Is there something in market that alerts the customer beisdes the POCO of power loss to building. I remember we would install an AC fail relay to cell phone towers electrical equipment that would alert them when there was a power loss or failure. We would just run a NO or NC on ice cube relay to their designated Patch panel slot. I was wondering if they have something similar in field that can alert customer thru internet or email. These guys arent elaborate to have a BAS or alarm system to they could integrate into system.
AC fail monitor
- Thread starter mannyb
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kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
sort of "old school" but Sensaphone monitors can alert you of temperature (high or low) alarms as well as about any kind of dry contact input failures you can imagine connecting to it as well as alert you when the system loses AC power. Can set a delay for how long an alarm has to be active before it calls you. The old school models I mentioned have auto dialers and connect to a POTS phone line. I'm sure there are similar units that are web based - but you would need to still have power to your internet equipment to send any information. Might be systems/services out there that regularly communicate status to remote devices and you could at least be notified if that communication is lost - which could be because the on site equipment is not powered.
synchro
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicago, IL
- Occupation
- EE
I've had the MarCell Pro for two years and have been happy with it. It uses cell network connectivity and can give text message, email, and phone call alerts.
MarCELL PRO Cellular Connected Monitoring Device
Simple and cost effective way to monitor any area for temperature, humidity, power and water. No wifi, phone line or existing network needed! Reliable cellular connection
www.marcellpro.com
hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
Last I looked Sensaphone has monitors that connect to the internet. Cellular connectivity is nicer but you have to pay for it each month.
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synchro
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicago, IL
- Occupation
- EE
It's not bad: $99 per year for cellular connectivity. This includes immediate messages if there's a power outage, temp out of the pre-set range, or water detected (if you get the sensor). It also pings the unit three times per day and you can access logs of this from your account at the company website. This is all within the $99/year fee.
You can also go online and ping it to get the current readings, but you only get a limited number of these per month without paying extra. Once I found that it's very reliable I no longer find any need to login and get current readings.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Internet service cost you as well, especially if not otherwise needed. Think of remote location you want to monitor that otherwise has little need for internet service other than maybe via your mobile phone when you actually are there.
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Besides, you/they wouldn't need monitoring if there wasn't a cost to an outage.
May be a stupid suggestion, but have you asked your POCO? They may have text alerts in place.
Duke notifies my wife by text If there is a power outage on our house.
yes, I know we will know if the power is out and we are here, but it comes in handy if we are gone for a couple of days.
Duke notifies my wife by text If there is a power outage on our house.
yes, I know we will know if the power is out and we are here, but it comes in handy if we are gone for a couple of days.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
With the metering used most places these days it shouldn't be that difficult to provide such a service.
That said there is still a need to know if a particular branch circuit or feeder for certain items has lost power and a need for kinds of monitors mentioned here, or to monitor temperature or other status and notify you if anything is outside predetermined limits.
Oh, like a gfci monitor?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I wasn't thinking monitoring GFCI only but if that is a concern then yes.
I have a plant I do work for that has steam boiler that provides steam for processing as well as some heating. Several years ago after boiler shut down a couple different times on very cold nights and caused other issues when things froze up in the plant we put in Sensaphone system - landline phone connected. We have a temperature sensor in the room that is pretty much entirely heated by the boiler as well as a relay contact tied into boiler controls that opens a contact anytime the boiler control power is lost or if the boiler goes into alarm status. By default the unit also makes calls if AC power to the unit itself is lost, so even though the general use receptacle circuit it is on is not too likely to trip anything, it still goes out if utility power is lost. If there were to be other critical items to monitor we could easily tie a monitoring contact or even temp sensor directly to another input zone and monitor that item.
Certain plant employees are on the auto dialer list and it goes through each number until someone enters an acknowledgement code. one potential drawback is I believe it only goes through the number list 100 times then ceases dialing on that particular alarm instance. But if another zone or alarm condition would happen it will go through again.
Majority of alarm calls have been either boiler ignition failure or maybe low level conditions because of feed pump failure of some sort. Employee gets the alarm call goes to plant resets the locked out boiler control and it either starts up again or fails again and they possibly end up calling me if they don't know how to fix the problem. I've been called at 2 AM when it there is problems he can't fix, especially on cold nights. But also may still get called in middle of night in summer if they are planning to need boiler for processing the next day as a lot of products they make need steam for part of processing. I'm far enough away they don't want to have me come in and reset it and nothing fails again.
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