I recently put an offer on a vacation home that we'll use mostly in the winter, but also rent out on Airbnb at times. Since it's a bit far from my place (3.5 hours), I'm looking for ways to control some essential things remotely. The top priorities are the heating system and the main water shutoff valve. The unit has fiber optic internet, so I'm good on connectivity.
In the bathroom, there's a manual ball valve for the main water shutoff, and I'm hoping to replace it with something I can control from a distance. It needs to be durable given its importance. For the heat, the setup includes electric baseboard radiators in each room and a propane heater in the entryway. I would love to find a way to manage them efficiently, maybe with just two thermostats – one for the upstairs and one for the downstairs – that can control all the individual radiators.
I've got a simple Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat at home that works great, but buying seven of those for this new place feels excessive. Also, I want to avoid complex DIY setups; I prefer foolproof wireless solutions. What are my best options for both the water shutoff and heating controls? Are there any other smart devices I should consider for remote management?
2 Answers
For keeping your thermostat set to a low temp while you’re gone, I’ve wired a separate 'dumb' thermostat in parallel with the regular one, locking it to 55°F. That way, no one can accidentally turn it up and let the temperature drop too low. But if you want a more modern approach, you might look at smart thermostats like the Mysa Baseboard Lite – it’s affordable and should be able to manage multiple units efficiently through its app.
For the water shutoff, I recommend looking into automatic shutoff valves like these [auto-close valves](https://www.electricsolenoidvalves.com/3-4-brass-electric-motorized-ball-valve-2-wire-auto-return/). They cut off the flow when power is lost, which is super handy. If you want to keep your existing setup, consider using [powered valve actuators](https://www.getzooz.com/zooz-zac36-titan-water-valve-actuator/) that can rotate the current valve remotely. Just ensure you've got power access to where you want to install it, since most of these will need to plug in to work.
Thanks for the tips! With the auto-close valve, I’d just need to connect it to a relay that's remote-controllable, but the existing valve is placed awkwardly behind the toilet, making access tough. I'll definitely look at the actuator option too, but space might be an issue.
That sounds interesting! I’ve always been curious about setups like that. I think having a smart thermostat with a range limit can solve the issue, too. I’ll check out Mysa, thanks for the heads up!