Daylight Savings Time and Time Zones
PTLevel and Daylight Savings Time: Understanding Time Zones and Graphs
The PTLevel device uses UTC +/- time zones for logging data, which means daylight savings time (DST) is not automatically accounted for. This guide will explain how this affects your data display, how the graph plotting works, and how to adjust your time zone settings in your account.
How Daylight Savings Time Affects the PTLevel
When daylight savings time begins or ends, the PTLevel does not automatically adjust to the time change. Instead, it continues logging data according to the UTC +/- offset you’ve selected. As a result:
- During DST, your graphs may appear shifted by an hour compared to your local time.
- You’ll need to manually update your time zone settings if you want the graph to align with your current local time.
Understanding the Graph Plotting System
The PTLevel graph displays data based on hourly averages, but there’s an important detail about when data is plotted:
- If a water event occurs between 7:00 am and 7:59 am, it will be averaged and plotted as a single point labeled at 7:00 am.
- The full hour must elapse before a plot is created. For example, if you take a shower at 7:15 am and the water level drops, the change will appear on the graph at 7:00 am.
- When a time change (like daylight savings) occurs, the data remains aligned to the UTC-based time zone, which can cause a one-hour discrepancy until the time zone setting is updated.
By understanding this system, you can better interpret your water usage trends and ensure accurate monitoring.
How to Update Your Time Zone
To adjust the time zone for your PTLevel device, follow these steps:
- Log in to your account at ptdevices.com or through the PTLevel app.
- Navigate to My Account in the menu on the left-hand side.
- Select the Profile tab at the top of the screen.
- Locate the Your Time Zone section near the bottom of the page.
- Choose the appropriate time zone for your location from the dropdown menu. If daylight savings time is active, select the UTC offset that matches your current local time.
- Click Update Profile to save your changes.
By keeping your time zone settings up to date, you’ll ensure your graphs accurately reflect your local time, even during daylight savings changes.
Need Help?
If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to our customer support team. We're here to help!
Related Articles
Calibration Procedure and Sensor Accuracy
After you’ve installed your new device and setup the depth of your tank, you must calibrate the device in order to achieve a proper reading. This process is simple and is explained below. You can not calibrate at 0% or really low levels, and you must ...Calibration Procedure and Sensor Accuracy for Wired WiFi
After you’ve installed your new device and setup the depth of your tank, you must calibrate the device in order to achieve a proper reading. This process is simple and is explained below. Jump to the end of the article for sensor accuracy and ...Home Assistant Integration
The integration is still in the early stages of development but we can get you up and running with it for the time being. It is not officially supported by Home Assistant yet so you will have to install it manually. Currently, the only way to install ...API Options
What is an API? An API stands for application programming interface. It is a way for you to get the data you want or need by making your own program to access and use it. There is a great article on UPWork here that simply explains what an API is in ...Information For Water Delivery Companies
We love Water Delivery Companies! In fact, we love them so much we’ve set up some awesome PTLevel water monitoring features just for them. If you or someone you know is a water delivery company, make sure to share this information with them! A quick ...