Installing a garage heater (Modine Hot Dawg 45K btu), and I'd like to add a wifi thermostat so I can fire it up before I'm home if I plan on working out there.
Anybody have a recommendation for a "Non-Learning" Dumb thermostat, that has Wifi?
I don't want a fancy learning one that tries to warm up the garage every time somebody goes in the garage, or leaves for work in the morning, or throws some recycling in the bin. I don't want it to "learn my behavior patterns". I just want to be able to fire it up at totally random times from places other than my garage so I can show up to a warm garage and get to work.
Sounds like the way I like to do things. Unforunately this way often involves building a lot of your own stuff. If you want to build your own device, the easiest way would be to use an ESP32 or RasPi Zero and some relays (Edit: Combined with a temperature sensor for thermostatic control). If you just want something off the shelf...well there aren't a lot of good options, this is why you have to build stuff. The best deal I've been able to find is this:
https://www.amazon.com/3Gstore-Remote-Power-IP-Switch/dp/B01GOOE8OY/
(Edit: Combined with this for thermostatic control: https://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Cooling-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000E7NYY8/)
It has a web interface, which isn't the most convenient from an automation standpoint, but it's an option other than the now-ubiquitous Cloudy Forecast for Security, Support and Longevity.
Ooo, I kinda like that remote power switch.
GameboyRMH said:
(Edit: Combined with this for thermostatic control: https://www.amazon.com/Lux-Heating-Cooling-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/B000E7NYY8/)
Oooh... unrelated but I need one of these for the space heater in my daughter's room. Would've paid for itself by now for all the days I forget to turn it off in the morning (like pretty much everyday... lol). Clicks 'Add to Cart'
RossD
MegaDork
1/16/18 1:59 p.m.
I haven't done it myself yet, but a good friend of mine accomplished basically what you are wanting to do with an old school manual thermostat and some sort of wi-fi light bulb controller that energized a relay to put the one set higher in service. his phone though it was turning on a light bulb, but it was closing a contact to complete the thermostat control circuit.
Edit, pretty much same as RossD said
In reply to RossD :
I was going to post what RossD did. A regular mechanical dumb thermostat and a WiFi controlled switch is what you need.
wae
Dork
1/16/18 2:22 p.m.
I've been considering this for our workshop-in-a-storage-garage: https://www.isocket3g.com/us/. It's not WiFi, but 3g and can take a prepaid SIM and can do a number of things, including (I think) the ability to turn things on and off remotely.
Can't you get a programmable one and just not program it?
dculberson said:
In reply to RossD :
I was going to post what RossD did. A regular mechanical dumb thermostat and a WiFi controlled switch is what you need.
Isn't this exactly what Gameboy posted?
RossD
MegaDork
1/16/18 2:56 p.m.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Close, but will the unit turn on and fire if you just plug it in? I don't know. Also then the thermostat can still be put in a good location rather than at the outlet behind the heater. Doing what Gameboy suggest might actually be a bit dangerous if you plugged the heater into the controlled outlet as most of those heaters will continue blowing air after the burner turns off and some might have a purge cycle.
If it was an electric heater it would be better but you would probably cut the life of the elements down by cutting the power to everything all at once and not cooling the elements down with the fan.
The Honeywell Lyric 5T is 100 dollars that's about as cheap as wifi thermostats get.
I have a couple of those Lux Win100's. They work pretty well for a few panel heaters I have around the house but they do require a constant power source so a wifi enabled plug might cause an issue over time where you're replacing the backup coin batteries.
Robbie
PowerDork
1/16/18 3:29 p.m.
Ross and oldopel's friend:
You guys are geniuses!
I'm thinking of running a heat pump in my garage. Are they at risk if they are shut off completely in winter for a few days at a time?
The0retical said:
The Honeywell Lyric 5T is 100 dollars that's about as cheap as wifi thermostats get.
I have a couple of those Lux Win100's. They work pretty well for a few panel heaters I have around the house but they do require a constant power source so a wifi enabled plug might cause an issue over time where you're replacing the backup coin batteries.
This is likely the route I'm going. Looks like some of the Honeywell wifi thermostats can be had for ~$80.
I don't like the idea of actually cutting power to the heatr unit for the reasons outlined above. I'd rather just cut the thermostat call for heat signal so the unit can shut down properly.
Secondly, and perhaps I didn't specify it well, but I would like to keep it above freezing out there all the time, so not just a "on only" wifi, but being able to take it from say... 40-45 where it normally stays, up to 60+ is really more what I'm after.
I hadn't found the simpler Honeywell thermostats before, but for sub $100, that looks like the plug and play option I'm after. Not sure how low they can be programmed though, as I'd rather not keep it 50+ for the sake of energy savings, so hopefully it'll go lower than that.
If I remember correctly, doesn't tilting a mechanical thermostat skew the temperature setting?
Also, wouldn't it be possible to shut down the thermostat while leaving the furnace (fan/purge) controls active?
For heat only thermostat you can run two in parallel, with one set for your low temperature setting and the other in parallel with it but going through a Wi-Fi enabled relay. When the relay is open and the higher set point thermostat is calling for heat the furnace won't get a signal until the low temp thermostat closes the connection. When you close the remote relay and temp is below the higher set point the furnace will run until both thermostats open.
Tom_Spangler said:
Can't you get a programmable one and just not program it?
Isn't this the point of a programmable one?? No intervention on your part? What am I missing here?
But I guess the randomness is what the OP is looking for
In reply to gjz30075 :
Sounds like OP is attempting to keep a minimum temp in the garage and be able to heat it up to short sleeves comfortable with the click of a button, without going out into it.
Really that's why I have one in the main house. It stays a certain temp during the day when we're there. I tell it I'm gone let the house go to x temp. When I'm on the way home I tell it to set the house to comfortable.
I don't use the geofencing or anything just the dumb there/not there logic in the app.
It actually saves a surprising amount of money and effort.
We have a couple of these . They are programable, but you don't have to. Can download their Sensi app and control everything from your phone. About $100.
I have turned the heat up, down, on, and off from hours away from home.
Ironic, since the thread was bumped by a likely canoe, but I am also using a Sonoff TH16 to control a space heater and monitor humidity in my concrete cold storage room. I have it set to turn the power on when the temperature falls below 57 degrees, and off when it rises to 62. Works great.
I think if you could isolate the relay output from mains power you could use it to trigger a furnace or shop heater.
The Sonoff products are really cheap and easy to use. I have at least half a dozen of their basic wifi relays ($5-7 each) performing various tasks around my house. I just set one up the other day to control the extension cord that is run outside for my TDI's coolant heater.
The app (ewelink) is easy to use and you can setup schedules, timers, and in the case of the TH16 reactions to temp OR humidity input. You can also over ride the device status via the app. They also integrate with Alexa or Google Home pretty easily.
In reply to xflowgolf :
wifi thermostats!! Can we remote it through mobile canoeing application??
