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Post by jayson on Nov 14, 2016 6:41:08 GMT -6
So, Does anybody know if any of the smart thermostats currently available are capable of using a temperature range rather than a single arbitrary number as it's temperature setting?
Here's what I'm trying to describe: I want to be able to set a maximum and minimum temperature range on the thermostat. Let's say I'm heating my house and I want the heat to turn on at 63 degrees and heat the house until it's 70. When the the temperature hits 70 I want the heat to shut off and let the house cool back down to 63 before it turns on and heats to 70 again.
Does this characteristic seem like any of the smart thermostat solutions that are currently available any of you folks are aware of? Seems like every thermostat I've seen wants to just heat around a single temp setting and it makes the furnace constantly turn on and off trying to unrealistically maintain the temperature at that single number. All that pecking away at one arbitrary number ain't so good for HVAC solenoids and burns too much juice.
I don't particularly care if the damn thing knows when I get home from work or when I get up in the morning; I just want to keep the temperature in a specific RANGE not at one specific number.
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Post by chasmanian on Nov 14, 2016 7:59:01 GMT -6
I just googled.
found nothing.
best work around off the top of my head, I can think of, is getting a programmable thermostat that has a lot of periods allowing you to change the temperature setting many times per day.
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Post by mulmany on Nov 14, 2016 11:22:34 GMT -6
I be leave the nest will alow you to do something close to that,but it's based on motion near the tstat.
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Post by keymod on Nov 14, 2016 17:21:43 GMT -6
Jayson, you're describing something like a high and low limit on a boiler or a pressure switch on a well pump, but I've not seen anything that does what you're looking for on a furnace. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist though. You might have to wire a secondary device in line with a Tstat in order to do what you want.
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Post by EmRR on Nov 15, 2016 22:30:53 GMT -6
63 to 70, another way, is 66.5 +/-3.5. Which is roughly the tolerance range we were quoted in a proposal last year regarding a new install. I assume that to mean:
thermostat will trigger at X degrees to heat, but somewhere else in the house it may be 3.5 degrees cooler relative to the thermostat position.
and
may overshoot target by 3.5 degrees.
Consider that aspect. I don't know if our new systems are 'smart', though they are wi-fi connected and I can monitor real time data in a browser showing all run time and temp info, along with a smartphone app to make changes to settings. I don't think I can define an upper and lower range the way you are seeking.
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Post by keymod on Nov 16, 2016 4:03:05 GMT -6
Honeywell 9000 ? Wi-Fi enabled, with lots of scheduling options but no range of temp as Jayson is hoping for. I have two of these in my house and plan on getting two more. The Android app works great on my Samsung phone.
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Post by Ward on Nov 16, 2016 8:54:57 GMT -6
I have an oil furnace, gas fireplaces, a wood stove and electrical in-floor heating in my 60 year old Ranch house... and all heating sources are tied in with the programmable thermostats. And they work flawlessly. Honeywell, by the way, as EmRR mentioned. |
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Post by johneppstein on Nov 16, 2016 13:03:47 GMT -6
I have an oil furnace, gas fireplaces, a wood stove and electrical in-floor heating in my 60 year old Ranch house... and all heating sources are tied in with the programmable thermostats. And they work flawlessly. Honeywell, by the way, as EmRR mentioned. How do you tie the wood stove in with the thermostat(s)? |
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Post by Ward on Nov 16, 2016 19:54:33 GMT -6
I have an oil furnace, gas fireplaces, a wood stove and electrical in-floor heating in my 60 year old Ranch house... and all heating sources are tied in with the programmable thermostats. And they work flawlessly. Honeywell, by the way, as EmRR mentioned. How do you tie the wood stove in with the thermostat(s)? I was expecting that question. When I have the wood stove going (on cold nights, once or twice a week usually from December to Late March, occasionally in November and April too) The heat shuts down the propane, electric and oil heating sources. That's all!  |
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Post by johneppstein on Nov 17, 2016 18:04:42 GMT -6
How do you tie the wood stove in with the thermostat(s)? I was expecting that question. When I have the wood stove going (on cold nights, once or twice a week usually from December to Late March, occasionally in November and April too) The heat shuts down the propane, electric and oil heating sources. That's all! Must be a pretty good stove. Is it an antique? |
