Automation for those cold mornings

[farmeratheart]

When we put power to the Tractor shed last year I put a quad outlet on the wall. One of the outlets is wired to a switch on the wall in the shed and to a switch in the house at the top of the basement stairs. The Tractor ‘s block heater is plugged into that switched outlet. Also, in that outlet by way of a 2 outlet splitter is an electric candle with one of those small nightlight bulbs. When the heater is on I can tell because the candle is ‘shining’ in the shed window.

 

[dnw64]

I have a TP-Link outlet that my block heater is plugged into (works off wifi - I had to add a range extender to get a reliable signal in the garage).

I can manually turn it on whenever I feel like it with my phone, or I can turn on a Schedule for it to turn on at a certain time.

If I'm at work and want to use it when I get home I'll manually turn it on roughly an hour before I leave. If it's snowing tonight (as it happens to be) I will turn the timer on for it to start at 4am so it's warmed up when I get up at 5 tomorrow morning.

 

[/pine]

Not so much for cold weather but for convenience etc...I set up outside flood light fixtures all around our cabin after the fact...I did not want to wire them all into one existing switch...so I installed a remote circuit switch board...it has multiple relays that are rated at 10amps each and are activated with a keyfob type remote...it works very well...

 

[JWR]

Didn稚 know if there are any other geeks here. I have my block heater on a 奴wave switch controlled with 鉄martThings? (My whole house has over a hundred doodads...)

Anyways, I can have it turn on the block warmer at a preset time or I can tell Amazon Alexa to turn it on. Good for those nights when the snow is already falling. QUOTE]

I just can't help laughing -- I was raised on a farm with the help of my grandfather I called Pap. He never had a car nor a driver's license. My parents bought a 1954 tractor [which you can see on my avatar picture] when Pap was in his old age but he was never on it. He used horses to do everything on the farm including mow areas I cannot get a tractor on today. I have to try to imagine what Pap would be thinking if he watched you tell Alexa to turn on the engine heater on a modern farm tractor !! My oh my.

 

[SueHender]

Not a bad alley with switch on the wall

 

[oosik]

I have a "Hotsy Pad" that I can put on that ever so cold vinyl seat on really cold mornings. That's about it for me.

 

[lpakiz]

I use a WION Smart switch. It plugs into an outlet like the timers one uses for Cmas lights. It’s controlled by my IPhone from where ever I’m at, or I can push a button on the device and turn it on or off right there.
I also have another Wion device wired to a motorized ball valve on the air compressor system. And one on the water supply solenoid (and drain down solenoid) in my basement, that supplies water to my Maple Syrup sugar house, across the yard.
Menards sells them for around $20, EBay for less than that.
Investigating installing one on on the church boiler, so I can control it from my recliner in the spring and fall, when constant heat is not needed. I already have a couple of Sensi brand wifi thermostats to monitor the temp in the church and the attached school.
The Wion can be controlled by phone, local touch or a myriad selection of automated schedules, including the aforementioned dawn and dusk settings. Pretty handy.

 

[Dmacleo]

I feel left out.
I have extension cord with dual outlet pigtail connected to my shed (few feet away) and run battery maintainer in winter (mid-maine) all the time.
my auto block heater is me taking the second end of pigtail and plugging heater in LOL