Smart home stopped making sense? KNX rescue gets it back under your control.
When the ETS project file is lost or the installer has gone, a KNX smart home can't be changed or properly fixed. On most systems I can read the programmed devices back off the bus into a new ETS project, re-create the names and documentation by testing, and hand the file over to you. From Ryde, on site across the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, with remote help UK-wide.
Sound familiar?
- Nobody has the ETS project file
- The installer has gone out of business, retired or isn't replying
- You bought the house and the smart home came with no paperwork
- A fault no one can trace, or a keypad that does nothing
- You want a change, and nobody can make it
Why a lost project file matters
KNX is a good choice for a smart home because it's an open standard: devices from many manufacturers work together, and any qualified KNX partner can look after them. But that only works if someone has the ETS project file — the master record of every device, setting and group address.
Without it, every change becomes guesswork. Adding a light to a scene, moving a switch or replacing a failed actuator can turn into a day of trial and error, and some faults can't be fixed at all.
The good news is that the hardware is usually fine. On ordinary devices, the settings, addresses and group-address links can usually be read back into a new ETS project. What never lived in the devices (names, building structure and notes) doesn't come back, so it's re-created by testing each function and labelling it. Expect a reconstruction plus re-documentation, not a magic restore.
Before you call
- Any files, USB sticks or emails from the original installer
- Photos of the panel, inside and out
- A list of what works, what doesn't and what you'd like to change
- Whether there's a KNX IP interface or router on site
From audit to a project file you own
Audit
I survey the panel, keypads and lines, and agree with you what you want the system to do. Quoted before work starts.
Read the devices
Where the devices allow, their settings, individual addresses and group-address links are read back into a new ETS project. Secure, password-locked and plug-in/EasyTool devices are flagged.
Report & quote
Written findings: which devices read back, which need resetting and reprogramming, and a fixed quote for the work.
Re-create & reprogram
Each function is tested to work out what it does, then named by floor, room and function. Devices that couldn't be read are reprogrammed to match, plus anything you want changed.
Download & test
Downloaded room by room and tested with you: lighting, scenes, blinds, heating where it's on KNX.
Document & hand over
You receive the ETS project file, a device and group address list and notes on any changes. Your system, your file.
Nothing is downloaded to your devices until the rebuilt project has been checked and agreed.
What you get at the end
The ETS project file (.knxproj), handed to you rather than kept by me, so the system isn't tied to one person.
Documentation: device list with locations, group address list, scene schedule and notes on anything that couldn't be recovered.
A labelled panel where labels were missing, so the next person to open it can trace it.
Honest notes on limits. KNX Data Secure devices can't be read without the original keyring, and password-locked, plug-in or EasyTool-programmed devices may not read back. These may need resetting and reprogramming from scratch (occasionally a manufacturer reset). The audit tells you which before you commit, not after.
Afterwards, small changes can often be made remotely. See remote support & system audits.
Where
Based in Ryde, Isle of Wight — the only KNX Gold Partner on the Island. On site across the Island, Portsmouth and Southampton; Winchester and Chichester by arrangement, and as far as Bournemouth, Poole and Brighton. Mainland travel and ferry costs are charged and set out in the quote. Remote help anywhere in the UK where the system allows.
Ask about a rescueCan you rescue a KNX system someone else installed?
Yes. That's what this service is for. Most rescue work is on systems where the original installer has retired, moved on or stopped answering the phone.
Can everything be recovered?
Not everything, and I'll say so up front. On ordinary devices, the programmed settings, individual addresses and group-address links can usually be read back off the bus into a new ETS project. Names, the building structure and any notes were never stored in the devices, so they never come back; they're re-created by testing each function and labelling it. Devices set up with KNX Data Secure can't be read without the original keyring, and password-locked (BCU key), plug-in or EasyTool-programmed devices may not read back either. Those may need resetting and reprogramming from scratch. The audit tells you which devices fall into which group before you commit.
Will my lights and blinds keep working while you do this?
Yes. Reading devices doesn't change them. Nothing is downloaded until the rebuilt project has been checked and we've agreed a time, and then it's done room by room so you're never left without lighting.
Who owns the ETS project file afterwards?
You do. At the end you get the ETS project file (.knxproj) and the documentation, so any KNX partner can look after the system in future, including me.
Is it cheaper to rip it out and start again?
Rarely. The cabling, actuators and keypads are usually fine; what's missing is the information. A rescue keeps the hardware you've paid for. If parts really are past saving, the audit will say so.
Can it be done remotely?
Partly. With a KNX IP interface or router on site and remote access agreed with you, much of the reading and testing can be done remotely. A site visit is usually needed to check the panel, keypads and how each room actually behaves.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the size of the system and what can be read back, so it starts with an audit, quoted before any work. You then get written findings and a fixed quote for the rebuild. Mainland visits: travel and ferry costs are set out in the quote.
Got a KNX system nobody can change?
Send a few details and photos of the panel. I'll tell you what's realistic before quoting.