• Chriswild@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    6 months ago

    At risk of sounding like a zoomer, I’d rather have my expensive appliances interface with tech instead of incorporate it.

    A device that monitors the washer’s power draw and makes an led green in another room for 30 minutes after the power draw falls is fine. Plus I could use it for way more than a washer.

    • starman2112@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      6 months ago

      See this is why I have hope for the future, zoomers are out here having ideas that I’d never even thought of. That’s genius, and I bet you could make that with $20 worth of electronics and two hours on YouTube

      • allrian@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        6 months ago

        This is what I do. Monitor power consumption with home assistant and a 15 buck wifi plug. If the value falls below a certain threshhold for a few minutes, homeassistantt sends a notification to my app.

        All local, no cloud, easy, cheap.

        • CopHater69@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          6 months ago

          Which plugs are you using? I was thinking of getting load detectors for my electrical box

          • allrian@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            6 months ago

            I have Nous A1T with Tasmota firmware (they are available pre-flashed) for the normal power sockets and Shelly 1PM for in-wall Installation. Both work with home assistant flawlessly.

            Edit: Shelly tries to communicate with outside servers (cant remember exactly which one, might only be time server and update server, but unsure) so they are in a VLAN without Internet connection)

    • Agent641@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      6 months ago

      Maybe some sort of generic bluetooth sticker with some integrated sensors for temperature, sound level, motion, orientation, pressure. Slap that bad boy on the side of your washer, and register it on your phone. Adjust its parameters to alert when conditions are met. Noise and vibration means its going. Use this data to build a fuzzy profile of what a wash cycle looks like in duration, volume, shakiness etc. Alert phone when we think cycle is done.

      Smack another sticker inside your fridge. Alert if temperature exceeds x degrees for n minutes.

      Boop another onto your stove. Temps above x when youre not cooking mean someone left it on.

      Yeet a few more outside. Periodic increases in volume mean the dog is barking when you arent home.

    • Rookeh@startrek.website
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      That is exactly what I did with my dumb washing machine (and dishwasher).

      Each has a ZigBee energy monitoring smart plug which is connected to a local Home Assistant instance. Spent an hour or two writing automations based on the power draw reported by the plugs and now I get push notifications that report whenever either machine finishes its cycle (including how long it took).