The Aeon HEM v5 works on electric dryers but it's expensive for just this.
1 Like
Mentioned this before but in case you missed it, dead center of the side panels on both my washer and dryer provides enough 'oil can' effect to work for me.
That is exactly what I have been thinking of doing. Great idea if I don't say so myself. I was going to use a spring from one of those headbands with this or that bouncing around.
Thanks for posting. Good to know this works as I thought it might.
1 Like
I use a ST multipurpose sensor ($20 at Best Buy). It has a very good accelerometer coupled with a contact sensor and temperature. I use it for the dryer not the washer though. Initially, I used the accelerometer coupled with the contact sensor to check whether the motion was active and the door closed. The problem was that when the dryer was off and the door closed and you sit something on top of the dryer it would alert. I figured out that the exterior of the dryer heats up quite a bit when drying and I now use the door contact, accelerometer and the temperature sensor all built into the ST multipurpose sensor to ward off false alarms. It works like a champ. If the accelerometer goes inactive and the door is closed and the temperature is over 90 degrees then the dryer just finished its cycle. If it cools down, or you have the door open removing the clothes, and you bump the dryer no alert. The only possible false alarms are when it just got through and you mess with the dryer after the door is closed. Not bad for $20.
I found a vibration sensor ineffective at tracking my washer, because it is "wash cycle" dependent how many times it will detect vibration. And while it's filling, there's no vibration at all. The only thing I found useful for washing machines are energy monitors or a photosensor or a "Done" led (which is what I use).
I use the same sensor, but a less complicated setup that I feel has a little more flexibility and less chance of false alarms. Essentially, once vibration starts, it has to remain constant for at least 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, the rule knows the vibration wasn't a bump or someone taking something out of the dryer, cleaning the lint screen, etc., and it waits for the dryer to stop. Once again, the dryer has to be stopped for 3 minutes, at which point it notifies us, and resets the state of the rule completely, so it requires 2 min. of vibration again.
This 3 minute wait is good, too, for things like checking on the clothes, pulling one thing out and letting the rest dry a little longer, changing loads (you don't need to be notified it's done if you're standing right there putting the next load of clothes in it), etc.
To date, zero false alarms on that one, and it's kinda hard to imagine a scenario where you would get one.
This way, I can also use the state of the door as a variable for how it notifies. If the load is done and the door is open, you get a "Dryer door was left open" (damn kids). If the load is done and the door is closed, you get "The clothes in the dryer are ready."
EDIT: But like @Ryan780 said, vibration would be tricky for my washer, so I'm using the power draw from a peanut plug, using similar rules as above...once power draw goes above a certain threshold for a while, it knows a load has been started, and it has to drop below a certain threshold (be off) for a couple minutes to know it's done.
2 Likes
You can use this device for both your washer and dryer. It can detect a light on the washer and temperature change on your dryer.
I am using the Homeseer Flex Sensor as a driver.
Good idea... thanks
Everyone should use the built-in driver for this device.
1 Like
How about the Smartdry sensor? Anybody try it? Seems pretty nice and many features (besides knowing when dryer is off it senses if clothes are dry) if it works.
I've been using this for a couple of weeks now. It works great. I hope they improve the Alexa skill - right now you have to ask for the status of the dryer. It would be great if you could set up announcements or routines. They had mentioned that they were looking into connecting with Smartthings.
1 Like
I guess if the app gives notifications you can use tasker for now to get HE to react. Glad to hear it works. They need to stock more on Amazon ha
I use an Aqara vibration sensor on my washer. I just set it to alert after there's been no vibration for 10 mins. This seems to work pretty good.
Mentioned in another thread, but I have a SmartDry and have had decent luck with the app. Always seems to report correctly. My wife or I hear my phone beep sometime after one of us starts the dryer (near when it should be finishing) and that prompts us to check.
I sent them a pile of feedback (probably more than they could want, but I have a QA background and my current work involves feature evaluation...) but one of the main things I asked for was a local status page we could query (I also offered to write a Hubitat driver for them) so it would be easier to notify our HA systems. Their response basically boiled down to "we will keep it in mind" but who knows, maybe they actually will.
They responded to me. There's a SmartThings integration on its way, but no local API, and doesn't sound like there'll be a open cloud API either ...
Ugh. That sounds like a tight integration that does not present any wiggle room here, at least not yet.
Yup - my thoughts exactly.
Darn, that is unfortunate to hear! I've done three loads with this device and really like it so far. Saved me about 45 minutes of energy vs. my "intelligent" dryer's settings.
1 Like
