C4 Shut Down Best Practices

[tomn68]

I inherited a C4 system in a small 2nd home/condo.

My main question is around the best method for shutting down the entire system when I know we're not going to be around for awhile. Yes I won't be able to set the HVAC when away (the only remote thing I tend to use occasionally... no cameras, alarm, etc.) but I'd like to cut down on the electric bill.  Just seems like a waste especially when I hear that fan kick in high gear when it's hot in the apartment which is going to be another post at some point.

Can I simply hit the master switch on the power supply to shut everything down (partial list below) or is that a bad idea? (eg. C4 or Lutron RadioRA2... doesn't want to boot up or something)

-Control4 EA-5
-5 Control4 7” T3 Touch Screens
-Luxul Epic-5 Gigabit Router
-Araknis AN-210-SW-R-24-POE 24-Port POE Switch
-TP-Link EAP225 Wireless Access Point
-Lutron RR-MAIN-REP Radio RA2
-Panamax M5300-PM Power Conditioner
-Control4 Wireless Thermostats (Heat Zones)
-Intesis Box Wireless Gateway (AC Zones)
-All amps, receivers, AppleTVs, power supply , etc. 

One thing I'm not sure of is if powered down (or power outage), what happens with the C4 Wireless Thermostats that drive the baseboard radiator heat. Can those work w/o C4 control powered up.

[msgreenf]

I would not recommend this. 

[Matt Lowe]

you can certainly just power down what ever you want. it should recover on its own when power is restored. The thermostats have batteries that will die if you turn the power off to the air handler.  there is no guarantee that it wont cause some issues.

[tomn68]

I would not recommend this. 

Anything specific that’s worrisome?


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[msgreenf]

26 minutes ago, tomn68 said:

Anything specific that’s worrisome?


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yes, if your system isn't setup using SDDP/Static IPs or IP reservations things won't work well when you turn it back on

[tomn68]

yes, if your system isn't setup using SDDP/Static IPs or IP reservations things won't work well when you turn it back on

I think I’m ok there but I’ll double check. Thanks


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[Amr]

11 hours ago, tomn68 said:

One thing I'm not sure of is if powered down (or power outage), what happens with the C4 Wireless Thermostats that drive the baseboard radiator heat. Can those work w/o C4 control powered up.

I also never recommend to shut down anything, system at idle state draws very little power, just unplug using smart plugs whatever system u don’t want it functional like a heater or whatever, I do that when traveling for a long time, I just hit Travel custom button and it do the rest.

An HA system is there for security, u program it when bad things happen, it alerts you to take actions, this is not recommended at all, I urge u to invest more in securing your home while away!

Answering your quoted question, wireless Thermostat will continue to function without controller, it will stop when batteries 🪫!

[Andrew luecke]

I'd also recommend against this. 

In regards to hitting the power switch, its ok accidentally, but not on a regular basis.. You don't want to risk cutting the power during an auto-update of a driver or the firmware to fix an issue. Also whilst rare, there is always the minor risk of corruption too, similar to computers (data could be only half-written). If something does get corrupted or things don't come back online, any money gained could be lost by having to call an installer out. 

At idle, a EA5 uses only 15w of power, and the absolute max is 40W. In comparison, a small fridge often uses 100W, and a standard fridge uses hundreds

[tomn68]

I also never recommend to shut down anything, system at idle state draws very little power, just unplug using smart plugs whatever system u don’t want it functional like a heater or whatever, I do that when traveling for a long time, I just hit Travel custom button and it do the rest.
An HA system is there for security, u program it when bad things happen, it alerts you to take actions, this is not recommended at all, I urge u to invest more in securing your home while away!
Answering your quoted question, wireless Thermostat will continue to function without controller, it will stop when batteries 🪫!

Thanks for the suggestions. As for security, we’re in a fairly secure 9 story doorman building… I do have a camera setup outside of the C4 just to capture movement.


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[tomn68]

I'd also recommend against this. 
In regards to hitting the power switch, its ok accidentally, but not on a regular basis.. You don't want to risk cutting the power during an auto-update of a driver or the firmware to fix an issue. Also whilst rare, there is always the minor risk of corruption too, similar to computers (data could be only half-written). If something does get corrupted or things don't come back online, any money gained could be lost by having to call an installer out. 
At idle, a EA5 uses only 15w of power, and the absolute max is 40W. In comparison, a small fridge often uses 100W, and a standard fridge uses hundreds

Thanks for that. 40w is not bad at all. Just that when I heard that fan blasting when we arrived on a summer weekend I figured it would be more. So really it’s about getting that C4 cooked off. I’ll be investing in a rack fan.


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[RAV]

Invest in a watt meter they're under $30. Do some math, and then rest assured it's not bad.

If it's power amps, and they are always on, not triggered by the system, maybe an outlet kill.
Most of the rest is either not enough to worry about, or you're going to regret it later by spending more than you saved.