Battery Operated Relay for Fireplace

Title says it. I don't have AC where I would have to install a relay to operate a gas fireplace. Anyone know of a battery operated Zigbee/Z-wave relay?

Thanks!

Not a relay... but there's this ZigBee (Battery Powered) Switch Flipper.

I use this ZWAVE switch flipper... Not sure why the description on Amazon says 110V. It's battery powered.



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I mean at that point wouldn't you rather just swap out to a shelly relay behind the switch?

There is no power available to run a Shelly relay. The switch is simply making/breaking a very low voltage signal, often generated via a thermocouple that is in the pilot light flame. Thus, these battery powered switch toggler devices were created to fill a very small niche in the home automation space... :wink:

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Indeed!

Did you look inside the fireplace by the valve? There is usually a 110v outlet down there. Sometimes you have to install a jumper wire to make the outlet hot. I had to do that for mine. So, I could install a temp operated blower fan.

I'll have a look. There's definitely an outlet and it's definitely dead atm. I'll see there's AC elsewhere down there.

I'm in the same boat. I have one of these (with only the remote, no switch)

As @ogiewon says these are very simple devices with low power requirements.

Please think through all of the failure modes for automating a gas fireplace. I recall going through this exercise with my father a few years ago, and came to the conclusion that the battery operated switch actuators was the safest solution.

My dad wisely wanted to make sure manual control was always available, regardless of what the home automation system. Also, wanted to make sure the fireplace would still work during a power outage, as it would be the only source of heat during a winter power outage.

Thus, any solution that relied on 110VAC was not an option.

Also, the thought of a fireplace turning on inadvertently via a home automation system, was a potential life safety concern.

In the end, we concluded that “less is more” when it comes to automating a fireplace.

Stay safe!

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I share this opinion. Not only for fireplaces, but also for things like garbage disposals.

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Looks like Skytech has a new module that works with any smart plug.

Gotta agree with this. We're doing some ventless gas inserts eventually and the only thing I would want to automate Is turning it off with our shutdown routine (incase we left it on) but I wouldn't write a rule to turn it on...

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I'm not even sure what the point of automating that would be in the first place...

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Just dropping in to say if anyone needs help with fireplace wiring post some pics and I can tell you whats whats. There are lots of options these days but also lots of different ways fireplaces are wired up. Sometimes the wall switch is even line voltage and not low volt.

Also, on an older standing pilot unit there is often an outlet under it, but it may not be powered. Sometimes if the customer was not opting for any accessories, power would never get run to them.

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Hey I remember when it took "an older standing pilot" to get these going too. :rofl:
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Not directly related, but still looking for a z radio type k thermocouple sensor, if anyone has heard of one.

The Zooz ZEN31 can have a temp sensor attached to it technically, I think this is because it is based on one of the Fibaro devices. So I would check Fibaro and Qubino, I think they both may have devices where you can attach temp sensors (I assume a thermocouple of some sort) to them.

No, not a thermocouple. One-wire (digital), and analog (0-10v), yes.

Interesting.

I ended up buying one of the Skytech modules. It works well. There's at least one consideration to take account of in use with Hubitat (or other systems). The issue shows itself when using both the module/smart plug and a normal remote control at the same time.

The way the module works is that a power cut to the smart plug turns off the flame. If you turn on the flame with a normal remote the module won't know that the flame is on (as the smart plug is off). So to turn off the flame with the smart plug the plug must be turned on first. You'll need to account for that potential in any automations.