jeffpdavis1 Posted October 29, 2011 Posted October 29, 2011 I'm about an hour away (ok, maybe a few days) from buying an ISY-99i Insteon controller (some plugins and switches) and a Venstar Integrated thermostat (2491T7E) to replace our current 7 day/ 4 evt/day Honeywell. One thing I'd like to do is add some kind of temperature state sensor in the basement where there currently is no thermostat. I'd like it to somehow report its state to the controller (and not to the thermostat as a very prompt member suggested in the SmartHome forum) which would in turn trigger the other Venstar thermostat (as a responder) to call for heat from the furnace. It's always colder in the basement in the winter and this seems like such a simple yet elegant solution. I found this Energy Display (2448A2) that looks like sometime later this year would be able to report its temperature but it seems like overkill for what it's doing. Is it the only solution or are there others that preserve the Venstar as an Insteon device. The Venstar temperature sensor 30408,421,423 would report the remote temperature to a thermostat but not the one I need (namely an Insteon one) nor in a way that it could be used, at least I don't think so. -Jeff
Michel Kohanim Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Jeff, We do not yet support energy display. But we do support Venstar thermostats and you can use the in ISY programs any which way you want. The only exception that I can think of is that you cannot ask a thermostat to explicitly call for Heat; you will have to change the mode either to Auto or Heat and then change the set point to something above the current temperature. Obviously, you can do all this with ISY. With kind regards, Michel
jeffpdavis1 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Michel, Thanks again for replying. Changing the set point to a higher value would be fine. My question is though how would I know that it's colder in the basement and have that sensor(?) communicate with the ISY and om turn set the setpoint higher on the only real thermostat connected to the furnace? Is there a particular Insteon sensor for the basement that you're thinking of here? Is it true that the Energy Display is going to be supported soon or just report the temperature to controllers who do support it? Thanks, Jeff
Michel Kohanim Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Jeff, "Colder" than what? If the what is a value that can be preset, then you can have ISY programs based on that value. For instance, something like If Status thermostat_a is Then Set thermostat_b mode = heat Set thermostat_b set point = 74 Energy display is on our list of things to do. The main issue has been the lack of demand for the support of this device. With kind regards, Michel
jeffpdavis1 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Hi Michel, I think I'm close to understanding what you're saying. But there's something I'm missing. I just started looking into these things two days ago so I've got some catching up to do. What is the device that reports the "b" temperature to either the ISY or the "a" thermostat. Our whole house has only one thermostat "a" that is on the main level. Let's say it's 70 on the main level. When we go down to the basement (where there is no thermostat or thermometer for that matter), it's colder, say 64. I'd like to be able to at least temporarily let the downstairs temperature drive the furnace and just put up with it being a little warmer upstairs (when guests come for instance). So I could write some If/Then/Else construct to do that like you have in the example. My question is what is the device that I need in the basement to report to the "system" what the temperature is. I was hoping it'd just be something simple that senses the temperature and sends it along to the ISY wirelessly that reacts with something like what you've written above. Thanks, Jeff
az1324 Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 I don't think there is any such temperature sensor device. You could use a cheap thermostat, temperature monitor/controller or "temp alert" device hooked up to an I/O Linc. Then you would know whether the temp is above/below the setpoint but not the exact value. This is unfortunately going to be more expensive and more inconvenient than just being able to pull the temperature reading from an Energy Display. But at least you would have local control of the setpoint in the basement. You could also use an EZIO 6I with the analog input and a thermistor but I don't know if this is supported by ISY and it's even more expensive. So I think the best bet is to beg for the Energy Display to be supported for temp readings.
io_guy Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 A few of us use the CAI WebControl board for remote 1-wire temperature sensors. See these posts: viewforum.php?f=77 viewtopic.php?f=51&t=6470 I have remote temperature from the basement and second floor going into the ISY. I use these values (combined with my Honeywell Thermo on the main floor) to control dampers to balance temperature.
jeffpdavis1 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Fantastic. This should keep me reading and researching for days. Thanks for pointing me in another direction. I think I'm going to be able to do it. Michel: As per one of the previous posts, please please do what's necessary to support the Energy Display. That would be so cool and save a lot of people a lot of work, although many of these have already found alternate ways around the problem.
Teken Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 I would like to add my vote to the energy display also. I was not aware that the UDI team was waiting for more request for product support. I just always took it for granted that each new Insteon device would simply be added into the road map.
