What happens to my KNX system if I change installer?

Why KNX doesn’t tie you to anyone

KNX is an open standard. Devices from hundreds of manufacturers speak the same language, and they’re all set up in ETS, the official KNX tool, which doesn’t belong to any brand.

That’s why a KNX system doesn’t depend on whoever installed it. Any installer who works with ETS can read it and change it.

The ETS project file

The whole configuration lives in one file: the ETS project (a .knxproj file). It holds:

• which devices there are, and where;
• how they’re linked to each other;
• the names of rooms, controls and scenes.

With the ETS project file, whoever takes over picks up exactly where the last installer left off.

What if there’s no file?

It happens: an installer who has closed down, a lost laptop.

KNX provides an official reconstruction tool: connected to the system, it reads the structure, addresses and settings back from the devices. What it can’t recover are names and descriptions, because they’re not stored in the devices. Those have to be redone by hand, room by room.

It works — it just takes more hours than having the file.

KNX Secure

Newer systems can use KNX Secure, which encrypts communication. In that case the ETS project is password-protected, and the device keys are kept in the project.

Here the ETS project file and its password matter even more. Without them, working on the secure devices again becomes much more complicated.

Since ETS 6.3 there’s an official app that manages project passwords and helps recover access if a password is forgotten.

What to ask for, and what to keep

When a KNX system is handed over to you, ask for:

1. the ETS project file, up to date with the latest changes;
2. the project password, if there is one;
3. the device list and the declaration of conformity.

Keep them with your other property documents.

What we do: when the job is finished we hand over every project file, including the ETS project. They’re yours to keep: if one day you want to use another installer, you can.

A practical tip

Keep your own copy of the ETS project file too: on a memory stick or in cloud storage, together with photos of the consumer unit. On the day it’s needed, nobody has to go looking for it.

Coming to us from another installer

We often take over systems installed by others. We start from the ETS project file if there is one, or from a reconstruction. Then we tell you what we’ve found before we touch anything.

See our KNX section and maintenance.