Which stoves will do cold startup via programmable Tstat?

[student549]

My problem is that I go away for a few days, and wish to return to a warm house, starting the stove just a few hours before I return. I've set up an internet-accessible T-stat control (using a Wemo switch!), and I can fill the hopper before I leave, but the problem is the same as if I were using a programmable T-stat set to call for heat a few days from now, igniting a cold stove....

I have a Kozi shop stove that will do this, but the fans are noisy.

I tried to rig up my 5500M US Stove, but the problem with their control board is that the T-Stat switches the stove from level 1 to a higher level-- BUT the stove has to be running (hot) ALL the time on level 1 before I leave, days before I actually need to use it. I need to ignite a cold stove several days into the future, so I don't burn up all my pellets on level 1. I hope I am communicating this problem adequately.

So I was looking into the Quadrafire Mt Vernon, which is quiet, but the dealers and the factory don't seem to be aware that we consumers are getting more demanding, and they couldn't answer the question, let alone understand it. <sigh>

That said, can anyone comment on this model, or recommend models that have this "cold start ignition by t-stat" functionality?

 

[Bioburner]

Welcome. Several stoves can be easily modified to use a remote thermostat. Harman is one. Use the search feature and you should find others and the hacks used to remotely control their stoves.

 

[bogieb]

I would think just about any stove with an auto light and a true thermostat control could do this (Harman, most St. Croix's etc)

 

[rich2500]

Ravelli has a GPRS kit that you can control your stove with your cell phone. (broken link removed to http://usa.ravelligroup.it/tecnologia_usa/gprs.php)

 

[jzm2cc]

I done this with Quadrafire, Harman, St Croix, Heatilator without issues. House is nice and warm and controlled via programmable thermostat.

 

[rickwai]

Mt vernon has a 7 day tstat. I dont think you can hook a internet based tstat to that stove.

 

[lakensea]

My Rika/Austroflamm will do it.

By the way, is that a Gordon Setter pup in your picture?

 

[Wilbur Feral]

As I understand it, what you are asking for is multi-stage control, in which the stove turns on at a certain (high consumption) stage to warm things relatively quickly, but then goes to a lower consumption stage once the higher consumption stage is no longer needed. You also want remote control of this thermostat (i.e., internet control).

I am not personally aware of a stove that offers both these functions, but it may exist. My MVAE (Quadrafire) has great multistage control on Auto mode, but the lousy thermostat that you are forced to use cannot be controlled remotely, and you cannot replace it with a different stat (Kap and others have heard me whine about this for years). Most stoves operate via the stat as simply on/off, which eliminates the multi-stage function.

There is an excellent writeup by a forum member known as TwoBraids on hacking a Nest thermostat to control a Quad Santa Fe for this remote control, multi stage functionality, but you would need to have the ability to wire in three relays to accomplish it. I have done so and it works great, but it does require considerable skill in this area and for liability reasons, few if any would build it for someone else (I would not).

What I think you want to do can be done, but is not widely available for pellet stoves yet (others may chime in with options and I hope they do). But otherwise, this very desirable feature set becomes a "roll your own" situation, or at least it was for me.

 

[Bill L]

My Enviro M55 has the auto/off thermostat setting that may do what you want, and I believe many of their other models have this mode. The stove will shut down if there is no call for heat from the t-stat in 20 min (I think that is the time), and will restart when there is s call for heat. If you were to program the t-stat with a very low setting where it would not call for heat, then a high setting at the time of your return, it would start when the t-stay is bumped up.

A problem with this could be if the temp in your house is lower than the lowest thermostat setting, it will run while you are away. My thermostat (and maybe yours?) also has an "off" setting, where there will be no call for heat, and the stove would remain off, until the t-stat is switched to "on" (continuous call for heat) or "thermo" (back to thermostat mode). If you can control the thermostat on/off function from your internet control, you could essentially turn the stove on whenever you wanted to.

 

[railfanron]

My Harman has done it thousands of times in the last 3 years. Never failed to ignite.
Ron

 

[Matthewt]

I hooked my 5500 to a small microprocessor to interface with a themostat. Been on for 4 years. Turns stove on off and Auger delay at stattup to save fuel. Call Ardunio. . Google it.

 

[phil san]

My problem is that I go away for a few days, and wish to return to a warm house, starting the stove just a few hours before I return. I've set up an internet-accessible T-stat control (using a Wemo switch!), and I can fill the hopper before I leave, but the problem is the same as if I were using a programmable T-stat set to call for heat a few days from now, igniting a cold stove....

I have a Kozi shop stove that will do this, but the fans are noisy.

I tried to rig up my 5500M US Stove, but the problem with their control board is that the T-Stat switches the stove from level 1 to a higher level-- BUT the stove has to be running (hot) ALL the time on level 1 before I leave, days before I actually need to use it. I need to ignite a cold stove several days into the future, so I don't burn up all my pellets on level 1. I hope I am communicating this problem adequately.

So I was looking into the Quadrafire Mt Vernon, which is quiet, but the dealers and the factory don't seem to be aware that we consumers are getting more demanding, and they couldn't answer the question, let alone understand it. <sigh>

That said, can anyone comment on this model, or recommend models that have this "cold start ignition by t-stat" functionality?

I have a Harman 52I hooked up to a Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Wi-Fi 7 Day Programmable Color Touch Thermostat, Works with Alexa
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLZEQH2/?tag=hearthamazon-20.

Control it from my phone for temp increase/decrease, timer and able to do a cold startup. Identifies temp in house and able to program.

 

[tlc1976]

Old thread I see, no telling if the OP is still around, but I might as well add this anyway. Back in 2012 I hacked into the control pad of a 5500M to operate the on and off buttons by an external thermostat. One could do the same thing, and operate the ON button by a timer. This thread shows what I did. Originally I was trying to slow down the feed rate, but the on/off thermostat is what I settled on.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/us-stove-5500m-how-to-slow-down-feed-rate.91491