Working with dealers...

[DIEHARD]

I must be over excited about my new home being built and the Control 4 package coming with it as i just bought 12 used dimmer switches (C4-DIM1-Z-x) and don't even have the house yet.

How mad is my dealer going to be at me for doing this on my own? The hardest part about all of this is just the inability to DO it on my own! I promise i can!

I am assuming they are going to charge me some type of integration fee to add it to the controller they are providing me or are most dealers friendly and helpful? I mean I still need some AUX switches and I am sure other things I will be purchasing from them.

I have asked the dealer who is providing the included package with the new home for pricing for things and have still seen nothing from them. That's what caused me to shop myself in the first place.

I guess part of what i am getting at is... Should I be worried about buying stuff "I" want even if it's not direct from my dealer? I am hoping worst case is they come in and do the included stuff then i have to find someone else if they are not willing to work with me on the stuff I want to add. That is a correct assumption yes?

[Cyknight]

Sure you can do it yourself, just like you can connect those AUX switches to the old dimmers (hint - you can't).

 

In the end it will depend on the dealer. Some will charge a premium, some will refuse to work with second-hand stuff at all. But yes, you could find another dealer.

But really, those old dimmers will not work with the current AUX switches. They also look different.

 

[RyanE]

Yeah, the dimmers you bought are not the current Gen3 dimmers.

If you're dimming incandescent or halogen loads, they should work fine, but if you're planning on doing dimmable LED loads or other types of loads, they may not work as well as the new Adaptive Phase or Reverse Phase dimmers.

Also, as Cyknight mentioned, the new Gen3 dimmers are a different look and feel, and don't mix well with the dimmers you've bought.

RyanE

 

[DIEHARD]

Yes I am sure I still have a shopping list full of things to get from them if they would just give me pricing... I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get that much further into my project at the price I got them for.

I am a network engineer by day (and often night also...) so not being able to connect things myself is a hard thing to get through my head. It's the feeling of helplessness that keeps getting to me.

[Snaffle8]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new addiction.

[msgreenf]

Yes I am sure I still have a shopping list full of things to get from them if they would just give me pricing... I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get that much further into my project at the price I got them for.

I am a network engineer by day (and often night also...) so not being able to connect things myself is a hard thing to get through my head. It's the feeling of helplessness that keeps getting to me.

But you bought something that is a very old and looks different totally different than any other dimmers your dealer will sell you. Personally I don't like mixing styles as the colors are even slightly different.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[Snaffle8]

I bet you could resell those dimmer you bought pretty easily.

[turls]

I don't get how you get to purchase / install your own switches / dimmers for the type of build that would include a Control4 package as part of the purchase.  Whether they are Control4 compatible or not.  Do you get to choose your own contractors for drywall, electrical, etc?

[msgreenf]

1 minute ago, turls said:

I don't get how you get to purchase / install your own switches / dimmers for the type of build that would include a Control4 package as part of the purchase.  Whether they are Control4 compatible or not.  Do you get to choose your own contractors for drywall, electrical, etc?

when I built my house, while I didn't pick every sub, I was able to interject and pick the ones i wanted to....

[RyanE]

When I built both of my houses, I did all the (LV and HV) electrical work.

In the first house, I'm still surprised they let me do that, as they were carrying the construction loan, but they were a smaller builder.

In my current house, even though I had a builder, I carried the construction loan, the builder worked 'for me', and if I wanted to choose my own contractors, I could've.

RyanE

 

Edited to Add: In most cases, it didn't make any sense for me to choose my own contractors, as the builder already had relationships with the subs he's worked with before, and could get a better deal out of them than a 'one shot' project from me.

[msgreenf]

yeah, actually I forgot I did all my LV wiring myself.  No one really cared, even thought the builder had the construction loan, it actually meant less out of loan/pocket spend for him.  I self funded the wiring purchase and then obviously no labor charge since it was me and some friends, ok there was labor but it was pizza and beer  

[turls]

I get that there might be some flexibility, but it isn't like a dimmer / switch is optional.  That's a pretty basic part of what I would expect to do as a dealer if I was contracted for that work by a builder.  If its a one off, sure I could be completely off-base.

[DIEHARD]

This is a house from a home builder doing a subdivision and I am not allowed to pick anything out side of what they provide! They have a deal with the dealer to provide a smart home package included with the purchase of the house.

The big issue here is that it is not technically "MY" house until it is built and closed on. I do get to pick from all kinds of "options" but every change costs a lot to add. So according to the builder I am not allowed to even go in and do low voltage network wiring before the walls go up as it's not mine at that point

The company doing the smart home package is responsible for all the low voltage wiring and the one guy I talked to told me I could not do it myself and would have to pay $140 per outlet for Cat5e/RG6 jacks. He said the reason for this is they could not warranty it.... I never expected them to! Luckily I am not finishing the basement so I can still do most of the main floor wiring myself after I move in before I do finish the basement myself including my home theater room. There is just no way to easily get wires to the upper floor though so might be stuck paying for those runs.

I still have a chance of getting the GM on the project to give me permission but I am sure he doesn't want to step on the smart home dealers responsibilities.

I would have to put the switches in myself AFTER the house is mine but before they come out to do the initial Smart Home programing which with there response times probably will be easy to do.

 

FYI the smart home package includes

Security:

• DSC Alarm System with all exterior doors monitored
• 1 Front Door Camera
• 1 Motion Detector

Smart Home:

• 2 C4 Smart Switches
• C4 Thermostat
• EA-1 Controller

And the programming appointment.

I can add whatever I want with the dealer above that.

[Cyknight]

Just make sure to get all the upper floor wiring done, and any speakers in the ceilings for the main floor.

[RyanE]

I would also consider asking them what they would charge to run a low-voltage electrical conduit from the upper floor attic down to the basement, which could be used to add LV wiring after the fact to upstairs rooms, although it's cumbersome to have to drill down a wall from the attic.  Like a 2 1/2" or 3" electrical conduit, with appropriate 'sweep' bends.

An alternative would be to ask if they would run LV conduits from some boxes in rooms upstairs, but that'd be quite a bit more expensive.

I'm a big fan of overdoing it.

RyanE

 

[Snaffle8]

We paid $800 for (4) 1" conduits installed from the unfinished basement to the 2nd Floor attic.  Although I thought the $800 was excessive, It allowed me to cable the upper level myself after we moved in.