Robust - Cycling Program

[Teken]

I need a program that will turn on an appliance for X hours then stop. Then start back up X hours later.

 

This program would operate like this forever and survive a reboot. Extra marks for checking if the program ran a few minutes ago should there be something amiss not accounted for.

 

This is a band aid measure until I can obtain the parts.

 

Thank You!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stusviews]

Why not use a repeat statement? The only difficulty I see is running forever. OTOH, there's not much that's forever

[Teken]

Why not use a repeat statement? The only difficulty I see is running forever. OTOH, there's not much that's forever

Hello Stu,

 

Show me your program idea and let's see if it fits the bill. I'm really hoping to resolve this issue correctly in the near future. ☹️

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[apostolakisl]

Does it need to be on/off at specific times during the day? 

 

 

Run at startup:

 

If

 

tims is from a

to b

or

time is from c

to d

or

time is from e

to f

or

etc

 

Then

turn on

Else 

turn off

[apostolakisl]

. Extra marks for checking if the program ran a few minutes ago should there be something amiss not accounted for.

 

The above lacks enough info to know what it is you mean.  What is checking?  ISY never does not run a program when the if criteria are met.  And for this program the criteria are quite obvious.  It would only not run if ISY were not on.

 

Perhaps you mean that it needs to check if the device actually turned on (an Insteon com failure?)

[Teken]

Does it need to be on/off at specific times during the day? 

 

 

Run at startup:

 

If

 

tims is from a

to b

or

time is from c

to d

or

time is from e

to f

or

etc

 

Then

turn on

Else 

turn off

 

No schedule time it simply has to come on and run for what ever time I feel is correct. Then start back up at what ever interval that's needed. So for example turn on and run for 1 hour. After that hour turn off and wait say two hours and turn back on and repeat that whole cycle over and over.

[Teken]

The above lacks enough info to know what it is you mean.  What is checking?  ISY never does not run a program when the if criteria are met.  And for this program the criteria are quite obvious.  It would only not run if ISY were not on.

 

Perhaps you mean that it needs to check if the device actually turned on (an Insteon com failure?)

 

It could be the program didn't fire off, or turn off as expected. It could be the device didn't actually turn on / off for what ever COMM issue. It could be there was a power failure and the ISY Series Controller had to reboot etc. Apologies for the lack of detail as I didn't want to muddy the waters with back ground information that wasn't too important.

 

Long story short there is a freezer that was defrosted. Upon cleaning it all up and loading it up with over 150 lbs of fresh chicken the freezer won't stop running! The freezer cools the contents very well and there is a 1 wire sensor and a remote sensor that confirms its super cold inside. 

 

Never mind the chicken are now rock hard because the freezer was running none stop for the last 8~9 days! The door gaskets are good, this is a manual stand up GE freezer, and based on the model and schematic there appears to be only one unit that controls the temperature. It appears to have a simple bulb style thermistor which ties directly to the mechanical temp dial.

 

Changing the dial from 1~X doesn't seem to force this thing to stop. It just keeps on running and getting colder so I doubt its a freon leak. Then again I'm not a appliance professional so what the hell do I know! There doesn't appear to be any so called freon bubble on the coils. All of the grills / coil assembly *appear* to be evenly cold, frosted, and what not.

 

Which lots of on line forums says that's an indicator of a leak, blockage, etc.

 

I obviously can't check the sealed compressor or measure the levels because I don't have the tools to do so. Any Freezer pro's or those who have past experience by all means chime in. As stated early on this is a stop gap until I can either identify the problem or worst case throw money at it and buy the thermostat assembly which comes with the temp probe. 

 

I honestly don't know how defrosting a freezer can cause it to fail . . . 

[apostolakisl]

No schedule time it simply has to come on and run for what ever time I feel is correct. Then start back up at what ever interval that's needed. So for example turn on and run for 1 hour. After that hour turn off and wait say two hours and turn back on and repeat that whole cycle over and over.

If your cycle start/stop time don't matter then

 

(run at startup on)

If

 

blank

 

Then

Repeat every 2 hours

turn on device x

wait 1 hour

turn off device x

 

 

(this will repeat every 3 hours because the wait 1 hour doesn't count in the two hours)

[Teken]

If your cycle start/stop time don't matter then

 

(run at startup on)

If

 

blank

 

Then

Repeat every 2 hours

turn on device x

wait 1 hour

turn off device x

 

 

(this will repeat every 3 hours because the wait 1 hour doesn't count in the two hours)

 

Based on your example if I want it to run for one hour and turn off. But want it to come back on an hour later I should change that repeat to say 1 hours?

