Remotely turning on electric heaters

[FrankInWI]

Well, my sons have been running up to our get-away in this the first winter we have it roughed in enough to use.  In the living unit, I have two 8' electric baseboard heaters, one on each end of the place.  It's been cold up here, yet the boys go up for ice fishing...they love it.  I just think they get city-fever and have to do something to get into the country, espeically the woods and the lakes.  SO....
They leave home after the younger son gets off his work at about 8 to 9 PM, so they don't get up to our place till almost midnight.  If was probably 0 when they got up there last night.... it takes a while for those baseboard heaters to get the place warm, I'm wondering about options for turning on the units before the boys leave so they can get some good sleep more quickly when they get up there.  (and for me too!)  Right now I have NO telephone, TV, or internet set up.... I may opt for these at some point. 

I can ask olkder sister or brother in law to go over and turn them on, but they are 10 miles away, my brother in law is going downhilll health wise, and my sister has a hell of a limp from recent broken leg (and the approach to my door is up hill without a railing or stairs)

I can ask a neighbor (good people... my sons spent an hour helping him get a FedEx driver out of their driveway when he was stuck there)

? ANY ONE KNOW OF A THIG-A-MA-JIG THAT MIGHT USE A TELEPHONE OR INTERNET OR SATELITE to turn on the heaters remotely ? 

  Other ideas?

ps.... I also have propane heater in the lower garage, and with the price of electric up here I'll probably buy one for the upper living area too soon.....but that's prbably even less "remote start" friendly. 

Thanks for reading and considering guys and gals....

Frank

[glenn kangiser]

I have heard of controls for over the internet that could work - requiring a computer to be running full time using power and with MS Windows - could it be up over 2 days without crashing?

[Jens]

There are remote switching units that use codes on a telephone, kinda like accessing your messages on an answering machine.  They are electronic units that trip solenoids to do different things, like turn on lights, turn on an alarm system, etc.  You could check with an alarm installer/company, or a company that does phone and data network systems (the big multi line phone systems in businesses).

My gut says it isn't a good idea, although 0 degrees isn't fun! 

[MountainDon]

Here's a lead...

http://www.jclautomation.com/vacation_home.asp

Workable with land line or cell phone (option) and it'll call you if there's some sort of problem... 

[NM_Shooter]

That remote control stuff is expensive, and considering you don't have a land line there you'd have to pay for that too.

I'd be tempted to just put the heaters on a timer.  Friday nights it comes on.  Unless someone engages a manual override, they go off at 1pm.  Sure, you're wasting some electricity some nights, but a whole lot of electricity is still much cheaper than a little bit of fancy control stuff.

-f-

P.S.  I do like the stuff at www.smarthome.com 

[firefox]

This is a link to an inexpensive KIT which you need to assemble.
It is used with a cell phone (check specs) and can operate a 3 amp relay.
Which can be used to operate a larger relay as needed.

It has limited protection against prank calls, but it also has an option
for a timer. So when you are headed to the site just call every hour on the way up. The heater will go on and stay on for an hour, and then turn off.

What this means is that a prank caller can only turn it on for an hour.

This should be easy to set up and its cheap enough.
Bruce

http://www.apogeekits.com/remote_control_via_cell_phone.htm

[Native_NM]

Geek factor is high, but way cool.  My brother is a PhD specializing in this type of stuff.  I'll ask him for more info.  In the meantime, here is a link from another geek:

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/30/4429199/04429263.pdf?arnumber=4429263

And a link for the non-geek:

http://www.smartkontrols.co.uk/smarthometext/quick.htm

[MountainDon]

Too bad it's listed as for GSM; leaves CDMA out in the cold. Verizon, Alltel, Sprint.  Maybe there's a CDMA model, I didn't take time to look. So far I have nothing up there at the cabin I want to turn on remotely. Maybe someday. 

[TheWire]

How far away is your neighbor and would they mind if you gave them a remote they could press to turn on the heat if you call?

[FrankInWI]

I got great neighbors.... I just might ask them if they'd mind.... and then treat them to something when I'm up there.   Sure would be nice to have a warm place to arrive at.....

Tonight
Bitterly cold. Clear. Lows from 16 below to 22 below zero. West winds around 10 mph. Wind chills to 45 below zero.

Friday
Mostly sunny. Highs around 5 above zero. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Wind chills from 35 below to 45 below zero during the morning.
» ZIP Code Detail 

[Native_NM]

Frank - just reading the news and it seems like some guy in MN burned his barn down last week during the artic cold spell.  According to the report, he ran a couple of 100 ft. extension cords out to the back door to the barn so he could run his  heater to warm his engine block before he went out.  He would plug the cord inside the house to operate the heater in the barn 150 feet away because it was too far and too cold to walk.  Somehow it caught fire and the barn went up in flames. 

This would seem to rule out the option of running a really long extension cord to your place.   

Cheers.