Remote controlled appliance timer

[cdhutch]

Hello,
I am looking for help with an automation solution.  I have a recirculating pump for my hot water heater that I would like to run only when necessary: i.e. 5 minutes prior to taking a shower.

My current setup utilizes an appliance timer, co-located with the pump in the attic, which energizes the AC power according to a schedule associated with when I require "instant" hot water.  If I need hot water outside of scheduled times, then I walk up to my attic 5 minutes prior and manually activate the switch.

My wife is not so enamored with the setup, because she doesn't care to walk up two flights of steps to the attic to activate the pump during off hours; she therefore chooses to complain for 5 minutes while flushing out the cold water down the drain.

The solution that I'm seeking would involve a way to trigger the pump remotely from our master bathroom.  Ideally, it would also remain on for a short time until it completed priming the master bathroom pipes with hot water.

I have seen similar posts on the forum:
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=6976.0
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=17439

The responses advise buying an X10 CM15A with the AHP software.  Looking on the X10.com website, the ActiveHome Automation Start Kit advertised here (http://www.x10.com/cgi-bin/viewparts.cgi?CM15A-SP-IS50) seems to only include the software and the main "controller."  I don't see the remote control input or the appliance switch output in the parts list.

I would appreciate any recommendations that the forum has; X10 is not a solution requirement.

Thank you,
Craig

[Dan Lawrence]

The ads are correct, you will have to purchase the appropriate modules separately.  AHP and the CM15A USB interface are the beginnings.

Check the various sections of the Forums, you should be able to see what kind of modules you would need

[Brian H]

Right now X10 is selling the AHP System with an Appliance Module for the same price.

http://www.x10.com/promotions/cm15a_am466_large_home.html

Many time you have to pick added items to get exactly what you need. Sometimes a package deal may even have stuff you may want to stash away for future use. The extras and what you wanted are cheaper than the individual parts.  We have seen things like four remotes for the price of one etc.

Also if you check the sales sites. You can sometime find different package deals in different sections. Can be confusing for sure as many have different added items in each deal.

[cdhutch]

Thank you for your help.
Craig

[Knightrider]

I'm just thinking here (usually gets me into trouble), but if the setup were mine, I'd skip the timer and buy a RR501 (you'll have to hit ebay for this, x10 no longer sells them) and put the pump on it.  Then I'd put an active eye sensor in the bathroom on the same channel.

This way, every time you walk into the bathroom, the pump will go active, and when you leave it would shut it off.

The pro:  If you never went in there, you would eliminate the need for the timed cycle running needlessly.

The con: It runs EVERY time you walk into the bathroom.

[Dan Lawrence]

BTW, Automated Outlet http://www.automatedoutlet.com/  still sells the RR501 by itself, even if X10 USA bundles it.