Recommendations for remote temperature sensors (air)

Just came across this, Temperature@lert WiFi Edition w/Temp Sensor WIFI220. I haven't used it but maybe someone will find it handy.

I too am in the cold I use the Phidgets 8/8/8 with temp sensor to monitor house temp. With the temp sensor, my home rolled furnace controller and Indigo, my furnace/heat is Indigo controlled and works very reliably. I have the Phidgets board & sensor 50 feet away by using a USB extender which works very reliably.

I also have a couple of Indigo control pages so I can monitor & adjust the heat from my iPod Touch. It tells me how many times the furnace came on in a day (furnace cycles), the duration of each cycle and the total time the furnace ran each day.

bob

Can you tell us a bit more about what your system does? What algorithm have you developed? I've been looking to do something like this myself!
George

George,

No special algorithms

I turn on my "heat controller" before I go to bed at night by executing a Time/Date Action (I set it to run automatically if I am away). This turns on the heat controller and sets two variables - ON & OFF to "night mode" which are lower temps for night time. When a Trigger senses a temp drop below 17C (the turn furnace on variable) Indigo turns on the furnace and I have heat. When the temp gets to 17.7C (the turn furnace off variable) the Trigger shuts off the furnace. Half an hour before I get up a Time/Date Action runs to change the variables to a warmer "daytime mode" heat setting so when I get up the house is nice and warm. When I get up I switch the heat to manual and the heat is controlled by the regular thermostat during the day. Using the iPod Touch and a Control Page I can change the temp up and down by changing the "night mode" or Daytime mode" temperature variables.

I have the iPod by my bed at night on full dim and I have indication of the house temp, if my furnace controller is ON or OFF and if the furnace is running or not. To adjust the heat if I want I can select to go to another control page where I adjust the heat. I also have a timer to run during each furnace cycle as a precaution in case for some reason the furnace gets stuck "ON".

This is my third winter using this system and it really works great and is reliable.

If you need any more details don't hesitate to ask.

regards,

bob

So Indigo controls the furnace directly, as opposed to changing thermostat setpoints? You might consider adding a thermostat in parallel that provides a backstop if, for some reason, Indigo fails.

It might be fun to add an outdoor temperature sensor and adjust the furnace duty cycle accordingly. I imagine that the house heat loss (in BTU/hr) is proportional to the indoor/outdoor temperature difference, so you could cycle the furnace on and off to heat the house at the right average rate. The system would adjust the proportionality constant dynamically to maintain a constant temperature. I believe that commercial building heat controllers use this technique.

What I'd like to do, eventually, is to collect temperature data from all over the house, in order to see where the greatest heat losses are and retrofit accordingly.

George

If you really want to do this the right way (no wires hanging over the side of the tub) this is what you need:

http://www.pentairpool.com/pdfs/Linear- ... sor-IG.pdf

You drill a hole in the PVC and put this in the hole, then strap a hose clamp around it to hold it against the pipe. This is what a professional installer would use for a pool, for example.

There's more math involved in reading a thermistor but it can be done with Applescript and the EZIO.

I'm considering this approach for controlling my hot tub:

1. Use the above linear temp sensor connected to an IOLINC to get temp into Indigo (will the IOLINC work for this?)
2. Use an Appliancelinc to connect to the freeze control of my spa controller (a Len Gordon ATSC-94) which can turn on the pump at low speed.

Am I on the right track thinking this will work? Are there better products to use for this?

Ideally I'd like the Appliancelinc and IOLINC (or whatever provides equivalent function) to not require an outlet but rather just be able to be wired straight into the home wiring. Anyone ever remove the cases of these products to do this? (I think they can fit in the current controller box)

Does anyone know if the pentair Temp sensor can connect to the IOLINC? Or does it really require the EZIOSA?

Thanks