So about 4 months ago I ordered a thermostat test kit from a company called Proliphix. I wanted to investigate a better way in controlling the heat to certain areas in the facility. Let me back up a bit. We have one building that has 6 apartments, and another one with 8 dorm rooms. One of the flaws in the design of this facility and these two building in particular is that for instance if someone stays in say any dorm room, not only is there just one thermostat in D-102, it controls all 8 rooms. So for one person to stay we are heating all 8 rooms. The apartments are split by heating in two. A-102-108 controlled by the thermostat in A-108, and A-110 and 112 the bigger apts controlled by the thermostat in A-112. Again not efficient.

So we run into a lot of problems with this system as you can imagine. Some people too hot some people too cold, the person in the room with the stat leaves thier door open on a cool day and the heat blasts the other rooms up to 100 degrees. While we can't really physically change the heating system because of money and design is too high, we can prevent heating for longer periods of time and the need for me to be running around all the time trying to turn off and on the heat every time someone stays here at the facility.

I have been working with our IT guy in Seattle and yesterday I got to do some testing and actually hooked up the new thermostat to the furnace and Ethernet and can now not only turn off the heat from my office or eventually even the Blackberry, but I can also program it to come on lets say a week, month or whenever I want and it will shut back down to a low 55 or whatever I decide to set it. From any computer, even at home. Still looking at firewall and getting it to a server so as to access it from any PC outside our network, but the possibilities are endless.

Here is the old thermostat, Honeywell T7300


The new Ethernet Proliphix NT 130H


Here's the interface that I can do all kinds of stuff in.


I know I'm probably the only one here who can turn a work project into a picture report, but I am really excited about this. I can see it now, someone calls me at home from the facility, an after hours guest checking in and they say that its a little cold in the room, and boo yaa I turn the heat up from my house sitting in my underwear.......yea baby!! Now try and get that vision out of your mind.

 

Way to much information, thank you very much !!

 

hehehe

 

That's par for the course ith Deej though.

 

So you do think about me in my underwear?

Hmmmm *in a high pitched voice* "Awkward"

 

I'm on hold with Rheem, stinking company, I've called them 3 times in 3 days trying to get a receipt for an order. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

thats cool and all.... but dont you still have the problem of 1 thermostat controlling a handful of rooms? so someone will still be hot or cold......all you did was ease the process of adjusting the temp correct? so you didnt fix anything, you just got lazy...lol....

 

OUCH !!!!!

 

hehe..... just trying to clairfy things.... lol

 

Actually it solves a lot of waste and other problems.

Example #1 Someone is checking in on a Friday, but I'm off all week. I schedule it to come on the day they get here and off the day they leave. That way it doesn't run early and I don't forget to run up and turn it off.

Example # 2 I can now monitor the temps in the apartments and Dorms from my computer (ok that does sound lazy) but it allows me to keep in touch with what the buildings are doing heat wise.

Example # 3 We have people using the facility on weekends and holidays all the tme, right now we have to leave the heat running a day or two before they get here and sometimes up to a week before I can get back there to turn it off. The scheduler will save us enough money in propane not used to pay for the 3 thermostats in just a few months. Currently our 20,000 sqft facility propane is costing between $1500-$2000 a month.

I can't change the mechanical system, although I would love to retrofit cadet heaters in all the rooms, but that's not in the cards right now with the state budgets in serious trouble.


Using my Outlook Calendar along with the scheduler on this thermostat will yes save me time, but more importantly let me take control of something that has been an issue up here from day one.

And finally Eric, don't make me put the beat down on you you monkey.