Per-room Line voltage mechanical thermostats - upgrade options?

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TwoWheels

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Hi:

I'm buying an older modular home that has electric baseboard heat with a mechanical thermostat in each room. I'm not sure at this moment, but I think there are 4 or 5 thermostats (one for each of 3 bedrooms, plus living room and kitchen). I will also probaby be finishing the basement and adding more rooms that will need thermostatic control of some form.

I'd like to have a way of controlling these centrally, or even remotely. But as a minimum I want setback functionality.

Here are the options as I see them:

a) replace each thermostat with a digital programmable standalone thermostat. This gives me setback without remote controllability

b) replace each thermostat with a WIFI or ZWAVE digital programmable standalone thermostat. This gives me setback AND remote controllability, but could be very expensive.

c) install some form of networked thermostat or sensor in each room, with a centralized control or zone system. The Honeywell "RedLINK" system seems close, but I'm not sure it supports exactly what I am looking for. Are there other options?

Looking around the internet, I have not found many options to addrsss this particular situation. I live in the northeast, so electric heat is very expensive and I'd like to mitigate that, but if the theromstats cost $1500 it would take a while to pay back. So I'm looking for an exonomical option. (a) seems like the easiest solution, and I can probably do it for under $200. what are the other options?

Thanks,

Dave
 

Vegas_sparky

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There are Honeywell WiFis available for $100. They can hve individual names assigned from a set list, for easy identification during remote operation. Super simple to program, and get connected for remote monitoring/operation from your PC or phone. That's about as cheap/simple as you'll get, and have remote capability.

If you're really crafty, generic WiFi/Bluetooth/ZigBee/Ethernet relay boards are getting more common. I've see many with analog and binary inputs for use with temp sensors/photocells/CTs/floats/etc. With these, you can monitor/control just about anything.
 

TwoWheels

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I actually have a Honeywell WiFi thermostat in my current home with low voltage heat, but my new home has baseboard electric. I don't know if they make a high-voltage version. Is there a slick relay module that is not too expensive to use a low-voltage thermostat with baseboard electric? It would somehow need to also power the thermostat, and that means potentially pulling new wire to each location, so overall not too exciting a prospect (there are 6)
 

Vegas_sparky

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I applogize. I completely spaced the line voltage requirement, and I read your post. For me, I'd set remote 24VAC xfmr(s), and run an 18/2 stranded out to the stat locations. If there's any unswitched 120V near the stats, it can easily be done. A small RIB relay can fit in a box behind the stat to switch the line voltage. It would be worth it to me to gain control of those power hungry heaters. Even if you didn't hit them all, at least the ones that have the most to be gained by getting them under control.

Typically, does the line power for the heaters hit the heater first, with the control cable going to the stat, or does it hit stat then heater? Are these 120V or 240V heaters?

I've never seen a battery operated digital stat that would work in this situation. All they do is close low voltage rated contacts. They don't have the power, or are designed, to drive a relay by themselves.
 
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