Electric Water heater wifi controlled

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Besoeker said:
Switch rooms and substations are generally unoccupied. Same with pumping stations.
Just sayin'
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I guess if you want to be technical with definition of occupied - yes. I don't know what word to use for what I meant, but if no one is ever there for even really minor maintenance - even just sweeping the floor on occasion, a lot of things seem to deteriorate pretty rapidly. My comment was mostly aimed at houses, and similarly constructed/used spaces though. Little deficiencies that go unnoticed simply because nobody is ever there seem to turn into big deficiencies pretty rapidly.

I see a lot of old, (and even newer) farmhouses that once left unoccupied go to hell in a short time.

Little leak in the roof? If someone is living there, probably does something about it. Even if nothing more then placing a catch bucket on the floor - at least that protects the floor. Nobody there at all now you have a leaking roof a damaged floor, and who knows what else it leads to.
 
WiFI communications may be desired for home security reasons. Say you are away on vacation, wouldn't it be nice to know your garage door was being opened? How about learning that a water heater that is heating when no one is supposed to be home? I like the idea of being able to login to my vacation home and adjust the temperature so every thing is ready when I arrive. It is nice to be able to check if the setbacks have been made at the end of the stay.
 
kwired said:
I guess if you want to be technical with definition of occupied - yes. I don't know what word to use for what I meant, but if no one is ever there for even really minor maintenance - even just sweeping the floor on occasion, a lot of things seem to deteriorate pretty rapidly. My comment was mostly aimed at houses, and similarly constructed/used spaces though. Little deficiencies that go unnoticed simply because nobody is ever there seem to turn into big deficiencies pretty rapidly.

I see a lot of old, (and even newer) farmhouses that once left unoccupied go to hell in a short time.

Little leak in the roof? If someone is living there, probably does something about it. Even if nothing more then placing a catch bucket on the floor - at least that protects the floor. Nobody there at all now you have a leaking roof a damaged floor, and who knows what else it leads to.
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Regular routine inspections would do and not require occupancy.
 
jim dungar said:
WiFI communications may be desired for home security reasons. Say you are away on vacation, wouldn't it be nice to know your garage door was being opened? How about learning that a water heater that is heating when no one is supposed to be home? I like the idea of being able to login to my vacation home and adjust the temperature so every thing is ready when I arrive. It is nice to be able to check if the setbacks have been made at the end of the stay.
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Storage tank type water heaters do heat when nobody is home. But unless there is malfunction that heating is only for maintenance of tank temperature as needed. That malfunction is often a bigger concern then the fact the tank is being heated.

Garage door opened? The wifi capable garage door opener only would tell you the status of the opener. If someone broke the door down or pulled the release lever and opened the door - the opener is still in "closed position". A "security system" has a better chance of telling you an intruder was there. Wireless remotes for door openers have complex enough signaling you don't accidentally have stray RF signals opening the door like you may have years ago. And you can't just go around a neighborhood with a remote and see how many doors it will open on it's current setting like you once could either. That was a fun activity when I was a kid.
 
hbiss said:
As I said above that's EXACTLY my point! Again, as the owner of a rental house or unit you would be crazy to not have someone working for you (if you aren't close enough yourself) to look after the property whenever guests arrive, leave and during their stay to make sure they abide by the rental agreement and are not trashing the place. No way would I just hand over the keys. If you don't keep an eye on them you get renters throwing wild drunken parties with 100 people destroying the place. Makes your water heater the least of the problem.

-Hal
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Crazy or not. The world today has changed. You have Air B&b , Vacasa, Homeaway...........
It ain't like it used to be. The market is very disruptive.
 
kwired said:
I guess if you want to be technical with definition of occupied - yes. I don't know what word to use for what I meant, but if no one is ever there for even really minor maintenance - even just sweeping the floor on occasion, a lot of things seem to deteriorate pretty rapidly. My comment was mostly aimed at houses, and similarly constructed/used spaces though. Little deficiencies that go unnoticed simply because nobody is ever there seem to turn into big deficiencies pretty rapidly.

I see a lot of old, (and even newer) farmhouses that once left unoccupied go to hell in a short time.

Little leak in the roof? If someone is living there, probably does something about it. Even if nothing more then placing a catch bucket on the floor - at least that protects the floor. Nobody there at all now you have a leaking roof a damaged floor, and who knows what else it leads to.
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Have you seen the size of homes we have around lake tahoe? Some of these folks are so cheap , they would rather use remote devices then pay a caretaker.
 
