My washing machine doesn’t need Wi-Fi

[nick@shore.me.uk]

@bloor@bloor.tw @neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk our neff oven is supposed to be able to be internet connected but even though the app says it is online it does not work

[damien@layer8.space]

@dan @bloor @neil my "utility room" is the garage, which is annoyingly annexed to next door's house rather than mine - so a trip to the washer or dryer requires going out in the rain etc.

For that reason we have a camera pointed at the (dumb) washer and a WiFi enabled (and activated) dryer; both for the purpose of letting us know if a trip out to the garage is worthwhile.

[timwardcam@c.im]

@bloor @neil Dishwasher use case: #HomeAssistant automation to turn it on at whichever point in the middle of the night has cheapest power.

[max@toet.dnzm.nl]

@neil @bloor @dan either that, or a vibration sensor, those are the options I heard most often.

[timwardcam@c.im]

@neil @bloor @dan Smart plug can power up the appliance, but that doesn't mean it'll start its cycle.

[etchedpixels@mastodon.social]

@neil @bloor About the only one I've ever come across is power management when you have solar and batteries and the like. Then you can do clever stuff providing you remember to leave the washing machine loaded and don't accidentally "save power" by washing an empty machine 8)

[jima@mspsocial.net]

@hyacin @neil The door-open notifications on our fridge are occasionally not just someone rearranging/indecisive. It was not a compelling element to the purchase, though.

The oven...that one came with the house. Pre-heating (and pre-heating notifications) are OK, but I wouldn't bother, were it my choice.

Washer/dryer...replaced literally this week. The "load done" notifications are genuinely kind of handy for the people two floors below the laundry room.

[jima@mspsocial.net]

@hyacin @neil All of these are 2.4GHz-spamming, probably bug-filled trash, though, and I do genuinely detest that element of the whole affair.

[spiegelmama@infosec.exchange]

@neil But yeah, for me, the washer/dryer app is silly. Fridge is the WORST.

[ben@bluetoot.hardill.me.uk]

@neil @bloor @dan Just got to be careful to check the load rating on the smart plug and what the appliance can draw (though to be fair it's likely to be less than a UK kettle e.g. https://kettlecompanion.com/)

[henryk@chaos.social]

@neil I have a smart plug to monitor (and account) power usage of my washing machine. Yes, home assistant can now know when the cycle is over (though the thresholds are a little tricky because of long idle stretches).

But: Beware of cheap/wrong plugs. The first attempt of doing that basically melted itself. It was a relay plug (though I had no intentions of using the relay) and my 3000W machine apparently was too much. It failed permanently open.

I'm now using https://www.athom.tech/blank-1/no-relay-consumption-monitoring-eu-plug-for-esphome

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@etchedpixels @bloor The plugs I have from localbytes, with Tasmota, all report power. In my case, to HomeAssistant.

So, when my bicycle has finished charging, the plug turns off.

[bloor@bloor.tw]

@neil @dan almost definitely - you could set it up to identify when current drawn drops to near zero for (say) five mins, and deem that “finished”

[etchedpixels@mastodon.social]

@neil @bloor Not quite what I meant - you can set a program running when the battery hits 90% and things like that, not just turn stuff off.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@TimWardCam @bloor @dan

Yes, and the context here is about getting notifications for a finished cycle.

[timwardcam@c.im]

@neil @bloor @dan Sure, a smart plug would work for that. But the f***ing machine makes lots of bleeps (which can't be turned off) then anyway, which is more than enough notification in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@etchedpixels @bloor

Ah, okay. Yes, different, but perhaps not massively different to HomeAssistant rules to turn stuff off and on?

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@TimWardCam @bloor @dan

For a couple of appliances, for which I didn't need an audible notification, I snipped the lines to the beeper / buzzer.

Bliss.

[kim@fedi.social]

@TimWardCam@c.im @neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk @bloor@bloor.tw @dan@mastodon.durrans.com Mine (Haier) will resume from where it left off if you interrupt power once the cycle is started, so you can do that to start it with a smart plug. I mostly just use the delay timer though, with Tasmota to work out when it's finished.

[timwardcam@c.im]

@neil @bloor @dan 🤣 I suspect I might get into trouble with another member of the household if I did that and warranty service was later refused on the grounds that I'd messed with it!