How do I get an alert when my bulk tank warms up?

Why the tank does not tell you itself

The thermometer and recorder on a bulk tank are there to show and record the temperature. Most have no way to call anyone. A compressor that trips at eleven at night is found at morning milking, with a full tank of warm milk.

Three ways to get an alert

• A newer tank control with a built-in alarm. Some current tank controllers can send messages. If yours can, start there. It usually needs internet in the milk house.
• A stand-alone Wi-Fi temperature sensor. Cheap and quick. It watches one temperature, needs Wi-Fi that reaches the milk house, and tells you nothing about why the tank is warm.
• A monitoring panel. Sensors on every tank, plus wash water, hot water, vacuum, compressor and power, on its own cellular connection.

What a good alarm checks

A plain high-temperature limit is not enough, because every tank is warm for a while when fresh milk goes in. A useful alarm waits out the cooling window after milking starts, then alerts if the milk is still above the limit. It also needs a separate alert for slow cooling: milk that is coming down, but not fast enough.

The alert should say which tank, what the temperature is, and whether the compressor and agitator are running. That tells you whether to reset a breaker or call for service before you leave the house.

Do not forget the power

A sensor that runs on barn power and barn Wi-Fi goes quiet in an outage, which is when you most need it. Look for a battery and a cellular connection, and for an alert when the monitor itself stops reporting.