Re: X10 Controller Question

["Brian Staff" <brianstaffRemoveMe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The hot water re-circulating pump is outside (we live Phoenix, AZ)...of our
master bedroom, in the water closet only accessible from outside.. The pump
is currently on a timer to come on in the mornings for showers an again in
the evenings. However, if we want to take a shower in non-normal times, then
we either wait for the hot water to arrive at the shower head...which is a
long time when you're standing naked....waiting<g> or we step outside and
manually hit the timer ON. Sometimes we get undressed and then realize the
pump may not be on...my wife frowns on this procedure of having to go
outside to turn on/off the pump.

As an aside, we recently installed an outside pool and the pool light, water
feature and landscape lights were all hooked up to a new X10 remote control.
So, it crossed my mind that I could control the re-circulating water heater
pump with the same x10 controller and dis-connect the time al-together- this
I could do now. But the my current controller does not tell me if the pump
has been switched on/off - so, we would never know if we could get instant
hot water from the shower.

However, if the controller had a LED, even just to say it had been switched
on, then that would be sufficient to tell us that someone had previously
switched it on and by now the hot water would be flowing. If the LED was
off, then we could switch it on (without having to go outside semi-nude),
wait a few minutes and then take a shower.

The reverse of this is also consideration too. If I see the LED ON and I
know we are not going to require any hot water soon, I can switch if
OFF...all without going outside.

--
Brian
"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:-eWdnZcoZ8Ffr7_bnZ2dnUVZ_vGinZ2d@xxxxxxxxxx
> "Brian Staff" <brianstaffRemoveMe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:RibUh.150972$ZA5.46381@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> I've been sent here from alt.home.repair<g>
>>
>> Is it possible for an X10 "control box" to show (say, with an LED maybe)
>> whether a remote device is on/off or has been sent the on/off signal?
>>
>> I would like to control my water heater re-circulating pump (or garage
>> drive-way lights) - devices I cannot normally see from inside the house.
>>
>> I'm sure someone will just say "switch it on/off - then you will know" -
> but
>> the notification on the re-circulating pump is useful to know whether it
> has
>> been on or off, because it takes a few minutes for the water to get to
>> the
>> shower.
>
> I'm a little confused by your requirements.  You talk about "whether it
> has
> *been* on or off" and to me, that implies knowing more than simple status
> LEDs will tell you.  All status LEDs will tell you is whether the device
> IS
> on or off, but nothing about how long it has been on or when it was last
> on.
> In fact, Nick correctly points out that all status lights will really tell
> you, without getting complicated, is that a command to the device has been
> sent.
>
> I'd probably opt for monitoring the pump's piping with a $20 wired or
> wireless remote sensor thermometer that would tell you the water
> temperature.  That would give the feedback I think you are looking for,
> based on your comments.  Can you please clarify whether your main concern
> is
> the status of the devices or their remote control or both?
>
> The devices Jeff talks about will probably do at least some of what you
> want
> to do, if not all.
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>
>
>