Wifi temperature sensors

jlukas861

Looking for recommendations/experiences with wifi temperature sensors. Looking to monitor room/house temperature while out of state from home. 

Zman

jlukas861 said:

Looking for recommendations/experiences with wife temperature sensors. Looking to monitor room/house temperature while out of state from home. 

If you find a good "wife" temperature sensor you will make millions.

For room temp sensors, you can either use a wifi t-stat or a smart home controller with room temp sensors. MiCasa Verde make a simple Z-wave system that works well.

Jamie Hall

Most of the wi-fi thermostats have some sort of remote access feature. Ecobee is a good one...

ratio

The Honeywell 8000 or 9000 series are also an option, both will take a number of wireless indoor sensors. They can also operate with an equipment interface module that will gain you three or four sets of dry inputs that can be assigned names. You will, of course, be dependent on the internets working, as well as Honeywell's server.

jlukas861

Jamie Hall said:

Most of the wi-fi thermostats have some sort of remote access feature. Ecobee is a good one...

Is this something that would require a common wire to the thermostat base?

ratio

Almost certainly. WiFi radios are power hogs when they xmit.

A Nest may work in power-stealing mode, but there's a whole lot of not-working posts here.

jlukas861

ratio said:

Almost certainly. WiFi radios are power hogs when they xmit.

A Nest may work in power-stealing mode, but there's a whole lot of not-working posts here.

Good to know.  I was looking for something that would just monitor room temperature an notify of a low temperature situation. For a friend of mine not so good with change. Just recently retired an looking to snowbird in Florida. Has a house here in Maine he wants to avoid freezing up. Has a son close by, but can't check the house every day 

Todd_33

TEMPSTICK works really well and is reliable. But at $139 each it's a bit expensive for my 20 units. I'm looking for a cheaper solution,,,

mattmia2

You just need a generic remote alarm device that will alarm on a contact closure or opening and a fixed temp thermostat.

ChrisJ

A Honeywell Prestige uses an EIM (box with all of the connections) that can mount next to or even on the equipment in the basement, closet etc and then it connects to the thermostat head using only 2 wires.

These can use multiple wireless Redlink sensors, as well as what Honeywell calls their Internet Gateway which allows you to access it remotely via a phone app or their website.

You can also use dry contact sensors to detect things like a flood using a wet switch and send you an email alert.

It's pricey, but it also does a lot and it's very reliable. It would also do exactly what you want and it can even be setup to send you an email if the temperature drops below whatever you tell it.

Jamie Hall

Been here before... all these remote widgets are wonderful... but... if they tell you that something's gone wrong, they're not much use without boots on the ground.

ChrisJ

Jamie Hall said:

Been here before... all these remote widgets are wonderful... but... if they tell you that something's gone wrong, they're not much use without boots on the ground.

So you feel no sensors and not knowing anything is better? @Jamie Hall I'm confused by that comment?

Often with heat, knowing something isn't right would still give plenty of travel time before the building got down to freezing temperatures.

ratio

I think what Brother Jamie is getting at is that a WiFi stat (of any flavor) is the temperature-monitoring equivalent of JUGHNE's sidearm water heater here. It does what it's supposed to do, but…

Not everyone understands the subtle (& not so subtle!) implications of using it, and place more trust in it than is strictly warranted.

Jamie Hall

No, I think remote sensors are fine. I have no problem with them. However, what I am saying is that if you are on a beach somewhere, enjoying life, and there's a problem up north in Maine... or wherever... all the sensors in the world aren't going to do you a bit of good unless there's someone up there who can and will get out at Oh Dark Hundred and attend to the problem -- and you need to have that person lined up well ahead of time.

Gsmith

Try a SimpliSafe basic home alarm system, about $130.00, no monthly contract needed. You can add temperature sensors for about $30.00 each and if you have WiFi in the house they will send a low temp alarm or you can check them over the internet. Sorry if I should not have included prices, but they are approximate for the equipment only, check their website. You can install them yourself very easily, and you get a basic alarm system with it. I have one and like it.