I had to call the home security people and have them go over and reset the stat.. But I had no way of verifying that it was done, or what they had set it to... Nope not going to do that again...
I thought about purchasing a NEST learning thermostat, but it costs $249.... Beyond the cost, I wondered if I wanted to have the stat learning about visits from the security company while I was not here.... It would keep track of the motion of their presence, and try to keep them comfortable.... Nope that's not going to work....
So Honeywell makes a normal programmable thermostat that is controlled over the internet.. Has 4 Temperature times for every day... And auto switches from heat to cool with another different 28 period group of settings for the cool side as well.... Besides, it was only $150, at Home Depot..
This whole thing surrounds whether you have a common wire in your cable from the furnace... Since this house is only two years old, I assumed I would..... When I was trying to remove the old stat from its base, the whole thing came off of the wall... It was barely mounded in plastic dry wall anchors... But here is what I had.....
The G wire was green and W was white and Y was yellow and R was red... But the C for common was that blue wire in the center.... And sure enough the meter measured low voltage between that and the red one...
I took this picture to remember how it was before I removed the old base... Can't be too careful.. And I did turn off the furnace breaker as well... It wasn't too long and the new base was wired and fastened into the stud in the wall... No plastic hollow drywall anchors used....
With the wires matching their colors it wasn't long before the whole deal was wired and mounted... When I flipped the breaker, the stat lit up.... Collective sigh of relief... and the fan switch started the fan....
Here's the new one after the date and time were set, and its connected to the wifi... Note the antenna and signal bars in the top right..
You take your computer and search for wifi connections with OS like you were finding a different router... One will have the name thermostat and some numbers... You connect to that, and start your browser on the 192.168.1.1 local ip address... The stat answers you and offers links to all the routers in its view... You select yours and enter the password... It signed on and transferred my computer over to that router automatically... It offered the web site to sign up for an account, verifying the email you enter with a confirmation entry...
And just like that, I was on the internet with the new stat... I did download the app from the app store on my phone, and entered my newly set up passwords.. And........ I can turn up the heat from my phone.... Wowsers... Of course I could be in Kansas and turn off the A/C just as easily...
So if your old thermostat has a common wire and you have an internet wifi connection, here's something else you can use that expensive cell phone for while driving in traffic.......
It was a really nice day, so I went after that new stat and some groceries on the motorcycle... It saves mileage on the Jeep, but I'm fairly certain it will be more expensive putting miles on the three wheeler in the end....
Retired Rod
Now you have to keep your internet connection active all year long, right? I would have thought you would put the internet connection on vacation hold for the summer. Many years ago I recall a device which you connected to a phone line. Then you could phone your vacation home, and verify the temperature, lights, etc. And you could set it to call you if the temperature approached freezing. I can't remember what it was called.
ReplyDeleteI'm on a first year introductory rate, but next year will be a scare... I could turn it off for a few months once I am home in Ks and things are going alright.. I just want to know that it isn't 120 inside the house because the AC went out.. Or if someone has moved in, you know they would set the AC to a much cooler temp than 90....
DeleteMaybe you could install a security camera and check on your home and who might be going into it. But could you watch the camera when you're in Kansas? I can see the difficulties of owning a second home that is left unoccupied for the summer months.
ReplyDeleteAnd so it begins, I started out with a Thermostat exactly like yours, now I have a fleet of camera's that rival the White Houses and sensors to tell me what the humidity is, any water leaking and even can turn the lights on and off. The last mostly to drive other folks crazy. And if a bird flys at either Dogpound I have a record of it and no doubt sooner or later facial recognition software will be available to tell what kind it is.
ReplyDeleteBut it does give me peace of mind that the place is not melting down or freezing up depending on the season and the location.
I just called my house up North and the Sensor Phone answered and said indoor temp is 61 degrees and let me hear inside noise for 60 seconds. It will call me if it detects water on floor, smoke, low temp, high temp or loud sound like breaking glass etc. Old Low Tech, but works for me. Having neighbors who care and watch is the best system we have. I had not thought about our home until I read this post, so, out of sight and out of mind applies to us.
ReplyDeleteThat is a nifty gadget for the North Koreans to play with in their spare time.
You are correct in thinking the cycle will cost more in the long run, but it must a lot of fun to drive.
Oh the days of FETs and MOSFETs and all that other stuff I am happy to forget.
Tom you obviously had a technical background at some point in your life..
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