Bathroom fan timer replacement

[tome]

I have a couple TimerLincs (I think that is what they were called) in a couple bathrooms to control the fans.  These are linked to IOLincs which are attached to my furnaces.  When someone pushes one of the timer buttons (1m, 5m, 10m, 15m, etc) the HRV on the furnace runs in high to draw moist air from the bathroom and exhaust it to the outside.   These have been in place for many years.  From time to time over the years for whatever reason these stop working.  I can pull out the little reset tab and reset them, and/or reset the IOLincs and they work again for a time.  Until they don't.  Well recently one of the seems like it won't control the IOLinc no matter what I do.  I am kind of fed up with messing with them.  These TimerLincs aren't made anymore from what I can find.  I am wondering if people just don't use timers, or if there is another solution?  I am thinking maybe just putting in regular switches that will signal the IOLincs instead.  Won't have the timer function but...

[kclenden]

1 hour ago, tome said:

I am thinking maybe just putting in regular switches that will signal the IOLincs instead.  Won't have the timer function but...

Couldn't you just put in a KeypadLinc and link its buttons with the IOLinc?  The A button could be a simple ON/OFF and then the other buttons could be configured as ON Only so they send an ON to the IOLinc while the ISY sees their ON and starts a timer, whose length is based on which button was pressed, and at the end the ISY signals an OFF to the IOLinc.

[Javi]

I did something similar but used a dimmer switch as the countdown timer, this also incorporated a humidity sensor.

 

Documented here:

https://voiceforiot.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/automation-of-bathroom-fan-for-humidity-and-odor/

[larryllix]

As per @kclenden above, but I would use one button in a similar fashion on many HRV systems to keep the style consistent for users.

One push = X minutes, two taps = 2X minutes, three taps = 3X minutes.  After a pause one tap = Cancel. The LED could be pulsed once, twice and three times to indicate feedback to the human eye.

Of course the other buttons could be wasted on a KPL, but this can be done with simple Switchlinc also, and they can send ramping commands for length of button push signalling instead of multiple taps.

[oberkc]

10 hours ago, tome said:

I am wondering if people just don't use timers,

That is what I do.  I have perceived  no additional benefit with using insteon for this function, since all that I want is a simple timer, manually activated.  If I wanted more sophisticated automation for the fan, I might reach a different conclusion.

[healeydriver]

If you have a tightly insulated house, the linking of the bathroom fan to the furnace might be providing a path for make-up air.   My Broan fan system is configured in just that way.   Unfortunately, while Broan does indeed use insteon technology to coordinate bathroom (and kitchen too) fans with outside air dampers, they incorporated custom firmware which precludes the Broan wall switches and micro-on/off modules from participating in a household Insteon hub/isy control solution.   In my case, I swapped out the Broan equipment and installed plain vanilla Insteon switches (on/off worked just fine)….and I linked everything to my Universal Devices ISY.   Now, even if no one is home, the vents turn on periodically to change out the household air (thus preventing Legionaire's Disease I guess... :-)  ).   But, since things operate on my programmed ISY, I'm not tied to whatever preconceived notions Broan has about household air health.  

 

[larryllix]

I shut my HRV down completely while on vacation. It cycles normally while just away (occupied= False).

 

When my vacation mode terminates, my HRV runs for 40 minutes to ensure fresh air and less VOCs etc.

 

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[lilyoyo1]

On 3/6/2020 at 8:59 PM, tome said:

 I am wondering if people just don't use timers

People still use timers but the isy is a better manger of time than a device specifically built to handle that task. With the Isy, you can override your timers as well as set them for what you want them to be vs what someone feels you need

[apostolakisl]

I use a switchlinc.  It tends to be the cheapest and easiest since I already know everything about how to use it.  On gives me 5 minutes. Fast on gives me 10.  Press on when it is already on and it stays on until you turn it of..