ELECTRONIC PLUMBING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

By SUSAN SIPE
Madison Audio

So you're finally building your new home, that custom-designed three-story beauty you've been planning for years. You and the architect have hashed out most of the details, and you just need to take care of some last minute things. One issue you haven't thought about much is electronics wiring. The electrician is handling all the basics, but you'd also like to have a few custom systems installed -a security system, lighting controls and maybe a home theater downstairs. But with money tight and a host of other worries, you haven't really planned these amenities out yet. Besides, who knows what they'll have on the market in a few years that may make today's system's obsolete.

With that in mind, how do you wire your house, when you're not even sure what you want it wired for? Today, phones, computers, cable, security systems, door locks, heating, sprinklers, blinds, lighting, stereo and video systems all can be interfaced together to work almost intuitively in your home. But because these systems are so complex and expansive, the wiring has to be installed inside the walls of the home, before sheet rock goes up. That also means, of course, that once the walls are in place, making changes to the wiring system will take time and money, not to mention making a serious mess.

It was only a few years ago that phone wires were used just for voice transmission. Now they're used to fax financial information to the office, control our stereo equipment, turn on security systems, or upload a picture of the Mona Lisa. And already, the limitations of telephone line are becoming glaringly apparent. Even with the Internet still in its infancy, the size and complexity of information being sent from computer to computer is limited by the size of wire we are currently using.

This is why optical cable is now becoming an option for offices and homes alike. Optical cable, which uses light bursts from a laser instead of traditional electric pulses, gives you the widest "band width" to send information, which in turn allows an enormous amount of information to be transmitted.

The flow of electronic information is much like the flow of water in your home. When you turn on your faucet you see water; when you turn on your dimmer switch you see light. Similarly, the capacity of the faucet and the pipes that transport the water regulate your water pressure, you can regulate the flow of electronic information by the size and capacity of the wire.

Many of us were first introduced to this truism of electronics when we hooked up that first stereo system. When connecting the speakers to the amplifier, we found the lower the gauge of wire we used, the more current we supplied to our speakers. And it wasn't simply a question of volume: the size of wire actually improved the quality of sound as well.

These same issues apply to wiring for integrated electronic systems. Making the right wiring choice will dictate the kinds of systems you can install into a home or business, and will also have a great impact on how well the systems run once installed.

Could you or your electrical contractor install fiber optic cable yourself? You could, depending of course on the complexity of the system. But the more features you want the more crucial it is to have someone who will design the system easy for anyone to use. It's also important to realize that answering questions of where to lay wire and what kind of wire to use are complicated issues. It requires understanding the technology, the applications and their performance requirements to create the proper infrastructure.

Many people feel stagnated by the rate of this technology. Deciding what kind of wiring to use can be daunting. The technology is infinitely dynamic, while your decision is a relatively permanent one.

The other issue is cost. Optic cable can be three times more expensive than standard phone line. And while it allows you several times the bandwith of telephone or coaxial cable wiring, there simply aren't many resources out today that can take full advantage of optic cable's capacity.

One good compromise is to install conduit in the walls, and leave the actual wiring until you really need it. This will still require you to have a good idea of the kind of systems you want in order to create an efficient (and adequate) pathway for the wiring, but this allows you some flexibility that can save many headaches down the road.

Everyday our computers, phones, security, lighting and stereo systems are expanding the way we interface with them. But with some forethought and careful planning, you can electronically plumb your house today to be ready for the technology of tomorrow.

Susan Sipe and her husband Mark own Madison Audio, a Seattle-based system integration and home theater installation company.