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Fan automation

The goal of automated aeration is to move grain temperature and moisture toward a safe storage band while minimizing electricity use.

How it works

Every five minutes, Chester X1 reports current sensor readings. The dashboard combines these with outside conditions — temperature, relative humidity, and dewpoint pulled from the nearest weather station — and a model of the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of the grain in the bin.

If running the fan would move the grain toward your target band, the relay closes. If it would move it away (e.g. pulling humid air into dry grain), the relay stays open.

Modes

  • Auto — full automation, recommended after fill is complete.
  • Force run — overrides the algorithm and runs the fan continuously. Use during the first 24–48 h of fill to remove field heat.
  • Manual: Off — disables automation entirely. The relay stays open until you change modes.

Per-grain settings

The target band is set per grain type. You can override the defaults under Bin → Settings → Aeration. For example, canola going into long-term storage is typically targeted at 8 % moisture and 15 °C or below, while wheat might target 14.5 % and 15 °C or below.

See the safe storage reference for recommended values by crop.

Energy reporting

The Reports → Fan runtime page shows total run hours per bin per month. Multiply by your fan’s nameplate kW and your kWh rate to estimate cost. Most users see fan runtime drop 30–50 % in the first season after enabling automation.