Sierrasparky said:
Have you seen the size of homes we have around lake tahoe? Some of these folks are so cheap , they would rather use remote devices then pay a caretaker.
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On the other end...we just got back from vacation, again. Happen to talk to an electrician in Creed, CO whose main job was to keep a vacation home operational. They have their own Hydro electric and are about 8 miles from utility. If wife had not been with me I would have bought beer just to go have a look see.
 
I'm old school, have an Intermatic timer on mine, with a contactor hooked up to a switch so I can override the timer, let the heater work full time if I wish.
 
Crazy or not. The world today has changed. You have Air B&b , Vacasa, Homeaway...........
It ain't like it used to be. The market is very disruptive... Have you seen the size of homes we have around lake tahoe? Some of these folks are so cheap , they would rather use remote devices then pay a caretaker.
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Who cleans, changes the linens, fumigates :happyyes: between rental customers? You can't do that remotely. I wouldn't even want to rent something that wasn't properly cleaned before I got there. That would be disgusting. You're right, the world has changed. Who knows what went on there before you.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Who cleans, changes the linens, fumigates :happyyes: between rental customers? You can't do that remotely. I wouldn't even want to rent something that wasn't properly cleaned before I got there. That would be disgusting. You're right, the world has changed. Who knows what went on there before you.

-Hal
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can you say "cruise ship"
I enjoy a cruise but can't help but wonder........ as I watch the departing guests pass the newly arriving ones :)
 
hbiss said:
Who cleans, changes the linens, fumigates :happyyes: between rental customers? You can't do that remotely. I wouldn't even want to rent something that wasn't properly cleaned before I got there. That would be disgusting. You're right, the world has changed. Who knows what went on there before you.

-Hal
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Yeah we know.
However with remote controls you can see if they did what they are supposed to.
When a tech is dispatched to these places , they know when I arrive, they have web cameras in the perimeter or ring type stuff. ...........
Yes it is a new world and workplace
 
Sierrasparky said:
Have you seen the size of homes we have around lake tahoe? Some of these folks are so cheap , they would rather use remote devices then pay a caretaker.
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Caretaker probably does cost more, some might feel they will be taken advantage or or have things stolen, etc. This usually those that are only moderately wealthy though. The filthy rich have full time caretakers at all their properties.

mtfallsmikey said:
I'm old school, have an Intermatic timer on mine, with a contactor hooked up to a switch so I can override the timer, let the heater work full time if I wish.
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What does that make those of us with no controller at all other then the OEM thermostats? Cavemen?
 
I just turn off all the breakers when I leave my camp, turn them on when I get there.
If I rented it out, I would be there when customer arrived and left, 1-1/2hrs. door to door
 
ptonsparky said:
Why would someone want to control a water heater via WiFi? Other than, they can.
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Customer wants this because. They are a couple with no kids, both work long hours, but they are some days when they could work from home, one of them travels a lot and there some days he is home for days. they want to heat the water whenever they will be home and not for the hundreds of hours there is nobody at home.
 
mtnelectrical said:
Customer wants this because. They are a couple with no kids, both work long hours, but they are some days when they could work from home, one of them travels a lot and there some days he is home for days. they want to heat the water whenever they will be home and not for the hundreds of hours there is nobody at home.
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The thing is electric water heat is about 100% efficient and the stand by losses are next to nothing so they will be spending money on an idea instead of actual savings.
 
mtnelectrical said:
Customer wants this because. They are a couple with no kids, both work long hours, but they are some days when they could work from home, one of them travels a lot and there some days he is home for days. they want to heat the water whenever they will be home and not for the hundreds of hours there is nobody at home.
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It keeps getting even better. :lol: So this isn't rental property, it's owner occupied? They can't turn on the water heater when they are going to be there? Lazy rich people!!!! Give 'em a switch by the front door! Or maybe they are so busy they can't wait a few minutes for hot water.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Or maybe they are so busy they can't wait a few minutes for hot water.
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I thought I missed something, but now I agree. Just about every water heater I've seen has a recovery time of about one hour.

I also agree that a contactor controlled by a switch would be suitable if the breaker panel is really that hard to get to.
 
ActionDave said:
The thing is electric water heat is about 100% efficient and the stand by losses are next to nothing so they will be spending money on an idea instead of actual savings.
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I don't think the losses are nothing, once told that having a tank style water heater inside conditioned space adds about 1/4 ton to cooling calculations. That should mean it lessens the heating load though. IMO water heater not worthwhile to try to control in an occupied house. Vacation house or similar - shut it off when you leave turn it on when you arrive, winter months probably doesn't matter much though, especially if heating system is electric heat.
 
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