The washing machine tells me how long it’s going to take when I start it, but it’s often wrong and takes longer. I’ve been descending into the basement countless times, usually from the first floor, only to notice it’s not done yet.
This is just a small thing but I want to share anyways: I just plugged it in a Zigbee plug with power meter and put an entity icon into the default dashboard. It’s conditional and only shows up when power!=0.0.
No more pointless stairs!
I have moved it next to the basement temperature but it’s not running right now and I don’t want to forge the screenshot so it’s showing before the change.
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We occasionally forget to press the washer’s “start” button and only realize it an hour or more later. An automation sending a notification when the washer’s powered on (with a low current reading for a few minutes) but not started solved that. A “Cycle Complete” notification is sent when the current goes from > 1A back down into the low MA range when the wash is complete.
If you stick a Zigbee vibration sensor to the dryer you can set up the same “cycle complete” notifications even if the dryer’s 220V.
Be careful, I’ve fried a dozen smart plugs because the relays aren’t able to cope with induction motor startups.
It’s rated for 16A which the machine doesn’t saturate, or do you mean the spiking?
They’re talking about the spiking
What are you using? The athom tech one has been great for about 2 years so far here in NZ with 240v power. And I have a very powerful Asko washer. They have a relay and non relay version, I’m on the relay one.
240v power makes this better, because it means the starting current is exponentially lower for the same torque. It’s mostly a American/Japanese problem.
‘Exponential’ is not the term you’re looking for here
Is it not? I thought doubling the voltage would quarter the amperage, or am I derping? Do I mean “polynomially”?
Yes, in that case the dependence is quadratic, a special case of polynomial
Next level up: give yourself a notification when it’s done washing!
I don’t have notifications set up yet, but I certainly thought about it!
Edit: “consumption power changes” seems like a weird trigger though since it’s changing all the time while running - or is that further detailed and just not visible in the screenshot?
It’s probably consumption power changes below X threshold for some amount of time
Little fun fact I’ve picked up about washing machines often giving “wrong” times. These are estimates and they regularly change throughout the washing cycle.
Especially right before the spinning program starts, the machine needs to carefully adjust the weight inside of it, so that the unbalance does not do any damage.
I’ve done the same with an automation, triggers when wattage goes over a certain value, then waits until the wattage is below 6 for 4min before sending a message. I’ve also got it choosing from a list of messages at random
The laundry notifications I’ve set up for my wife:
Washer:
I’ve got a big wet load for you
Dryer:
I’ve got a hot load ready for you to take.
