovery Ventilator |
An energy recovery ventilator that draws in fresh exterior air and exhausts stale interior air is directed into both the forced air units. The incoming air goes through a heat exchanger that warms cool exterior air in the winter, and cools warm exterior air in the summer. |
Panasonic HVAC |
| Hot Water Heat Pump |
Hot water heat pumps are significantly more efficient than conventional hot water heaters. |
LG HVAC |
| Cooling Wine Room |
Instead of the hot water heat pump’s cool air being exhausted outside the home, it is directed into the wine cellar to keep the bottles cool between 50° and 56° F. Hence, there is no additional cooling necessary. |
LG HVAC |
| Smart Water Leak Sensors and High Water Usage |
System utilizes remote water sensors that communicate to a control module that will turn off water to the whole home via an electric valve to prevent water damage. Also the unit will sense if there is unusually high water usage that may also be an indicator of a flood event. |
Leak Defense |
| Power Stations for Smart Motorized Window Coverings |
The window blinds are powered via three power supplies, two of which are in the basement |
Hunter Douglas |
| Smart Sprinkler Controller |
The control panel for the smart irrigation sprinklers is located in the basement, keeping it out of the elements. |
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| Radon Mitigation System Piping |
As radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer for non-smokers, the Living In Place Institute Idea Home has a built-in passive radon mitigation system, where subsoil gases are collected in tubing on top of the area below the basement concrete slab, which then is directed up through the utility room through the interior of the home and exits through the roof. If the radon levels are not low enough with the passive system to be lower than what the US EPA suggests, a fan can be plugged in so it can be an active system. This system will also remove other subsoil gases, like natural gas, and helps reduce moisture from getting into the home. There is a vacuum meter on the piping in the utility room indicating if the system is working properly |
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| Sump Pit and Pump |
There is a sump pit and pump in the utility room to collect rain or snow melt water from around the perimeter of the home in French drains to then be exhausted away from the home, keeping the basement dry. |
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| Waste Ejector Station |
As the basement of the Idea Home was dropped over 6 feet to allow for no steps into the home, the basement bathroom drain line is directed to a waste ejector pit, which then pumps this up and then into the sewer line going out to the street. |
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