Home and garden projects
#1276
Re: Home and garden projects
And another one for the team ... wireless Irrigation controllers. I was at Home Depot tonight, and learned that you can get wifi-connected irrigation controllers that you can control from your phone/computer/etc, and also optionally tie into local weather conditions (like, if it's pouring down, don't water ...). Since I'm a techie nerd/IT guy and love tinkering with such things, this obviously appeals to me! Also, I'm passionate about water conservation and may be away from this place half the year, so the idea of being able to remotely mess with this is pretty cool. I've already tinkered with the whole Samsung SmartThings platform, and have z-wave and/or zigbee bulbs, light switches, sockets, thermostats, water leak sensors, motion sensors, etc tied together so adding irrigation is just a natural next step . The current irrigation controller looks utterly counter-intuitive and I was dreading having to learn how to program it!
This is one of the units I saw: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-B-...7946/206638404 . I only have one zone so my needs are simple. Does anyone have any experience with these things? If it loses network connection it runs a pre-arranged program, so nothing lost.
I adore my ecobee wireless thermostat, if that's anything to go by
This is one of the units I saw: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-B-...7946/206638404 . I only have one zone so my needs are simple. Does anyone have any experience with these things? If it loses network connection it runs a pre-arranged program, so nothing lost.
I adore my ecobee wireless thermostat, if that's anything to go by
#1277
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Home and garden projects
That's bizzarre that you'd have a sensor in the closet ... but the fact you've seen it 3 times means it's not a crazy fluke! Also odd that this would be in Vancouver - not a place noted for hot, humid summers! I moved into an apartment briefly last year in CA while between homes and I asked the maintenance guy why there weren't two switches in the bathroom (one for light, one for fan) and he said, they want to FORCE people to have the fan on when showering to reduce mold. So I can see why they'd put in a sensor control, but ... not in a closet! Is the closet right next door? does the fan ever kick in? It would seem unlikely unless the closet were used as a steam room!.
The closest is outside the bathroom, one wall borders the bathroom, but the closet itself and the closet door is completely outside the bathroom.
One of those things that make you go hmmmm.
These are all newer build places in the last 5-7 years, have never seen such thing in older buildings I have lived in.
#1278
Re: Home and garden projects
Try this https://www.rainmachine.com/products/, I have the mini 8. It only takes a few minutes to throw away the old one and put this one in its place.
I love that it polls the local weather and adjusts the watering accordingly, I have saved a huge amount of water due to this.
Some mornings I see my neighbors sprinklers going, and think mine is broken, but then it rains later in the day and realize why it did not run. Of course I could just look at the app on my phone.
I love that it polls the local weather and adjusts the watering accordingly, I have saved a huge amount of water due to this.
Some mornings I see my neighbors sprinklers going, and think mine is broken, but then it rains later in the day and realize why it did not run. Of course I could just look at the app on my phone.
#1279
Re: Home and garden projects
I have a large number of temperature/humidity sensors in my house, just for fun as I like playing with home automation and IoT. This means I can tell the humidity from most rooms in the house.
I have two major sources of humidity, the shower, and the humidifier that runs during winter. The sensor closest to either of these obviously has the most dramatic change, but even the other side of the house picks up the humidity rise.
So I expect that the sensor has been placed to pick up ambient humidity changes, and ignore sharp spikes.
Or maybe it is just to avoid any possible condensation?
I have two major sources of humidity, the shower, and the humidifier that runs during winter. The sensor closest to either of these obviously has the most dramatic change, but even the other side of the house picks up the humidity rise.
So I expect that the sensor has been placed to pick up ambient humidity changes, and ignore sharp spikes.
Or maybe it is just to avoid any possible condensation?
#1280
Re: Home and garden projects
I have a large number of temperature/humidity sensors in my house, just for fun as I like playing with home automation and IoT. This means I can tell the humidity from most rooms in the house.
I have two major sources of humidity, the shower, and the humidifier that runs during winter. The sensor closest to either of these obviously has the most dramatic change, but even the other side of the house picks up the humidity rise.
So I expect that the sensor has been placed to pick up ambient humidity changes, and ignore sharp spikes.
Or maybe it is just to avoid any possible condensation?
I have two major sources of humidity, the shower, and the humidifier that runs during winter. The sensor closest to either of these obviously has the most dramatic change, but even the other side of the house picks up the humidity rise.
