cheapest way to monitor temp inside my home.

[JustinH]

Did some work in a radio tower hut installing some network gear.

Power went out and outside temps were 100 degrees.

Hut turned into a hotbox in no time flat.

At work we use APC netbotz cameras to monitor temp and shoot video of our network rooms.

I'm trying to figure out a cheap way to keep an eye on the temp inside my house should the AC fail (we have cats).

Don't want to buy a nest thermostat.

What I was looking for a USB device that plugs into my computer (which is on UPS), then just sends an alert to my phone via SMS or an app.

There should be a 20 dollar way to do this right?

Thanks.

 

[bdcardinal]

If you have a webcam setup, you can hang a digital thermometer within view of it. They do it on the in car cameras in NASCAR.

 

[PandaBear]

Does your computer have sensor that you can use? like a CPU fan that monitor temperature?

I'd just buy a used Nest thermostat and call it a day.

 

[CT8]

Cats are tough!

 

[raytseng]

There are exactly the itmes you discussed. I don't know if they really are easy to use though:
https://www.amazon.com/TEMPer-USB-Thermometer-w-Alerts/dp/B002VA813U


cheapest depends on how you define your time and skills.
The thermometer companies all offer an internet enabled thermometer too:
https://www.lacrossetechnology.com/alerts/remote-temperature-humidity-monitors.php

https://www.acurite.com/aculink-internet-bridge-for-acurite-weather-sensors-09150trx.html

 

[JennyHemi]

There are several home temperature monitor systems available (I checked on Amazon, but I'm sure they're available at many retailers) that allow alerts by phone or email. They seem to range in cost from $40 to around $100 with several different features available.

Or, what he said ^

 

[Fsharp]

Little Bits sells a cloudbit and temperature sensor bit that could do what you want but would cost about $100.

http://littlebits.cc

A smart thermostat would be a good investment as others have stated. I don't have a nest I have an ecobee3 which is similar, but with wireless sensors to monitor temps in separate areas of the house. It has a very good app that goes with it as well.

 

[Nick1994]

If the power goes out, there's no wifi in your house to check the temperature in there with a Nest or USB thermometer.

And it's not going to get that hot in the house if the A/C dies, maybe in the 90s tops. And cats will be fine at that temp by the time you get home.

There's stray cats all over the neighborhood that are outside in the heat that'll be hotter than in your house, even here in Phoenix at 115+ degrees. Plus I'm sure your cats have water to stay hydrated.

 

[Rolla07]

No basement? As long as they have water to drink they will survive.. They might relax next to the toilet bowl lol. Mine live in the basement most of time..

 

[eljefino]

You could rustle up an old mercury thermostat that has an (unused) AC feature. Rig up its contact closure to (relay optional) boot up an old clunker computer that has a sole function of connecting to the internet and announcing (via programs like blat.bat) that it has come on.

You'll have to go into the BIOS and make it power up when power is connected; everything after this is trivial.

The flipside is you can use a *heater* thermostat to keep an "it's all okay" computer running. Make it a fake facebook account with your cat's name and leave FB running. You can see if your friend the cat is online.

Or do something clever with a webserver running on said computer, just serve up an image on a particular port, etc.

 

[zzyzzx]

That's what the basement is for.

 

[CT8]

I live outside of Redding Calif. It seems to always seems to be over 100*f during the summer and my daughter has 3 cats that live out side.

 

[Ihatetochangeoil]

I can absolutely assure you that your concerns are unfounded. House cats have lived with us since at least the Egyptian Pharaohs and survived the last 6,000 years without air conditioning.

 

[chrisri]

Cheapest way would be to train the cat so that she (or he) can make emergency call in case of Aircon failure.

Just provide multiple sources of water, in case they spill some.

 

[JustinH]

Thanks I bought a smart thermostat. Emerson brand. $100.