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    HAI Application Examples / Info

    I just moved into a new home. In my last home I installed myself an Apex Destiny paging security system with x-10 links and used some basic homeseer scripts. I had some basic applications like turning on porch lights when a porch motion detector sensed motion or when the garage door or front door was opened. I really liked the paging option as well and didn't have the system monitored.

    I am interested in installing the HAI omni in my new home and use it with homeseer. I read things about the product but don't understand some of the more advanced application possibilities of the product.

    How do people use the integration with the thermostats? They say it can be energy saving. How?

    I've read about outdoor temperature sensors. How do people use this?

    Anyone want to describe their HAI security/homeseer application and what they have used it to automate?

    Thanks
    Doug

    #2
    Doug,

    Keep in mind that much of the HVAC integration with HAI is before the time of a PC integration controller. With HomeSeer supporting a few brands/models of thermostats, it is not such a big thing unless for some reason you don't plan on having the HomeSeer PC on all the time in which case then it is advantageous.

    Basically your security system is your best/most used "signal generator" for your home automation system. It knows when you are out of the house (away mode), when you are home (disarmed), when you are gone for an extended time (vacation mode) and when you are in bed (night mode). Using this information, you can adjust your thermostats accordingly and take advantage of some energy savings. Returning the thermostats to a comfortable level can also use the outside temperature to help determine how rapidly to make the change or how hard to push the system.

    I have a heat pump system, and so its best not to change the temperature drastically for short periods of time. I do change the thermostats a few degrees on arm/disarm events, and then if I am gone for more than an hour, it reduces the temperature even more. When the system is armed in night mode, the main floor and basement thermostat is turned down because unless we have guests, we have nobody sleeping on those floors.

    I have events that raise the temperature slowly (so as to try to use the heat pumps) in the master bathroom in the cold months so that it is extra toasty for my wife, and that consumes MORE energy, so that is something I definitely do not want happening when I am away or on vacation.

    Your off-the-shelf programmable thermostats can't take that into consideration easily.

    Another safety feature is that if your security system is also your fire detection system, then you can/should set the thermostats to OFF mode in the event of a fire so the air handler is not providing fuel to the fire. Nothing like a fire to cause the air conditioning to turn on.

    I hope this helps.

    Personally, I yanked my HAI thermostats off the panel because they limit what you can do with them when they are connected to the panel, and Alan has written a great plug-in for HomeSeer for them when they are connected to a serial port on my HomeSeer computer. With these plug-ins, you can choose from several thermostat types/models and no longer have to use that as a factor in your decision whether or not to buy the HAI system.
    Regards,

    Rick Tinker (a.k.a. "Tink")

    Comment


      #3
      Doug,
      To expand on what Rick has said, I am running the setup that you are talking about and I stayed with just the HomeSeer PC controller until a point in which I wanted the ablity to use a "hardware" interface like the HVAC system Rick spoke about. The HAI system also allows me to monitor the water temp of my pool, the temp in the attic areas to make sure that the fans/ventalation is working correctly, and I have the temp/humidity senor as well. In addition it is my whole house security system / fire alarm system... I have the system calling three numbers when I have an alarm and tells me vai voice interface what happen... I can then control the system via the phone or use the HomeSeer Web interface to adjust the system... I can set message on the touch screen display to remind my son to take out the garbage and feed the dog... And to leave special messages to the wife to increase the WAF...

      Rich

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        #4
        Rick, can you share some of your Heat Pump control scripts? I am interested in both the philosophy behind the scripts as well as the scripts themselves
        Thanx!

        Comment


          #5
          Actually I did them all with events not scripts, and most were torn apart when I switched HVAC over to the RCS Thermostat plug-in. Also, Alan tells me he will have HPR (heat pump recovery) done before the snow flies, so I will use it in that.

          What I DID do though was a very simple implementation that was tailored to my needs.

          If I enabled a flag for HPR mode in my system, then an event would run at something like 2AM that would raise the temperature 1 degree. At 3AM, another degree, etc. Since I knew what our nighttime temperature setting was, it actually did not increase it by one degree but it set it to a specific value. This gave us a 1 degree per hour rise such that the temperature was set to a balmy 72 by the morning wake-up time. When the security system was disarmed in the morning, it would set the temperature back down to 66-67 degrees. If I just set the temperature to 72 half an hour before we woke up, then I would be certain to kick in the propane fuel source.

          With the new plug-in though, and being able to now put the thermostats into Aux mode if the temperature outside is below 35 degrees, then I can skip HPR altogether. HPR is only used when you are using the heat pumps to avoid burning your aux/emergency fuel source (which is expensive electricity for many people) and so if I already know the thermostat is in aux mode because it is too cold outside for HPR, then I will just raise the temperature half an hour before we wake up.
          Regards,

          Rick Tinker (a.k.a. "Tink")

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