I have a Whitfield Profile 20 and want to install a programmable thermostat. I don't think a temperature based thermostat would be the best bet though. I would like to program it based on "high/med/low" for certain hours during the day. Is there a product like this? I just feel like I am wasting pellets running the thing 24x7. It is a real haste to turn the thing on and off.
Non-Temp Based Programmable Thermostat
- Thread starter yaemish
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What about using a programmable timer on your wall outlet? You can get a programable digital wall timer (8 programs per day / 7 days a week), set-up the timer for when you want the stove to come on/off during the day (ie. cycle one: ON @ 5:00 AM, OFF @ 8:00 AM; cycle two ON @ 12:00 PM, OFF @ 2:00 PM; cycle three ON @ 5:00 PM, OFF @ 9:00 PM....etc..etc).
Just set your fan speed for low or medium and move the Thermostat all the way to "high".
Just set your fan speed for low or medium and move the Thermostat all the way to "high".
sweetsncheese
Member
yaemish said:
I don't think the complexity you're really looking for exists. A normal programmable thermostat will allow you to automatically set your stove to heat the room to about 4 different temperatures about 4 different times per day. Say 70°F while you're moving about in the home, 68°F at night while under warm covers and 65°F while away for the day and then back to 70°F before you return.
High/med/low settings are probably better adjusted based on the differential that exists between set temperature versus current temperatures. If it's 65°F in the room and you're trying to get to 70°F, you want the stove to run on high or medium. If you're simply cycling between 68°F and 70°F a medium or low setting could be used. Even more complex would be including the outside temperature as that data would aid in high/med/low selection.
Currently I use the standard programmable thermostat that I first mentioned. To enhance that I set the stove to high/med/low based on the outside temperature (when I remember). Does it save pellets? I couldn't tell you either way but it's fun to play with the settings. Bottom line, it saves oil and that's why the stove was purchased in the first place.
sweetsncheese
Member
macman said:
Should I call 911 now or do we have to wait till something actually goes drastically wrong?
hossthehermit
Minister of Fire
There's a discussion of this, including my solution, at this thread: setback thermostats and Harman Pellet stoves
This particular solution might not be right for your stove, however. It depends on what sort of sensor it's using.
This particular solution might not be right for your stove, however. It depends on what sort of sensor it's using.
I guess a temperature based solution would work. By the way, just killing the power is a really bad idea. I know my stove goes into fault mode and it won't power back up (at least correctly) until it does the correct shutdown. You would also lose the temperature based safety features and if your house were to burn down, my guess is that the insurance company would be a little difficult.
I will try a normal programmable thermostat; I guess the hardest part about using it would be to find the best place to put the thermostat. You would want to measure the temperature from a different room, one that doesn't fluctuate as much.
I will try a normal programmable thermostat; I guess the hardest part about using it would be to find the best place to put the thermostat. You would want to measure the temperature from a different room, one that doesn't fluctuate as much.
Flexibility of the setback approach that I took (link above) is limited only by the capabilities of the timer. The one I used could, in theory, control the stove in increments as small as 15 minutes. But it's limited to one alternate temperature. If you really wanted to get fancy and did a bit of analysis, you could make a second unit that would add even more resistance to the mix, creating a third and lowest temperature setting.smitty273 said:
I will try a normal programmable thermostat; I guess the hardest part about using it would be to find the best place to put the thermostat. You would want to measure the temperature from a different room, one that doesn't fluctuate as much.[/quote]
Go with a wireless thermostat. That way you can move it from room to room until you find the ideal location.
http://www.skytechsystem.com/thermo.asp?pi=277
Go with a wireless thermostat. That way you can move it from room to room until you find the ideal location.
http://www.skytechsystem.com/thermo.asp?pi=277
sweetsncheese
Member
sweetsncheese
Member
sweetsncheese said:
Temps were in the high 20s at night this week so I set the stove from High to Med/Low with the same setback program I've been running. Pellet usage dropped by a full bag a day but I don't know whether that's due to setting the stove heat output or just the fact that it's warmer during the day. I'd need a repeat of the same weekly temps with the stove set on High. Maybe later in Feb when it's consistently warmer I'll experiment a little.
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