[apostolakisl]

Well, as I mentioned ISY is never going to fail to issue the commands, that just doesn't happen. 

 

Then

repeat every 1 hour 59 minutes 40 seconds

turn on device x

wati 10 seconds

query device x

wait 10 seconds

run if of notify-on program

wait 59 minutes 40 seconds 

turn off device x

wait 10 seconds

query device x

wait 10 seconds

run if of notify-off program

 

 

 

notify-on (disabled)

If

status device x is not on

Then

notify me

 

nofity-off (disabled)

If

status device x is not off

Then

notify me

 

 

After a power failure, the freezer will turn on for 1 hour and continue along repeating.  If you want it to somehow pick up exactly where it left off, that is close to impossible to do with ISY (at least it would require a bunch of programs and variables and stuff) and is unlikely to be relevant to your chicken in the end.

Based on your example if I want it to run for one hour and turn off. But want it to come back on an hour later I should change that repeat to say 1 hours?

yes

[Teken]

Well, as I mentioned ISY is never going to fail to issue the commands, that just doesn't happen. 

 

Then

repeat every 2 hours

turn on device x

wati 10 seconds

query device x

wait 10 seconds

run if of notify-on program

wait 1 hour

turn off device x

wait 10 seconds

query device x

wait 10 seconds

run if of notify-off program

 

 

 

notify-on (disabled)

If

status device x is not on

Then

notify me

 

nofity-off (disabled)

If

status device x is not off

Then

notify me

yes

 

This program looks very good I will fire it up on a shorter period to test. Will this program actually initiate from a cold boot with out a (IF) statement? I know you added a run at start up ( will test to make sure ) but is there anything else that would cause it not to run?

[G W]

This can be simple or it can be not simple. How do you want to trigger the start and how do you want to stop it?

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Teken]

This can be simple or it can be not simple. How do you want to trigger the start and how do you want to stop it?

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

I'm going to make this simple less possible failure points to worry about. I just tested the simple and basic program apostolakisl offered here and modified it for a short run to test.

 

Works as expected and will include the 1 wire temperature as a fail over in case my timing isn't correct. Given its going to be running for 50 minutes and waiting one hour this mimics what the freezer was doing before it stopped operating correctly. As an aside I have to say with out this kind of technology: ISY Series Controller, Insteon, Autelis, Brultech GEM, none of this would have been possible.

 

I'll circle back with more information as it comes in ~ Thank you all very much!

 

Apostolakisl <-- As always thank you for your time and knowledge.

[apostolakisl]

This program looks very good I will fire it up on a shorter period to test. Will this program actually initiate from a cold boot with out a (IF) statement? I know you added a run at start up ( will test to make sure ) but is there anything else that would cause it not to run?

Yes, blank "if" runs "then" at startup.  I actually don't think you need to even check the "run at startup box".  But it doesn't hurt.

 

Also, you could buy a new thermostat for your freezer.  They cost about the same as an appliance linc.

[larryllix]

I used a 40% on to off ratio timer for this when it happened to me.

 

The appliance repair supply  told me they use 50%. You are not the first 

 

A second program trigger by several times of the day ANDed with a program last run + X minutes line that runs the main program works as a watchdog.

No run at startup needed and corrects a many times per day as time trigger lines of program.

[stusviews]

How many hours on? How may off? Something like this timer may be all you need. There are also electric time clocks that let you have many more On/Off cycles. Here's one that offers 12 On/Off cycles.

 

Edit: 36 cycles

[Teken]

How many hours on? How may off? Something like this timer may be all you need. There are also electric time clocks that let you have many more On/Off cycles. Here's one that offers 12 On/Off cycles.

 

Edit: 36 cycles

Yes, absolutely that was one of the first things that came to mind. As it's a low cost, simple, and bullet proof design.

 

I only went this route because all of the hardware is in place now and no out of pocket expense was needed. If I can't figure out what is wrong with this freezer this week I'll toss a coin and either purchase the egg timer / thermostat assembly.

 

Based on Google search the timer is much easier to purchase. For what ever reason the companies that carry this specific TSTAT won't ship to Canada !!

 

In 2017 and global world e-commerce I am truly speechless!

 

 

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[MrBill]

 

.... For what ever reason the companies that carry this specific TSTAT won't ship to Canada !!

 

 

 

A friend of mines company can't ship to Canada because they don't have a French website and French documentation for the product... they used to ship to Canada... until they got ordered not to.... it's Canada's weird bilingual laws AND the Canadian Govt's insistence on enforcing those...