Tracking HVAC run times via timers

[mikedr]

Here's a fun thing you can do with timers if you have an appropriate thermostat (we have a Honeywell Z-Wave thermostat).

Each time the thermostat reports its operating mode to HS3 as "heat," I have an event that starts a heat timer. Each time the thermostat reports its operating mode to HS3 as "cool," I have an event that starts a cool timer. Each time the thermostat reports its operating mode as "idle," I stop both timers.

Finally, I have an event that runs at midnight every night, which sends an email indicating the run times of heat/cool for that day, and resets the timers.

The first screenshot I've attached shows the email text I'm using in HS3 to do this. The second screenshot shows the status values of the Honeywell thermostat that I'm triggering off of.

[happnatious1]

Thanks for sharing this.

I've been trying to figure out how to tell when I need to order more heating oil and you got my brain working. I just need to figure out run time versus gallons used.

[mikedr]

Good deal! I'm going to try to post more of these things as I get better acquainted with HS3. I've noticed a lot of posts on the forums are more directed to "having problems with hardware X," instead of messing around with the software functionality that's built into the system without having to resort to scripting, and I'm trying to correct that in own my little way.

[bdraper]

I am also using the timers and counters to monitor my HVAC system. We are monitoring start cycle (counter) for the current day, filter runtime and lifetime. I am also monitoring the runtime (timer) for the current day, filter runtime and lifetime. I recently started graphing this data with Jon00's new graphing utility. It works very well.

I originally thought that doing this through the event engine would be difficult, but once I got used to it, it actually worked out very well.
I have more events setup based on the data that is collected, such as emails are sent when the filter has X number of hours on it, letting us to know it is time for a replacement or cleaning.

See this post for more info http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=169671

[mikedr]

Two questions:

(1) Can you give a link to the graphing solution you mentioned?

(2) Do values of counters and/or times "survive/persist" across restarts of HS3?

[randy]

Two questions:

(1) Can you give a link to the graphing solution you mentioned?

(2) Do values of counters and/or times "survive/persist" across restarts of HS3?

I'll let Billy answer #1. Timers and counters do persist over a restart. A timer that is running will reflect a value such that it ran even when HomeSeer is down. If it is stopped when HS is shut down the value is retained. Obviously the timer will not respond to the usual start/stop triggers when HS is not running, so it could be way off when HS is restarted, depending on it's state when HS was shut down and for how long.

[mikedr]

I'll let Billy answer #1. Timers and counters do persist over a restart. A timer that is running will reflect a value such that it ran even when HomeSeer is down. If it is stopped when HS is shut down the value is retained. Obviously the timer will not respond to the usual start/stop triggers when HS is not running, so it could be way off when HS is restarted, depending on it's state when HS was shut down and for how long.

That is great!!!

[Rotech]

I'll let Billy answer #1. Timers and counters do persist over a restart. A timer that is running will reflect a value such that it ran even when HomeSeer is down. If it is stopped when HS is shut down the value is retained. Obviously the timer will not respond to the usual start/stop triggers when HS is not running, so it could be way off when HS is restarted, depending on it's state when HS was shut down and for how long.

The guru has spoken......

[randy]

The guru has spoken......

Hector;

I appreciate the support, but honestly there is more I don't know about HS3 than I know. I do spend a lot of time trying to learn what goes on under the hood and try to share things I have been able to figure out.

[TomTom]

I do spend a lot of time trying to learn what goes on under the hood and try to share things I have been able to figure out.

You have no idea how much your sharing helps. Your post have given me the confidence to take no more challenging (well for me) events, that where once on my mental to-do list...the "one day I'd like to look into doing this or that". Seriously thanks for always sharing!

[TomTom]

mikedr,
Great idea, I just set up my own ac timers and counters for ac filter change. Also used your example for setup Chlorinator ( for well water) Counter to email me when its time to refill it. Thanks

[bdraper]

Two questions:

(1) Can you give a link to the graphing solution you mentioned?

(2) Do values of counters and/or times "survive/persist" across restarts of HS3?

Question 1: Sure, the solution I was using to build the graph in the link was Jon00s Virtual Device Graphing utility. All of Jon00s great work can be found on his website, see http://www.jon00.me.uk/hs.html. I have since switched over to using Jon00s latest invention, the Database Charting Utility, see http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=171875. It is a great utility for capturing data and graphing the results.

Attached is a graph of my HVAC systems runtime and on/off cycles. We have two units and I wanted a graph with both HVAC units, including runtime and cycles on it. This graph gives me a lot of information in one place. I have this graph on a webpage (Jon00 Quickview web page) next to a 14 day graph of temperature and humidity. Building the events were fairly straightforward, but then I work in IT so my mind works a little differently.

On question 2, Randy answered that one far better than I could have. Thanks Randy.

Using the events to set this up, I also setup filter change rotation counters. HomeSeer will email after a certain amount of time for general maintenance. I have reset buttons setup in a Quickview webpage and in HSTouch project that allow me to run an event to reset the counters after I change or clean them.

If you need any information on the events, let me know and I will put together some screen shots.

[mikedr]

Question 1: Sure, the solution I was using to build the graph in the link was Jon00s Virtual Device Graphing utility. All of Jon00s great work can be found on his website, see http://www.jon00.me.uk/hs.html. I have since switched over to using Jon00s latest invention, the Database Charting Utility, see http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=171875. It is a great utility for capturing data and graphing the results.

This looks amazing! I'm going to look into it. I hope (!) it's Linux compatible.

[happnatious1]

Created a virtual device for my Oil heat tank and a timer to track my heat run time. I used the nozzle burn rate printed on my furnace of .85. Every night at midnight I update the number of gallons with the following script. Not sure how accurate it will be over time so I'll have to keep an eye on it and adjust the burn rate accordingly.

Sub Main(parm as object)

dim tank = 457                        'device reference for virtual tank level
dim heating = 11                      'Device reference for thermostat operating state
dim rate = .85                        'Gallons per hour burned
dim runtimer = "Heating"              'name of hs timer

dim gallons = hs.DeviceValueEx(tank)  'Read in current gallons
dim gallonsUsed

Do While hs.DeviceValue(heating) = 1  'If the heat is running wait for it to finish
            hs.WaitSecs(10) 
Loop 

gallonsUsed = hs.TimerValue(runtimer).totalhours * rate
gallons = gallons - gallonsUsed
hs.TimerReset(runtimer)
hs.TriggerEvent("Oil heat timer stop")

hs.SetDeviceValueByRef(tank, gallons, True)
hs.SetDeviceString(tank, gallons.ToString + " Gallons", True)
hs.WriteLog ("Info", "Update heating oil to " + gallons.ToString + " Gallons.")
End Sub

[bdraper]

I am using a set of events to maintain the timers and counters and the different HVAC units cycle on and off. During the install of HS3 I have tried to focus on using the event system to do the work.