Has anyone automated their gas fireplace? Was thinking about trying to activate it using voice (Alexa) control or motion and temperature.
I have a remote to activate it but have no idea where to get started on making it automated.
Yup! I use a BOND Hub (https://bondhome.io/) which can emulate my fireplace remote. I then wrote an HE app to call it's local API so I can control the fireplace from HE GitHub - dcmeglio/hubitat-bond: BOND Home Integration for Hubitat
The BOND Hub is a little pricey but it's worked flawlessly, their support has been terrific (a few of their team members hang out on this forum and answer questions) and it supports a 100% local API so it's fast and I don't have to worry about what happens if they ever go out of business.
I would say though from a safety perspective please be very careful about automating a fireplace! Do you really want it coming on if there is false positive motion detected when you're not home? I'd be a bit scared of a fireplace on when I'm away...
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I have my wood burning fireplace automated as in the blower that ventilates throughout the whole house. The blower is powered by a Lutron On/Off Switch and a RM 4 rule here
I have a napoleon alluravision electric fireplace that I've automated. It has an ir remote that I mapped to my harmony hub. I bought a small ir emitter that's mounted on the front of the fireplace control panel. I then use my harmony remote or Alexa to turn on the fireplace and fireplace heat.
I've modified a GoControl thermostat to control my gas fireplace. It now works with voice control and gives me the ability to automate it through Thermostat Scheduler and Rule Machine.
Hey Wayne
Having trouble with my fire place , Its Gas On by remote no problem thermostat no problem its when i turn it off in cool down mode . Simple push button, turn off fire control, Fan delay runs for 15 mins. If temp drops while in cool down mode thermostat rule turns fire control back on ?
Two relay system 1. is fire control and 2 is fan control.
Scott
I guess call a repairman???
LOL very funny
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Thanks for the replies. It is really nice to see this community filled with helpful people who take the time to help those of us still learning this stuff.
If I want to smarten mine up, probably with voice commands and not motion. Can someone take me through how I would go about implementing this? I currently use Alexa.
I put a Caseta switch paired with a SPST relay on mine.
I've automated my gas fireplace. It will respond by voice to Alexa and Google, and appears on a dashboard. It is controlled by a Third Reality smart light switch (Gen 2) mounted on top of a standard paddle-type wall switch. The wall switch contacts connect directly to the gas valve - in parallel with the manual switch. The whole mess is stuffed beneath the firebox floor. I painted the Third Reality switch flat black so it’s not noticeable through the access door.
If your fireplace is turned on/off by a wall switch with low voltage wire going to it, you can use a MimoLite module. Cut the wire going to the switch and put the mimolite on that wire instead. Then replace the wall switch with a Pico Remote (assuming you have the Lutron Pro bridge) and then you still have a wall switch plus you can control the fireplace with voice or from any other device that talks to Hubitat.
In some regards, automating the fireplace is somewhat safer as you can have it automatically turn off after being on for x amount of time, turn off when you leave the house or turn off if the temperature in the house hits a certain setpoint. As long as you don't have any crazy automations that could go wrong turning it on.
