High temperature alert for bulk tank

5 wheel drive

Has anyone rigged up anything to their bulk tank that will alarm if temperature rises. I.e. if someone forgets to turn it on or something.
Got the idea after reading the calving camera thread and saw that ubiquity make a network temperature sensor. https://www.ubnt.com/mfi/mport/#

I know that dairymaster have a SIM card in their tanks but I don’t have this. I have a liscarroll tank and don’t intend changing.

5 wheel drive

Don’t all rush at once😂. Anyone any ideas???? Surely someone has seen something simple to remind if tank is on. 🀞

larthehar

5 wheel drive wrote: »

Don’t all rush at once😂. Anyone any ideas???? Surely someone has seen something simple to remind if tank is on. 🀞

What do you want to achieve? If the temp goes above X it will send a text message? Or put on a light? Or start start the tank cooler?

Timmaay

I was an engineer in my previous life, and did a fair bit of work with sensors, so this is actually something I've properly looked into. From looking at that ubiquiti, the main problem is the temperature sensor is located within the circuit, it needs to be an external waterproof probe that can be mounted beside the existing tank temperature probe (usually behind a small panel near the emptying spout).

There are a few off the shelf solutions with waterproof probes that can monitor temperature and send you a warning if the temperature goes outside a set range, however the main problem with them is they only allow a minimum and maximum temperature, no point setting the max temperature to 10 degrees, and getting a text every time the bulk tank is washed out etc. Instead the device would need abit more logic, and decide that if the temperature rapidly goes to likes of 50/60 degrees then the tank is clearly in wash mode.

A nice off the shelf solution that I have bought and have played around abit is this: https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-th.html . It only has connectivity with WiFi, and the app developed for it has proven fairly unstable, however the manufacturers were nice enough to allow you to easily program it yourself, and create yourown web interface. I haven't bothered going this far with it yet thought.

Timmaay

larthehar wrote: »

What do you want to achieve? If the temp goes above X it will send a text message? Or put on a light? Or start start the tank cooler?

If you just want an light (or a buzzer alarm), then this will work perfectly http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=132296090912&category=181723&pm=1&ds=0&t=1512071408000&ver=0&cspheader=1

larthehar

Timmaay wrote: »

I was an engineer in my previous life, and did a fair bit of work with sensors, so this is actually something I've properly looked into. From looking at that ubiquiti, the main problem is the temperature sensor is located within the circuit, it needs to be an external waterproof probe that can be mounted beside the existing tank temperature probe (usually behind a small panel near the emptying spout).

There are a few off the shelf solutions with waterproof probes that can monitor temperature and send you a warning if the temperature goes outside a set range, however the main problem with them is they only allow a minimum and maximum temperature, no point setting the max temperature to 10 degrees, and getting a text every time the bulk tank is washed out etc. Instead the device would need abit more logic, and decide that if the temperature rapidly goes to likes of 50/60 degrees then the tank is clearly in wash mode.

A nice off the shelf solution that I have bought and have played around abit is this: https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-th.html . It only has connectivity with WiFi, and the app developed for it has proven fairly unstable, however the manufacturers were nice enough to allow you to easily program it yourself, and create yourown web interface. I haven't bothered going this far with it yet thought.

That looks more like a bespoke solution is required, if you are technically competent with basic programming and electrical circuits you could buy an arduino. Temp probe and maybe take a input from a level sensor? Once the level is above the level sensor and the temp is above the threshold switch on an output? Or there is an option for a gsm module to send a text message?

I used one to count the revs on the auger of meal bucket so we would have a more accurate feed out..

Timmaay

larthehar wrote: »

That looks more like a bespoke solution is required, if you are technically competent with basic programming and electrical circuits you could buy an arduino. Temp probe and maybe take a input from a level sensor? Once the level is above the level sensor and the temp is above the threshold switch on an output? Or there is an option for a gsm module to send a text message?

I used one to count the revs on the auger of meal bucket so we would have a more accurate feed out..

That sonoff I have in the link above is basically an ardunio, (has an esp8266 wifi chip at its core), and can easily be reflashed with your own ardunio program (only 1mb memory so make sure your program is reasonably short!). But yeh time and effort are the limiting factors for me, always something else more important to be done here ha!

stretch film

5 wheel drive wrote: »

Don’t all rush at once😂. Anyone any ideas???? Surely someone has seen something simple to remind if tank is on. 🀞

Leave your keys by the bulk tank if its simply a reminder you want.
And those of anyone whose milking when your not.

5 wheel drive

Some good ideas there. Something simple like a big red light outside the dairy could work.

I was at a farm yesterday and they had a red light tgst was hooked up to the fencer. Good idea as you could see the light flashing from outside the shed.

emaherx

Worth a look.
https://www.irishwireless.net/tinycontrol/lankon-008

Bog Man 1

We use these Sensors for monitoring the temperature of grain . No Sim cards or internet or wifi required . It uses the Sygfox Network to alert you which requires a small subscription .

http://www.linobjec.com/pages/products/temperature-sensor/internal-temperature-sensor.html

http://www.linobjec.com/pages/products/temperature-sensor/page.html

https://vt-iot.com/

5 wheel drive

Timmaay wrote: »

If you just want an light (or a buzzer alarm), then this will work perfectly http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=132296090912&category=181723&pm=1&ds=0&t=1512071408000&ver=0&cspheader=1

How would one of these units work then, if I got the 220v option can I just plug it in and wire a light directly off this unit??

Timmaay

Timmaay wrote: »

That sonoff I have in the link above is basically an ardunio, (has an esp8266 wifi chip at its core), and can easily be reflashed with your own ardunio program (only 1mb memory so make sure your program is reasonably short!). But yeh time and effort are the limiting factors for me, always something else more important to be done here ha!

Well I can see the bulk tank temperature on my phone from anywhere on the planet now at least ha! Next step is to mess about with the "if this than that" app and get it to log the temperature to a Google spreadsheet, final thing would be to get the spreadsheet to send me a notification if the temperature is outside of a set region, say over 15 degrees other than having been over 35 degrees while washing and empty a few hrs earlier.

Bog Man 1

Here is a milk tank temperature monitor that does not need Wifi .

/www.remotesignals.ie/milk-tank-monitor