First question is why should I spend $300 for an ISY controller rather
than $100 for a simple Smartlink controller?
Chuck Norcut
On 8/9/2012 9:05 PM, Scott Gomez wrote:
> Funny you should ask this now. I've just received my new ISY-994i, Insteon
> thermostat, and PowerLinc Modem in the mail 2 days ago. Now working on
> programming to accomplish what I want, which is, here in sunny
> too-hot-at-the-moment southern California, using inputs from the "flex you
> power" alerts that the ISY is capable of reading to tell the thermostat to
> turn off the air conditioning when a "reduce use" alert is called. Thus
> saving me the per hour double-cost billing now possible thanks to smart
> meters.
>
> 'Tis my second ISY. The other is in our other home in Mexico, where it's
> served ably controlling all sorts of goodies.
>
> So ask away, Chuck. I don't know a lot yet (my use has been relatively
> unsophisticated) but I'm learnin'.
>
> ---
> Scott Gomez
>
> On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 6:53 AM, Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> wrote:
>
>> Sorry for breaking the flurry of on-topic OM-D traffic but I have some
>> home automation/security questions for which I know someone here has the
>> answers.
>>
>> I have two (I think modest) goals I'd like to achieve for when I leave
>> the house in the winter for warmer climes.
>>
>> 1) Right now I have a simple set of timers that turn a few lights on and
>> off that simulate the activity in the house when it's occupied. Some of
>> these timers have a battery backup so they can survive power outages.
>> However, by the time I return in the spring, sunset and sunrise are
>> radically different than when I left. Also, daylight savings time has
>> gone into effect further throwing the timers off. Also, one of the
>> lights I'd like to control (but don't now) is operated by a wall switch
>> where control is not amenable to a simple plug-in timer.
>>
>> I think I can solve these lighting problems with fairly simple Insteon,
>> Z-Wave (or similar) devices. But I don't know all the ins/outs of these
>> things and what's best or worse. Nor do I completely understand the
>> need for or how to completely cover communicating over both phases of
>> the AC power lines of the house. That leads to a question of should I
>> use radio transmission devices only?
>>
>> Whatever the solution here it probably gets complicated (cost wise) by
>> goal #2...
>>
>> 2) When I leave the house for the winter I have the plumbing winterized
>> with anti-freeze by a plumber right after I leave and de-winterized just
>> before I return. I also have the town turn my water off outside the
>> house just in case my own inside shut-off valve should start leaking.
>> The town turns the water off for free but the winterizing/de-winterizing
>> costs me $200/year. What I'd like to do is get rid of the precautionary
>> anti-freeze requirement for the plumbing. But that requires that I keep
>> a close watch on the temperature of the house in the event the furnace
>> should fail. Right now I have a simple temperature sensor that turns on
>> a red light in the window to warn the neighbors if the temperature drops
>> to 40F. But if they don't notice or don't respond the antifreeze in the
>> pipes will protect the plumbing. With no anti-freeze in the pipes I
>> don't dare count on the neighbors noticing that all is not well with the
>> furnace.
>>
>> If I want to spend lots of money and use a smartphone (not!) I can get
>> instant alerts via smartphone on some systems. But I don't want to go
>> there. I normally have my internet/cable/phone shut off when I'm gone
>> but can leave internet only communications running for about the same
>> amount of money that it costs me for winterizing/de-winterizing. That
>> allows for a freeze/temperature sensor communicate with me via the net
>> but I don't know exactly how to do that at modest cost. A warning
>> e-mail would be best but even having to log-on daily for a status check
>> would be OK if it's the only way to do it cheaply.
>>
>> These are the functions I'm after. The questions are how to do it
>> cheaply but also reliably. If there's no built-in freeze protection the
>> system has to work. Probably best to take the answers to this off-list.
>>
>> Thanks much,
>> Chuck Norcutt
>> --
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
>> Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
>> Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
>>
>>
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|