So, my wife makes personalized cups, and I made her some cup turners. A cup has to run for at least 5 hours, and then she shuts it off because the motor gets hot. We used to use a Zen25 do turn it off with Alexa, but those don't play well with Hubitat. I was considering replacing the dumb switch with a smart switch, but I don't know how to wire the neutral (and honestly, I'm doubting it's possible, but it doesn't hurt to ask.)
Is it doable, or do I have to find a new smart outlet?
Unsure of what end of the world you're in, but this one from Swedish Amazon (should likely be found from any other european counterpart) should work fine if you're able to get some help with wiring:
I'm running this one to light a led-strip in my keezer-setup (chilled beer dispensing unit) with good results with Google Assistant, so it should theoretically work with Alexa as well.
Never used the zen25, but not sure why it doesn’t work with Hubitat. I see it’s not on the compatibility list so there must be something.
I have a couple of the zen15s and they work very well with HE. Also the aeotec smart switch 6. I have a couple of those. If the turner doesn’t pull a lot of current there are also some cheap Sylvainia zigbee plugs that work well. You can get the sylvainias for about $20.00 US.
As far as going to a switch, all the ones I know of require a neutral. Some of the dimmer switches do not but I don’t think those will work with that.
Instead of doing that, use a smart plug instead. That way you cut the power at the outlet instead of worrying about wiring. Pretty much any zigbee or z-wave plug will do
I assume the white wire is the power in from your outlet.
You could replace the Zen25 with a cheap Zigbee outlet. These work great with HE
Make sure you aren't exceeding the maximum power rating for the device or you can burn it out. Agree with @terminal3 - the Zen15 is definitely good for this application - I use it with a drainage pump.
Otherwise if going cheap then like others have said Zigbee outlet is good - though I would get a cheap Zigbee 3 device to ensure compatibility if possible.
I have a similar setup but it's a solenoid-controlled water valve. If you leave it on too long it heats up. So I use a smart outlet (as @rlithgow1 suggests), PLUS I have a cheap Sonoff temperature sensor stuck to the casing. That way you could run for 5 hours or until the thing gets too hot... which ever comes first.
Interesting. How does it not play well with Hubitat? Zooz (and comments in the community) says it has built-in support.
https://www.support.getzooz.com/kb/article/429-how-to-add-your-zen25-double-plug-to-hubitat/
Since the device uses a motor and the motor gets hot, it sounds like it is pulling a fair amount of current. Many smart plugs are not designed for motor loads. The Zen25 that you were using specifically says not to use it with motors.
One switch that does work with motors up to 1/2 HP is the Zen15. I have one on my washing machine to alert when the load is finished. I have another on my backup sump pump to monitor when it operates, which is rarely.
You might be able to put a temperature sensor on the motor casing to alert your wife when the motor starts to get hot and then shut off the power when it is too hot.
The ZEN15 is a Z-wave device. There are some Zigbee plugs available, but I like the ZEN15 as it has power monitoring, which might be useful for your application. Make sure you get a plug rated for motors as some have a high startup current. Get one rated for 15 amps or higher. The ZEN25 was only rated for 10 amps resistive load, so it would not work well with your motor.
It's had a history of issues. I guess I could try them again and see if the problem is fixed.
It ran great under ST....seems to be working better under HE now. Here are the stats.
Just about any smart plug you get should be fine. It's not pulling any more than a standard LED bulb.
After looking at the Amazon product info, here is how I would approach wiring it:
Both wires on the motors show to be the same color (blue?), so choose the arrangement that turns the motors the direction you want. Personally, I would attach the ground to the motor case.
I had a zen25 and never could get it to work reliably. I removed it from my network and it sit on a shelf. I do however use the Zen15 to run my 12,000 BTU A/C unit in the shed and it works great. Perhaps that would do what you need.
According to the info on the Amazon site you posted, the motor is 4W which should be less than 1A draw. You could use almost any smart switch. Almost every one of them is rated for at least 10A. Since you are already using a plug in switch like the Zen 25, I would just change it out to a cheap Zigbee plug. Unplug the Zen, plug in the Zigbee, pair it to HE and make a simple rule to turn it on and off. A very simple solution for $10. Why over think this one?
That's an inductive load, I would get a ZigBee wall plug that is rated for motors. The relay in that switch might not be able to handle turning the motor on/off and may quit working.
Looks like very small motors. They are probably getting hot because they are cheaply made and the shafts are causing friction heat.
Another solution may be to use a simple thermal switch in line on each motor. If it get too hot it will open the switch and cut the power. Won't come back on until the temperature gets below the sensor setting. Like these https://www.amazon.com/RuiLing-Centigrade-Thermostat-Normally-Temperature/dp/B07SZBCMWB
Actually, my Zen25s appear to be working now, though I've had to change the energy reporting to one-hour intervals.
And I just used the dth's built-in timer, with WC/ES providing an announcement when it turns off.
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