Monitor HVAC usage in 24 hour period.

[gmorrow]

Hello, This is my first post and have researched this a little bit but maybe searching for the wrong words and therefor can't find anything on this topic.
 
I have an OmniPro II with email notifier board and then omnistat. I'm looking for a way for the OmniPro to email me daily the usage of the HVAC system. So at 11:59 PM every day email me a message that either has in minutes or seconds how long the system was in heating.
 
The closest thing that I could come up with was in PCA create automation rule that checks every 5 seconds for temperature to be in heating mode. Then increase a flag every time that happens. I also understand a flag can only have 0-255. So was going to add a rule that if flag is equal to 255 then to write to the 2nd flag and so on. But where I got hung up was how to email the flag values? For example if Flag 1 was at 255 and Flag 2 was at 155 then I know my system was in HEATING for roughly 2050 seconds (410 total messages * 5 seconds frequency it checks for heating). Or 34 minutes 10 seconds.
 
Then at 12:00 AM every day I was going to toggle the flags off/on to reset them.
 
Now I know this won't be 100% accurate due to checks happening every 5 seconds and the system may shut off right after it checks. But should be close enough.
 
So I guess my question(s) are:
 

1. Does this way make sense and am I on the right track? If so can someone fill in the blank of emailing the set field of a flag(s).
2. Is there a simpler way of doing this that I am just overlooking?

 

[sic0048]

I was doing something similar, but I use CQC so my specifics probably won't work for you.  I think the best way to measure this is with a database.  I was able to set up a database that created an entry every time the HVAC system turned on or off and it logged which mode was used.  This way I could keep track of total usage as well as how much the heating system was used and the cooling system.  I also tracked the current outside temp in the database.  This way I could create graphs that showed run times overlaid with outside temps.
 
I'm not sure if there is some way to trigger a database using just the OmniPro, but if there is that is probably the easiest method.

 

[pete_c]

As suggested above software like CQC or Homeseer would work.
 
Another way would be to utilize HAILogger (free) writing to a mySQL database running on an RPi.

 

[ano]

If you have a OmniStat2 (the RC-1000/2000 not the RC-80) It contains a run-time graph that tracks the hours of usage by the week for the last 4 weeks.  I know not exactly what you were looking for, but requires no work or extra purchases.

 

[gmorrow]

Thanks for the responses. I don't know why I assumed I was just missing out on an easy solution built into this powerful tool. But clearly I'm not.
 
What I did so far was create 7 different flags. Each flag has description of max time HVAC has been on for. For example Flag 1 is set to 21 minutes 15 seconds. Automation increments by 1 every 5 seconds that heating is on. 255 max in a flag before it starts back over. Therefor 255 messages * 5 seconds for each message = 21 minutes 15 seconds. So my 7 flags are:
 

• 21 minutes 15 seconds
• 42 minutes 30 seconds
• 1 hour 3 minutes 45 seconds
• and so on all the way to 2 hours 28 minutes 45 seconds

 
Then the automation is:
EVERY 5 SECONDS
     AND IF 21 minutes 15 seconds CURRENT VALUE IS LESS THAN 255
     AND IF Main Thermostat SYSTEM STATUS IS HEATING
          THEN INCREMENT 21 minutes 15 seconds
 
EVERY 5 SECONDS
     AND IF 21 minutes 15 seconds CURRENT VALUE IS 255
     AND IF 42 minutes 30 seconds CURRENT VALUE IS LESS THAN 255
     AND IF Main Thermostat SYSTEM STATUS IS HEATING
          THEN INCREMENT 42 minutes 30 seconds
 
 
And so on all the way up. Then at the end of the day I'll just looking on SnapLink on my phone and note down the values and then turning the flags off so they start back at 0.
 
But I definitely will check out CQC. Any good write up's regarding CQC and OmniPro II?