EcoRenovator - View Single Post - A design chalange, build a smart water heater timer.

Ryland · 05-09-10, 12:25 PM

I hadn't thought of checking for vibration on the pipe to sense flow, I was thinking either an inline flow sensor or a temp sensor that could tell when a sudden change in pipe temp happened, but I like the vibration sensor and that seems like it should work, might need to be near an elbow or some other joint to get a good reading.
The main reason I think that a timer like this is a good idea is that people who I suggest water heater timers to don't understand when to have them turn the water heater on and off, so it seems like a self setting timer would appeal to a large market, then the naysayers of water heater timers would have one less reason to tell you not to get one as well, after all people tend to like saving energy up until the point that they notice something not working, they don't like being in the dark, they don't like tepid water, they don't like having to think about it.
The people that are around here who really like their on demand water heaters are the same people who keep the number of the service guy written on the wall next to it.

05-09-10, 12:25 PM	#6
Ryland Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Western Wisconsin. Posts: 913 Thanks: 127 Thanked 82 Times in 71 Posts	I hadn't thought of checking for vibration on the pipe to sense flow, I was thinking either an inline flow sensor or a temp sensor that could tell when a sudden change in pipe temp happened, but I like the vibration sensor and that seems like it should work, might need to be near an elbow or some other joint to get a good reading. The main reason I think that a timer like this is a good idea is that people who I suggest water heater timers to don't understand when to have them turn the water heater on and off, so it seems like a self setting timer would appeal to a large market, then the naysayers of water heater timers would have one less reason to tell you not to get one as well, after all people tend to like saving energy up until the point that they notice something not working, they don't like being in the dark, they don't like tepid water, they don't like having to think about it. The people that are around here who really like their on demand water heaters are the same people who keep the number of the service guy written on the wall next to it.