Remotely keeping vans toasty.

[Becker]

All you warm climate dwellers just move along.. Big deal you live in a dust bowl and it hardly ever gets cold...

Freezing temps are not always a huge concern here, however we are in the middle of a cold blast.

So, I have a vacation coming up, both vans will be winterized, and tools removed, but I also like to be extra safe and still heat the inside of the van. But I don't want to run the heater 24hrs a day for 8 days, and some days might be above freezing.

So I have these little things,

Soo.. these ar little, the image is big..

They connect to your wifi and with your smartphone you can turn them on or off from anywhere.

I've had them for a year, use them flawlessly on other appliances/lighting.

You can create a program, or just turn them on or off as needed.


Check them out.. Wemo..

 

[Jim Martin]

maybe for turning on and off lights that would be pretty cool....but to be on vacation and trust that thing...not a good plan if you ask me....
Rule number one...never trust your equipment.....that's when things normally screw up...

starting tomorrow this dust bowl town is going to get cold for a few nights and I am going to have to put in some heaters.....still not 100% sure I would even trust that to protect my investment........heaters pull one hell of a amp draw.........

 

[Becker]

Jim. Hence both machines wi be winterized.

If you can't trust equipment. Then what do you suggest. Because a heater, thermostat, blah blah is all equipment.

I use these daily for other things. And they have worked flawlessly. My biggest risk is power outage. But the heater won't work anyways.

405 is already winterized. Thermalwave will get winterized the night before departure.

So. Besides the plan I have outlined, and parking indoors is not an option. What so you suggest him. Bit relying on equipment?

 

[Art Kelley]

maybe for turning on and off lights that would be pretty cool....but to be on vacation and trust that thing...not a good plan if you ask me....
Rule number one...never trust your equipment.....that's when things normally screw up...

starting tomorrow this dust bowl town is going to get cold for a few nights and I am going to have to put in some heaters.....still not 100% sure I would even trust that to protect my investment........heaters pull one hell of a amp draw.........

I routinely keep at least one heater going in my garaged van in the winter adding $100/mo per heater. Sucks, but I've paid for freeze-ups which are far more expensive.

 

[Jim Martin]

Jim. Hence both machines wi be winterized.

If you can't trust equipment. Then what do you suggest. Because a heater, thermostat, blah blah is all equipment.

I use these daily for other things. And they have worked flawlessly. My biggest risk is power outage. But the heater won't work anyways.

405 is already winterized. Thermalwave will get winterized the night before departure.

So. Besides the plan I have outlined, and parking indoors is not an option. What so you suggest him. Bit relying on equipment?

you have to have heaters....that's just the way it is....and I am not saying that thing is not a nifty little gadget....but I just don't think that while I am miles away from my equipment that I am going to trust it to keep my investment from freezing up....big difference between running a cord and relying on that thing to hold the circuit....

If it were me and going on vacation meant that there was a chance that when I got back I may have to sink $1000"s of dollars into my equipment .....because while I was gone my power went out....

I would be finding me a heated storage building...and hope like hell that when I got back it was the only money that I wasted..........

 

[Jim Martin]

I routinely keep at least one heater going in my garaged van in the winter adding $100/mo per heater. Sucks, but I've paid for freeze-ups which are far more expensive.

last year I had almost 2 weeks straight that I was running heaters..( both mine sit out side )...so far this year...we have only had 2 cold fronts come in...the first one was not so bad...but this one I am going to have to set them up....Give me the higher electric bill anytime..........

 

[Becker]

Power can go out. It is winterized. I have my back up. Could maybe lose a gauge.

These little things work great. They handle 15amps. 1500/1300 watt heater pulls like 12.5/10.8 amps.

Not many buildings around here to rent short term.

 

[Jay_wat]

ATM I park the van outside,, and I use this to control my heater inside the van,, also have a monitor system to check temp in the van that I check often,, kicks on at 33 degrees,, and in few minutes it's up to 50 degrees inside.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...i_sku=162563&gclid=CK3_0f-7g7sCFUQ6QgodpDsA_A

 

[Jim Martin]

ATM I park the van outside,, and I use this to control my heater inside the van,, also have a monitor system to check temp in the van that I check often,, kicks on at 33 degrees,, and in few minutes it's up to 50 degrees inside.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_524747_524747?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Heaters%2C%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces-_-Heater%2C%20Stove%20%2B%20Fireplace%20Accessories-_-162563&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=162563&gclid=CK3_0f-7g7sCFUQ6QgodpDsA_A

those are really nice stats....I have used them on many applications....sturdy...reliable...

 

[Jay_wat]

I did have to send back the first unit,, the calibration was way off,, am very happy with using one of these instead of the heater running full time on its low setting of 55 degrees.

I do have to move things around in the van to get the most heat on them,, pressure reel,, wands,hoss,,and I have most my cleaning chems in a box I load unload every day,,

Btw,, nifty item Becker!

 

[Buck1955]

Use a backup. 2 separate heating systems on 2 separate circuit breakers. My shop has an LP wall unit with no electric required, and a 220 wall unit for back up. As a boater, redundancy is the uniform.

 

[floorguy]

Yea this front is going to be a bitch.....long term cold 7+ days of below 30 for highs...

2 heaters on separate circiuts for me as well...in fact only thing running on those circuts..

oh and my 2 wireless thermometers keep kicking out and not telling me the temp....

i have a sender in the trailer and then the receiver in the garage so its like 20'...but still flashes all stupid

 

[Becker]

 

[Jim Martin]

Ordered 2 of them....

going to use them to scare my oldest daughter....( we are always playing jokes on each other )

I talked to her husband and when they come in and she is at work we are going to set them up to some lamps....

she gets spooked real easy when she is there by herself at night....
once this is set...we are going to sit across the street and have a little bit of fun....

in a month or two when she starts talking to me again....I will show her how to use them and let her keep them hooked up so when she is coming home at night and no one is there she can have her lights already turned on......

 

[ruff]

Pictures of the event please.

 

[rwcarpet]

My shop heater. One of two.....one at each end. Heats all the "stuff" I have in the shop. Keeps it nice.

 

[bob vawter]

nice Robert....i got the same damn thing in my small shop....
you gotta put small umbrellas in the beer bottles

 

[Spurlington]

Hey Im trying to turn up the heat .. Im pushing the buttons and its not doing anything

 

[floorguy]

woooo $50 a piece though....dayum

 

[Jim Nelson]

You can bring them to my house I will babysit them for you. Jim 425-640-3241

 

[Becker]

Nice offer Jim..

No matter what I think I'll be fine.

I've winterized in the past with no heat for winter vacations no issues. So I'm not concerned. I'm running the heaters just cuz I can and building an additional layer.

But these switches are nice, and work well.