So I expect that the sensor has been placed to pick up ambient humidity changes, and ignore sharp spikes.
Or maybe it is just to avoid any possible condensation?
#1281
Re: Home and garden projects
I have a large number of temperature/humidity sensors in my house, just for fun as I like playing with home automation and IoT. This means I can tell the humidity from most rooms in the house.
I have two major sources of humidity, the shower, and the humidifier that runs during winter. The sensor closest to either of these obviously has the most dramatic change, but even the other side of the house picks up the humidity rise.
So I expect that the sensor has been placed to pick up ambient humidity changes, and ignore sharp spikes.
Or maybe it is just to avoid any possible condensation?
I have two major sources of humidity, the shower, and the humidifier that runs during winter. The sensor closest to either of these obviously has the most dramatic change, but even the other side of the house picks up the humidity rise.
So I expect that the sensor has been placed to pick up ambient humidity changes, and ignore sharp spikes.
Or maybe it is just to avoid any possible condensation?
Then it struck me, a possible reason why Jsmth has found the controls far from the bathroom - the control is (perhaps ) paired with a humidity meter in the fan unit in the bathroom, such that the fan will come on when the bathroom is significantly more humid that the ambient air, and such a system would need a device far from the bathrion to measure ambient humidity.
Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 5th 2019 at 9:26 pm.
#1282
Re: Home and garden projects
I have a raspberry pi with a zwave and ziggbee dongle attached. Use it for a few sensors and thermostat.
At some point I'd like to change our bathroom fans for a modern one. Sounds like an aircraft taking off.
At some point I'd like to change our bathroom fans for a modern one. Sounds like an aircraft taking off.
#1283
Re: Home and garden projects
I have been thinking about this post throughout the day, because while it has observations that ure undoubtedly true, it doesn't make much sense for the purpose of running a bathroom extractor fan. ... The fan needs to run when the humidity is high in the bathroom, not when the ambient humidity is high.
Then it struck me, a possible reason why Jsmth has found the controls far from the bathroom - the control is (perhaps ) paired with a humidity meter in the fan unit in the bathroom, such that the fan will come on when the bathroom is significantly more humid that the ambient air, and such a system would need a device far from the bathrion to measure ambient humidity.
Then it struck me, a possible reason why Jsmth has found the controls far from the bathroom - the control is (perhaps ) paired with a humidity meter in the fan unit in the bathroom, such that the fan will come on when the bathroom is significantly more humid that the ambient air, and such a system would need a device far from the bathrion to measure ambient humidity.
#1285
Re: Home and garden projects
The most fun you can have with a gasoline engine that doesn't involve any form of transportation.
It feels like it had twice the power of my old saw (an earlier version of a saw with similar specs), and also appears to run twice as long on a tank of 2-stroke.
It feels like it had twice the power of my old saw (an earlier version of a saw with similar specs), and also appears to run twice as long on a tank of 2-stroke.
#1286
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2015
Location: Near Lynchburg Tennessee, home of Jack Daniels
Posts: 1,381
Re: Home and garden projects
They make a great saw. I have one but a little smaller, maybe a lot smaller. Yours is a pretty large saw that can handle anything a homeowner would need. I like the way Huskavarna’s are easy to start over some other brands I have owned.
#1287
Re: Home and garden projects
Funnily enough, it isn't the easiest to start, but yes, it is a commercial grade saw, and having had a similar saw for the past 12 years or so, I wouldn't settle for a "home-owner grade" saw as they are pretty puny.
I think the most powerful saw you can get from Lowe's or Home Depot is 3.6hp, mine is 5.7hp, so their really isn't any comparison. ... But it is lightning fast, cutting through an 18" oak log like it was pine. I just can't imagine trying to use something from Lowe's to cut up a large oak. I had just enough time this afternoon to cut two pines into 11 saw logs, and to cut the oak into another 5 saw logs. With a smaller saw I'd probably be looking at another half day of sawing.
Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 7th 2019 at 2:43 am.
#1288
Re: Home and garden projects
#1290
Re: Home and garden projects
The back of the package looks like this:
I wonder if ... they didn't have a location in the bathroom for this second switch, so mounted it in the closet ...?!?!? But he said he's seen this arrangement in THREE separate apartments!