Proper Way to Get Exact Temp Notices (Trane T-Stat)

Community Playground General Discussions
1

I’d like to set a series of notifications telling me - at least for the time being as I get our new heating system (outdoor wood furnace) settled - when the temperature hits certain points.

The problem I’m having is that even the Exact Ambient Temperature event condition is not an =, but a > or < comparison. Pair that with events for ambient temp being above or below a certain point and it gets a bit confusing how Vera 2 actually behaves.

Ideally, I’d like a notice just telling me that the exact temp is whenever it changes a degree within a specified range. I can easily set notifications that will tell me it has fallen below my low limit, or above my high limit… but the trick is making it give me single degree, precise reports for movements in between.

The way the logic appears to work, if I wanted to know when it was 68, 69, 70, or 71 degrees I’d get multiple notices (everything 68 and above, then everything 69 and above, etc., and the same story when it drops).

Am I reading this wrong? How does the Exact Ambient Temperature condition really work? Will it ascend or cascade the conditions every time it changes or is there a 1 degree limit on its conditions?

In addition to the normal notifications checkbox, I have some Luup code in place to send notices to Prowl for my iPhone/iPad.

Thanks!

  • Aaron
2

It’s not the cheapest method, but you could use an HSM 100 to do what you need. It’s an additional cost, but it works well. Motion, Light, and Temp.

3

Yeah, I was planning to possibly get some of those anyway. Do they operate differently from the Trane t-stat in terms of the events on the Vera side? My main issue is figure out how the “Exact Ambient Temperature” interacts with < and > rather than = operators. :frowning:

Thanks!

  • Aaron
4

I havent used it to do what you’re proposing, but my guess is that for it to update as often as you’d like, you have to set the wake times really close and that would kill your battery (assuming that it would do what you want in the first place). When I re-read your OP, I didn’t realize you needed constant updates on the temp, sorry.

5

If you are willing to dive into programming with Lua/Luup, all you need is at http://wiki.micasaverde.com/index.php/Luup_Scenes_Events and http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=3584.msg17474#msg17474.

6

Definitely comfortable with the programming and already doing a good bit of it. I’m using a somewhat modified version of the threads and wiki articles you cite already with great success.

The problem I still face is how to properly know when the thermostat has moved a degree up or down. I suspect I could have something run on a tight schedule (once a minute?), but I’d need a persistent means of comparing the previous temp and the current temp. This is both to know if there has been a change and, more importantly, to make sure my notifications ONLY happen with a change and not constantly.

Any pointers on maintaining a persistant flag of some sort?

Thanks!

  • Aaron