Michel Kohanim Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 Hi Teken, Thanks so very much! Recently, we have had to choose devices that we support. For instance, TouchLinc is probably going to be discontinued so we are glad that we did not add support for it. With kind regards, Michel
Teken Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 Hi Teken, Thanks so very much! Recently, we have had to choose devices that we support. For instance, TouchLinc is probably going to be discontinued so we are glad that we did not add support for it. With kind regards, Michel The Touchlinc will be discontinued? Wow, that was a very short life cycle for that product!
Rob Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 The Venstar (at least some models) support remote wired and wireless temp sensors. You could add one in the basement and configure the Venstar to average the 2 temps. I was going to do this but ended up replacing my HVAC system. Check the Venstar site for more details on the remote sensors.
jeffpdavis1 Posted November 3, 2011 Author Posted November 3, 2011 The Venstar (at least some models) support remote wired and wireless temp sensors. You could add one in the basement and configure the Venstar to average the 2 temps. I was going to do this but ended up replacing my HVAC system. Check the Venstar site for more details on the remote sensors. Yes, I just looked closely at I think all the options from Venstar, and either the base T1800 or T1900 and then the Add-A-Wireless Thermostat T1119RF kit would work. Together they would do what I want...namely, walk downstairs and increase the temp with the wireless thermostat sitting in one of the rooms. But the RJ11 port on the bottom of the T1800/1900 would now be used for that RF receiver and thus NOT be Insteon controllable. Still that combo is probably the best choice. Having the temperature of the house part of the Home automation strategy would just have to wait until there is a wireless Insteon thermometer (temp sensor) that the ISY-99i will listen to, too. Now I'm trying to come up with a compelling reason to put the house thermostat on Insteon. The biggest one I can think of is for control when I'm not there, which usually doesn't happen by accident.
hongfa Posted November 4, 2011 Posted November 4, 2011 I don't think there is any such temperature sensor device. You could use a cheap thermostat, temperature monitor/controller or "temp alert" device hooked up to an I/O Linc. Then you would know whether the temp is above/below the setpoint but not the exact value. This is unfortunately going to be more expensive and more inconvenient than just being able to pull the temperature reading from an Energy Display. But at least you would have local control of the setpoint in the basement. You could also use an EZIO 6I with the analog input and a thermistor but I don't know if this is supported by ISY and it's even more expensive. So I think the best bet is to beg for the Energy Display to be supported for temp readings. Report this post
ISYhbsh01 Posted December 6, 2011 Posted December 6, 2011 I believe I read somewhere on the forum that the Venstar can be hooked up standalone to a 24v AC transformar and then used as a sensor for your purporse. I was also looking into this possibilty & would appreciate if someone can give us some insight on how this can be done.
Teken Posted December 6, 2011 Posted December 6, 2011 I believe I read somewhere on the forum that the Venstar can be hooked up standalone to a 24v AC transformar and then used as a sensor for your purporse. I was also looking into this possibilty & would appreciate if someone can give us some insight on how this can be done. I have five T1800, along with the Insteon RF adapters. If, this is the case please do let me know and I shall set them up and test this method. The only out of pocket costs would be for the 24 VAC transformers. Teken . . .
jeffpdavis1 Posted December 6, 2011 Author Posted December 6, 2011 As an update to what started all this, I bought a T1900 (although a T1800 would have sufficed), with an Insteon adapter NOT integrated. I then bought the Venstar Add-A-Wireless Thermostat T1119RF. Now, since I usually know when we're going to have guests in the basement bedrooms, I just manually exchange the Insteon adapter with the other one that came with the T1119RF. It's certainly not a perfect solution, nor the cheapest, nor automated for that matter. Still, it does sort of solve my problem with only one other place needed for the thermostat. That Energy display would have been the ideal solution if UDI decides that they can support it.
ISYhbsh01 Posted December 6, 2011 Posted December 6, 2011 Thanks for updating us. I would still love to know if it's possible to use it standalone by hooking it up to a 24VAC transformer, and if yes how it would be done.
ISYhbsh01 Posted December 21, 2011 Posted December 21, 2011 Teken, I posted the question over at the Smarthome forum. I got a response that you can hook up a 24 VAC transformer to the R and C. I bought this: http://www.smarthome.com/3061/24VAC-Power-Supplies-ELK-TRG2440/p.aspx from Smarthome and connected it to my T1700 and it works fine.
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