Overhead doors thermostat options

[Bricks]

Hello. Winter anxiety is creeping in. Last winter I could not adjust the door thermostat with any accuracy. I wanted them to close on the IBA as close to freezing as I could, to limit the door cycles.

So many nights I would check the weather app for the temp, and check the cameras to see if the doors had closed yet. Many nights I would take off around 1:00AM to go to the wash and manually close them.

My question is. Are there remote accessible stats that I could control from home via WiFi? Here’s what I have now.

 

[MEP001]

I use a Honeywell WiFi thermostat at home. It's obviously not rated for outdoors, but I can control it from anywhere. Surely someone makes something like it for industrial use.

 

[Blanco]

You can use wifi smart plugs to control the power of your doors control boxes. Turn them on/off from your phone as desired. Costs about $20. Also, If you know how to wire relays then you can use smart plugs with a few relays to open/close your doors from your phone.

 

[Bricks]

You can use wifi smart plugs to control the power of your doors control boxes. Turn them on/off from your phone as desired. Costs about $20. Also, If you know how to wire relays then you can use smart plugs with a few relays to open/close your doors from your phone.

That’s a great idea! So I could use the smart plug’s 120volts to close the relay, which would be like the stat closing?

 

[mjwalsh]

That’s a great idea! So I could use the smart plug’s 120volts to close the relay, which would be like the stat closing?

If it were mine I would also address the most likely "too large of a differential" on that what appears to be an old style WR thermostat. In other words the turn on or turn off might have too large of a temperature range?

 

[Blanco]

That’s a great idea! So I could use the smart plug’s 120volts to close the relay, which would be like the stat closing?

Exactly. The smart plug will control the relays that control the power to your doors. Wire the relays up "normally closed". Meaning there is always power to your doors UNLESS you activate the smart plug to the ON position then it will DISCONNECT the power to your doors. The reason for that is sometimes smart plugs have software updates or maybe you lose power. The smart plugs default setting after either of those circumstances is power OFF. You won't have to worry about your doors not having power in either of those cases. If you want to be able to open/close your doors from your phone using smart plugs then you will want to wire the separate open/close relays "normally open". They will be always OFF until activated. Once activated you can open and close your doors from your phone with the push of a button and a few relays.

 

[soapy]

Check to see where the temp sensor is mounted. You want them in the coldest area mounted 6 inches away from the wall.