Hardware Reliability

My company is currently evaluating the C-Bus system as our preferred choice for home automation. I am interested to know what sort of reliability users have encountered with the hardware.

 

The term "bullet proof" comes to mind.

 

Reliability

We have been a Systems Integrator for CIS for nearly 2 years. In that time we have sold several hundred thousand dollars worth of C-Bus equipment and have had failures of 1 intergral power supply , before delivery to site, and 1 software enabled burden. Not a bad record I would suggest.

 

We installed CBUSv1 in 1998, not faults with the hardware so far to date; touch wood. 24 CBUS switch-plates, 28 dimmer channels (7 x4way dimmers) and 4 x 4ch relay units, three power supplies and PC interface.

 

I installed C-Bus V1 in my house in 1997, similar set up to PaulK. up until Jan this year (which is when I sold the house) I had 2 switch plates fail at separate times, but both after power blackouts.

The original V1 C-Bus dimmers were mounted in the roof and it gets mighty hot in there in summer, no failures.

The V1 power supplies run a bit hot and cause a bit of discolour on the case but they still work fine.

I even bought a PC interface from a bloke at the local Trash & Treasure market for $5 that looked like it had been dragged behind a truck? works perfectly.

I had however bought a V2 Minder that came with a power supply that rattled (remember that one Ross? was dead out of the box) and so was the replacement that they sent me, but the third one is going strong. But I guess that wont be an issue any more with Minders Demise.

All up an extremely reliable product, it was actually specifically designed to be no less reliable that existing manual switches and fittings.

Regards

Rohan