Continuous Temperature Monitoring Protects Valuable Assets
CAS DataLoggers supplied a low-cost recording and alarming device to a homeowner in the Northeast who needed continual vacation home remote monitoring of temperature and humidity. This way the caretaker (a relative) could be alerted whenever the temperature was cold enough to cause burst pipes and other damage. This system would also need to be able to send current data several times a day and send warning emails whenever temperatures became too cold, or humidity too high. Since the house hadn’t yet been winterized, the owner wanted a quick delivery but had no idea which technology or product would be best for this setup.
Installation
After calling CAS DataLoggers and speaking with an Applications Specialist, the owner decided on a T&D RTR-500 Based Data system, installing the data collecter onto a wall in a downstairs hallway using the supplied wall brackets. 2 RTR-507 Wide-Range Temperature and Humidity Data Loggers were then installed onto walls at opposite ends of the ground floor in the kitchen and living room to get a representative environmental measurement. The remote units linked via wireless communication to the LAN network base station which automatically downloaded their recorded data. The base station then sent that data via the home’s LAN network to the caretaker and owner’s e-mail addresses. These temperature and humidity recorders measured ambient temperature from -30°C to 80°C (-22°F to 176°F) as well as relative humidity levels from 0-99% RH. Temperature recordings were made with a 0.3°C accuracy, and humidity readings at 2.5% RH accuracy.
Usage
Both the owner and caretaker kept tabs on the data through the free online WebStorage Service provided by T&D giving them the convenience of sharing the data via the Internet. This was perfect for allowing both of them to view the same data via web browser from anywhere, anytime, as long as an internet connection was available.
Additionally, the caretaker set the base station to automatically send its current readings via network as an email to both the caretaker and himself once every 6 hours for comparison. An additional benefit of this was that they would also be alerted to a possible power outage in the house if they ever stopped receiving emails, which could help them to react to any failure of the central heating system.
Using its local alarm relay connections, if a measurement exceeded one of the set upper or lower temperature or humidity limits, the base station judged whether or not a warning had just occurred. If so, notification was shown by the LED lamp and a warning e-mail report was immediately sent to the specified e-mail addresses.
Benefits
The wireless base station and remote units were an efficient low-cost solution for the owner’s residential monitoring needs. Whenever the home became too cold or humid, the caretaker was notified and could adjust the home’s climate control to remedy the problem before the home sustained any long-term damage. Additional wireless data loggers could be added to monitor other values such as current/voltage, forming a completely customizable monitoring system. It was also possible to add Repeaters to further extend the range to the wireless data loggers.
For more information on T&D Temperature and Humidity Data Loggers, vacation home remote monitoring or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.