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Post by kilroyrock on Nov 18, 2016 7:54:58 GMT -6
So, Does anybody know if any of the smart thermostats currently available are capable of using a temperature range rather than a single arbitrary number as it's temperature setting? Here's what I'm trying to describe: I want to be able to set a maximum and minimum temperature range on the thermostat. Let's say I'm heating my house and I want the heat to turn on at 63 degrees and heat the house until it's 70. When the the temperature hits 70 I want the heat to shut off and let the house cool back down to 63 before it turns on and heats to 70 again. Does this characteristic seem like any of the smart thermostat solutions that are currently available any of you folks are aware of? Seems like every thermostat I've seen wants to just heat around a single temp setting and it makes the furnace constantly turn on and off trying to unrealistically maintain the temperature at that single number. All that pecking away at one arbitrary number ain't so good for HVAC solenoids and burns too much juice. I don't particularly care if the damn thing knows when I get home from work or when I get up in the morning; I just want to keep the temperature in a specific RANGE not at one specific number. YES - It costs more to spin up the AC unit (separate capacitor and everything for the juice to do it!) than to leave it on a little longer! It drives me mad, especially having the vent in the living room. So damn loud. then off. Then loud. Then off. |
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Post by jayson on Nov 18, 2016 22:33:15 GMT -6
Yeah, I guess it's kind of a weird idea; sorta like like having hysteresis and compression controls for HVAC - I guess it takes an audio nut to come up with an idea like that. Seems like it'd be easy enough to do but I haven't actually found one.
You could even do the same thing in reverse for cooling in the summer; if you had the AC set to kick on at 80 and cool until it hit 75 and then wait until the temp warms back up to 80 before it kicks on again. I gotta think it would be a lot more efficient.
I wonder if Honeywell makes custom thermostats...
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Post by jcoutu1 on Nov 19, 2016 1:01:35 GMT -6
Yeah, I guess it's kind of a weird idea; sorta like like having hysteresis and compression controls for HVAC - I guess it takes an audio nut to come up with an idea like that. Seems like it'd be easy enough to do but I haven't actually found one. You could even do the same thing in reverse for cooling in the summer; if you had the AC set to kick on at 80 and cool until it hit 75 and then wait until the temp warms back up to 80 before it kicks on again. I gotta think it would be a lot more efficient. I wonder if Honeywell makes custom thermostats... I have a kerosene heater in one of my kitchens. That unit has an "economy mode" that features a 12 degree swing. I set it so 74 and it kicks on at 66 and cooks until 74. Standalone unit though. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Nov 19, 2016 1:03:10 GMT -6
Yeah, I guess it's kind of a weird idea; sorta like like having hysteresis and compression controls for HVAC - I guess it takes an audio nut to come up with an idea like that. Seems like it'd be easy enough to do but I haven't actually found one. You could even do the same thing in reverse for cooling in the summer; if you had the AC set to kick on at 80 and cool until it hit 75 and then wait until the temp warms back up to 80 before it kicks on again. I gotta think it would be a lot more efficient. I wonder if Honeywell makes custom thermostats... I have a kerosene heater in one of my kitchens. That unit has an "economy mode" that features a 12 degree swing. I set it so 74 and it kicks on at 66 and cooks until 74. Standalone unit though. Wonky math at 2am. 78. |
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Post by M57 on Nov 19, 2016 7:53:05 GMT -6
I know it's more about humidity, and overnight is one thing, but I'm thinking constant temperature swings of more than 5 or 6 degrees would be be hard on some of my instruments. At the least, they would probably need tuning more often. Not so bad with a bass or guitar, but a piano..
Anyway, I have a mini-split system, which is super efficient.. and pretty damn quiet. I've got a fan unit that mounts 'low' on the wall and fires up. It's about 15' from where I sing/play and with a gobo or two in between, I'm pretty happy. It's not dead quiet, but the one window in the room in front of which I've installed a second plexi barrier let's in more noise when a car goes by.
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Post by chasmanian on Nov 19, 2016 14:59:09 GMT -6
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Nov 19, 2016 18:08:52 GMT -6
In my loft the thermostat is to close to the furnace and the other areas are to cold or to hot so I'm looking at a Honeywell with remote sensors.
In one of our Apts in Madison we had a gas fireplace with free gas , on the other side of the wall was the master bedroom so I bought the upgrade Thermostat controller! cheapest bills I have ever had ! kind of
Miss that place and according to the website they have only raised the rent $100 in 20 years!
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