What do you use when gone from home in WINTER? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 01-21-2015, 01:46 PM   #1
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What do you use when gone from home in WINTER?

I need some kind of home low temp sensor when I'am gone in the winter.
Been looking at these two kinds.
Reliance Controls THP217 Automatic Phone-out Freeze Monitor - Low Temperature Alarms - Amazon.com
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Control Products FreezeAlarm Dialer Temperature Alarm FA-700 with 1 phone voice message notification / monitor for low or high temperature extremes / No monitoring fees - Low Temperature Alarms - Amazon.com
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Both call you if temp gets to low.
Has anyone used something like this?
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Old 01-21-2015, 02:34 PM   #2
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Are you thinking for your trailer or for home? I simple drain the trailer and fill lines with anti freeze and forget it. At home I have an programmed temp control on the furnace - furnace will kick in when temps in the house hit a set temperature. Keeps it just warm enough to avoid freezing if and only when needed. It has a battery back up incase of power failure.
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Old 01-22-2015, 05:56 AM   #3
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I've been thinking about it too. Probably go with one that also has a water detector and sends out via the land line. You can also setup a camera or 2 but with out internet connections it wouldn't work for long.
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Old 01-22-2015, 06:21 AM   #4
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Looking for a setup for my house, when gone in my casita in the winter.
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Old 01-22-2015, 06:25 AM   #5
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we have one from Amazon that senses low temp, power out, water on floor. Will call 3 phone numbers. Cost about $75. It called us the last two winters while we were away for no heat. Both instances required a repair to the boiler
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Old 01-22-2015, 09:06 AM   #6
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I just bought a Motorola web cam that also displays temperature. Works great after two days. We will see in the long run. You need a wifi router, but you can see your home on video on your smart phone. It also has motion and low temp notifications.
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Old 01-22-2015, 09:22 AM   #7
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I have no smart phone.(old flip phone 15 years old)
Will be turning off water main when gone also.
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Old 01-22-2015, 09:30 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin K View Post
I have no smart phone.(old flip phone 15 years old)
Will be turning off water main when gone also.
Kevin,

I like your low-tech approach. I do it too. Still I wonder if that means I should bail out the toilets and drain the pipes. On second thought if I bail the toilets I may return to a smelly house. Perhaps some anti-freeze in the traps like a winterized RV. Our just ask a neighbor to walk thru occasionally. I am not ready to give up travel.

Such first world problems. ;-)

John
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Old 01-22-2015, 09:53 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Linck View Post
Kevin,

Our just ask a neighbor to walk thru occasionally. I am not ready to give up travel.

John
Check your insurance policy fine print. Most have a requirement that someone actually goes into and checks the home every X so many days no matter what type of monitoring system you have. Often the time between checks is every 72 hours.
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Old 01-22-2015, 12:50 PM   #10
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Here is a simple low cost solution. I have used it for over 10 years as I owned two homes in deep freeze areas. The device can be purchased at most hardware stores. You connect it "in-line" between your phone and the wall Jack. Plug the phone into the small box and plug the wire that runs from the box into the telephone wall plug.

How it works: When the temperature in your home drops below 40 degrees this device causes you to get a busy signal when you call your home....if you call and your home phone rings you have enough heat....busy signal possible problem.
My neighbor has agreed to visit my home if I call him with a possible no heat report (he has a key)....he then has instructions to call my heating supply/repair company for them to respond and repair my furnace. They also have a key on file if I call them direct....all this is pre-arranged.

This simple system works.

The device: Hampton Home Freeze Alert.....cost: less than $40
The company: Hampton Weather Products Inc.... 1-800-972-5015
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Old 01-22-2015, 04:07 PM   #11
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[QUOTE=Uplander;500925]

How it works: When the temperature in your home drops below 40 degrees this device causes you to get a busy signal when you call your home....if you call and your home phone rings you have enough heat....busy signal possible problem.


