Temp control loop setup

[Mr Spock]

Michael

I always seem to find unusual ways to try and do something...

For the Action function, must it be through Temperature Actions? What if I choose Device Action or anything else in my drop down box? I also added enable dependence in Triggers instead of in Actions as you show in the manual. Does this work?

I’m trying to setup a temperature regulating function with mcsTemperature for my hot tub. I have Interfaces, Enable temperature control triggers checked.

Logic:
IF Device: 1st floor pool spa mode is ON AND Pool Sensor Hot Tub is lower than 80
THEN Device Command: Pool Heater On.

3 degrees of hysteresis, that is the heater turns off when it becomes greater than or equal to 83, but back on when it drops to 80 or below.

Pool Spa Mode becomes the Enable function.

Below are the Trigger and Action screens.

[Mr Spock]

I tried it this way too. Closer to what you describe in the manual, but still not working. The heater never engages when I turn on Pool Spa Mode K2. I don't think it's recognizing this Turn On condition.

I don't understand why there are Upper and Lower Limits in both the Trigger and Action areas of the Event setup. The Action tab seems to hold the real trigger conditions.

[Michael McSharry]

I think you are almost setup correctly. Your trigger should be a manual trigger. You should only need to trigger it once and the virtual thermostat will then run forever. You need to be patient to allow the temperature to reach a lower or upper limit before the status device is created.

Temperature Triggers are intended when you want another HS action to occur based upon the sensor. Over the years Homeseer has improved their device triggering capability and the demand for the mcsTemperature triggers has been reduced. The primary difference in capability is that mcsTemperature will use device string values while HS does the more limited DeviceValue and DeviceStatus.

[Mr Spock]

Finally got it working. Took about 8 hours of 6 trial and error runs to get it setup right. I got bit a by a few gotchas. It really should not be this difficult. Looking at the HS1 setups in the manual I see that HS2's need for an all web browser interface was not the best for usability.

I've written up a list of feature requests for mcsTemperature. I'll post that separately.

[mbdirtfarmer]

Finally got it working. Took about 8 hours of 6 trial and error runs to get it setup right. I got bit a by a few gotchas. It really should not be this difficult. Looking at the HS1 setups in the manual I see that HS2's need for an all web browser interface was not the best for usability.

I've written up a list of feature requests for mcsTemperature. I'll post that separately.

How did you finally get it working? What were the few "gotchas"?

I am just in the process of doing the same for my swimming pool and hoping I can save a bit of time and frustration.

Can this process be done without mcsTemperature?

[Michael McSharry]

Some of the common problems...Dont use temperature triggers, but only a sngle manual event that is triggered only one time. Set temperture action to run forever. Look at manual to see the hs1 version of the temperature action as this is more intuitive layout. Recognize the status device only appears after the sensed temperature moves through a upper or lower limit. Pick your event name without intention of changing it. The status device and event names are used to associate the status device with the event that holds the temperature action. This can be done with scripts and regular HS events, but you loose the UI that emulates a thermostat and then you ned to go through the debug cycles to get the hystereous to work.