[Novalug] Home monitoring for propane tank - after last nights emergency fill I need a solution

Miles D. Oliver miles.d.oliver@gmail.com
Thu Feb 19 07:28:57 EST 2015


Greg,

There will be one once I get it all figured out and working.

On Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 7:27 AM, greg pryzby <greg@pryzby.org> wrote:

> Can't wait for the talk!!
>
> greg pryzby
> mobile response
> On Feb 19, 2015 7:14 AM, "Miles D. Oliver via Novalug" <
> novalug@firemountain.net> wrote:
>
>> Monitoring My propane is going to be a bit easier than I thought.
>>
>> The remote ready gauges that are usually applied to a propane tank work
>> with either a reed switch or a hall effect sensor.
>>
>> What I need is gauge with a  'hall effect sensor' built in.  There is
>> already a bunch of info and code for the Raspberry Pi  with hall effect
>> sensor and using the GPIO pins.
>>
>> http://www.mcb.com.tr/img/uploads/20111025101427.pdf
>>
>> I can buy a 'retrofit' Rochester Gauge with Hall effect sensor to screw
>> into the top of my tank and get a piece of cat 5 cable back into
>> the house so I can use 3 wires for the sensor.  Doing it with a wired
>> setup
>> instead of wireless will be much less of a headache to setup
>> and the Pi can be in the house, protected from the elements.
>>
>> Should be able to have a cron job run, send voltage to the sensor and get
>> the readings and then send email based on results.
>>
>> Now to find where I can buy the gauge with sensor to do this. So far I'm
>> only finding reed switch stuff online and while I can also do this
>> with a reed switch it will be much more complicated.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 10:50 AM, Roger Broseus <RogerB@bronord.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Miles,
>> >
>> > Sorry to hear you were left out in the cold!
>> >
>> > If you can go work out wireless, think about a small solar panel for
>> > power. Small ones are fairly inexpensive and sealed Pb/acid batteries
>> are
>> > affordable. I replace the ones on my verizon fios box for ~$40. They
>> last
>> > about the years or so
>> > --
>> > Roger Broseus
>> > www.bronord.com
>> > (This email was composed on a tablet PC. Pease excuse predictive-text
>> > induced tiepos.)
>> >
>> > On February 17, 2015 7:33:02 AM EST, "Miles D. Oliver via Novalug" <
>> > novalug@firemountain.net> wrote:
>> > >Well last night during the snowstorm we used up all our propane in the
>> > >house and had to call for an emergency delivery.
>> > >The driver was a total jerk and tried to wiggle out of helping us and
>> > >chastised us for making him come out in weather like this..
>> > >A call to the supplier will be made today for someones 'attitude;.. As
>> > >a
>> > >paying customer I found the response less than helpful.
>> > >
>> > >We are scheduled for 'auto fill' from the local company but they are
>> > >doing
>> > >a poor job of calculating and monitoring our usage to
>> > >schedule a routine delivery. This is the 2nd time in 3 years this has
>> > >happened.  Don't know, maybe the colder temps have caused our usage
>> > >to increase but not to the point that we should have run out between
>> > >auto
>> > >fillups.
>> > >
>> > >So I have to find a solution to doing our own monitoring so WE can call
>> > >when the tank is at 25% and not rely on their calcs and usage
>> > >monitoring.   I have found I can get a 'remote ready' gauge to easily
>> > >replace the current gauge without loss of propane and a 2 screw change.
>> > >I can then attach a remote cable and run it underground back to the
>> > >house
>> > >to a small panel that i'd have to press to check
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS8CZOG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
>> > >
>> > >but I'd rather see if I can find a way to use a home PC, in my case one
>> > >of
>> > >my Raspberry P's to do a daily check, read the level and send email if
>> > >the
>> > >level drops
>> > >below my self imposed 25% level.
>> > >
>> > >The sensor and cabling are easy, I'll just have to wait for warmer
>> > >weather
>> > >to bury a cable and conduit to the tank. Its about 50 feet from the
>> > >house
>> > >and I can run off the conduit
>> > >we ran for the dog fence so I'll only have to work with about 25 feet
>> > >or
>> > >less to the tank.  My biggest problem is going to be able to find a way
>> > >to
>> > >measure
>> > >and send the email.   Maybe I can use the GPIO pins from the PI or will
>> > >have to come up with another solution.
>> > >
>> > >I've thought about wireless but from what I can find online they are
>> > >either
>> > >commercial applications with cell callout but the home wifi solutions
>> > >are
>> > >also way too
>> > >unreliable and and not flexible and use Windows for the interface.. not
>> > >happening here.
>> > >
>> > >So anybody on the list into home automation that could offer any tips?
>> > >I've got to get this done because I can't have another night like the
>> > >last
>> > >one
>> > >being 'out' and having a driver with an attitude.
>> > >**********************************************************************
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>> >
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