Energy Saving Ideas

Controlling your furnace
Its easy to control your furnace using MouseHouse along with a few X-10 modules. There are two ways to control your furnace using X-10.

The simplest and perhaps most reliable method is to use a thermostat with a setback switch along with an X-10 Universal Module (about $17). A setback switch allows you to set a preset high and low temperature for you home. Many thermostats refer to these two settings as "day" and "night". If you do not already have a setback on your thermostat, the Enerstat Slimline makes a wide range of models ranging from $100-$200. Once you have determined that your thermostat has a setback switch, you simply need to attach two wires from the setback contacts to the X-10 Universal Module. Assign an X-10 code to the Universal Module and you are ready to go. Sending an ON command to the Universal Modules will turn on the setback switch, setting your furnance in "night" mode. Sending an OFF command will set it back to "day" mode.

There are a few newer thermostats on the market that are fully X-10 compatible. These thermostats do not require a Universal Module and can operate on a range of 32 different temperature levels by sending various X-10 commands. A typical scenario would let you control your furnace by sending commands as indicated below.

 

If you want to get real serious about HVAC automation, you can buy X-10 compatible dampers that will divide your home into zones, that can each have seperate temperature settings.

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