Both times we got a no heat call it was around 2AM on a below zero degree night. My fuel company (that I once worked for) has 24 hour service. I wouldn't have wanted a 6 hour delay for them to go, assuming I may have called my home phone at 8AM. Also don't want to have to be constantly calling home.
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Old 01-22-2015, 04:11 PM   #12
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There is also a device, maybe called "winter watchman"? that you plug into an outlet, then a lamp into it, and set the temperature you want it to go on at. Put lamp in window, hope neighbor will see it and call service company. Low tech, but that was what they had 30 years ago when I did heating service and installation. Don't plug it into an outlet on an outside wall as cold may come through the wall and set it off when there is no low heat situation
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Old 01-22-2015, 05:02 PM   #13
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What do you use when gone from home in WINTER?


I asked a similar question last year. My excuse was cabin fever. Raz

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...use-62354.html
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Old 01-22-2015, 07:05 PM   #14
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Reliance THP201 Freeze Alarm & Honeywell Winter Watchman

Hi Kevin,

The Reliance THP201 Phone Alert (about $85-110) is a very good device for the purpose. We've used one for 5 years now, and a friend who lives in Florida and has a summer house in Vermont has used one for many years also. You program up to 3 phone numbers to call if power goes out, the temp drops below 45deg., or the water sensor (if enabled) is activated. It calls for 10 rings and goes on to the next number. You can vary the delay from 5 up to 30 minutes, so you don't get a call for a temporary power outage. It instructs the caller on what to do --acknowledge, or turn it off, by pressing different keys to send a tone back to the device. It has battery backup. The only glitch is if you have phone thru your cable modem, it may not work if cable goes out. If you have a standard wireline phone, it almost always works.

I can't tell you how many times when power was out for days and all the wireline phones worked, while most all of the cable phones were out, and most all of the cell sites were off after a couple of days after their batteries ran out.

But, all things considered, the Reliance THP201 is still the best item of this type.

And, Honeywell still makes the Winter Watchman (about $20-25) which turns on a lamp when the temp goes below the setting. But there must be someone watching your house for it to be effective.

GL Mark
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Old 01-23-2015, 08:06 AM   #15
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Lots of good ideas. I don't want to have to be constantly calling home. My neighbor will have a key and do a walk through every 2 days to water plants. I will have water turned off. (I will have water in 1 gal jugs for flowers)
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Old 01-23-2015, 09:02 AM   #16
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I have a Nest thermostat and can monitor and control the heat from my phone https://store.nest.com/product/thermostat/
I also have a FloLogic system installed that shuts off water automatically in the event of a leak. http://www.flologic.com
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Old 01-23-2015, 10:31 AM   #17
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Reliancecontrols.com has all the manuals, instructions, etc , easily downloadable, for the freeze alarm. It takes a few minutes to program it, but it works very well. They also make generator controls, accessories, and transfer switches.
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Old 01-27-2015, 12:05 PM   #18
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Hi Kevin,

The Reliance THP201 Phone Alert (about $85-110) is a very good device for the purpose. We've used one for 5 years now...
We have had the same one for about the same time. It works fine at monitoring for power outages, freeze alerts, and water leaks.
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Old 01-28-2015, 07:43 AM   #19
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I bought this one Control Products FreezeAlarm Dialer Temperature Alarm FA-700 with 1 phone voice message notification / monitor for low or high temperature extremes / No monitoring fees - Low Temperature Alarms - Amazon.com
for $45.00 at Menards. Very very easy to set up.
Plug in power cord
Plug in phone cord
Insert battery's
Press program button
Put phone number in
Press program button again
Hit test
You get a phone call in 5 seconds
DONE
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Old 01-31-2015, 12:01 AM   #20
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His name is Neil, I pay him, he comes to the house every day.
keeps the house at 32 degrees F min and knows how to board up a window or what ever might be necessary.
Don't even think about the house when we're gone.
Told him not to contact me if it burns down,,,, it's insured and I can't do anything about it anyway.
And yes I have neighbours that leave their property unguarded and unchecked and therefore uninsured, worrying about it all the time they're gone!
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