How to Run a House on a PLC

Locate the electrical wiring plan for your home on the blueprint or schematic. Determine where the PLC hub -- where you'll be able to control and reset the system -- should be installed.

Choose a location that is easily accessible, such as a living room or central hallway wall. Ask your builder or electrician to add wiring that supplies power to the PLC hub.

Make a list of the systems in your home that you want to automate. Consider each of the electronic systems that PLCs are capable of controlling, such as security alarms, smoke detectors, sprinklers, door locks, interior and exterior lighting, home theater systems, intercoms, home telephones, thermostats and personal computers.

Compare PLCs by reading about their features in product catalogs or PLC manufacturer and installer websites. Choose one that can control all of the systems you've listed and that fits within your budget. Purchase the system yourself or ask your builder to do so.

Install the PLC's software on your computer, tablet or smartphone, following the manufacturer's instructions. Read the tutorials that come with the software to learn how the PLC is programmed, operated and reset.

Program the PLC after it's fully installed. Set time-based automation for tasks, such as switching the thermostat on and off, based on your schedule. Enter the passcodes for your alarm system and Internet network to tie your devices together and give you control from a central location, such as the hub or a connected device.