For under $220 you can automatically turn the A/C off when the door is opened for more than a pre-set amount of time. Like everything with Z-Wave devices, you can modify this as needed to fit your lifestyle.
The 3 pieces of this project are a WINK 2 hub, a GC-TBZ48 Z-Wave thermostat from Go Control, and a ZW120 Door/Window sensor from Aeon Labs.
Replace your existing thermostat with the Go Control (instructions on how to do that are here) After downloading the free WINK 2 App, setting up the WINK 2, add the stat and sensor to your network. Check out my blog WINK 2 OVERVIEW for a few tips.
Something new regarding sensors that wasn't in my previous entries, you can select the type of door for the best calibration of the device (you'll see this screen when you're just about done adding the sensor).
By this point you'll be able to control the stat from your smart phone, but that's no fun. Let's create a simple Robot (the WINK word for scene, or automation) to keep that cold air inside.
First, create a new robot by selecting the Robot at the bottom of the main screen, then selecting the + for "Create a New Robot".
You'll have a few choices, including schedule, device, or geocaching. We're going to have the sensor drive this Robot, so choose Product or Sensor.
You have many choices to set up the Robot. In this example I chose, if Any Entry Door Sensor, at any time of day, is open for more than 10 minutes, then turn the thermostat from Cool to Off, and notify me via push notifications from my WINK 2 App on my phone.
Having a grace period (in this case, 10 minutes) to allow the kids or pets to enter or exit the home allows the A/C to run for a little while.
You can create a similar Robot to turn the A/C back on after all the doors are closed for more than 10 minutes. This system will work with windows too; you just add as many sensors as your home needs and add those sensors to the Robot.
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