Freezer "BURN"

[DementedDragon]

ebay all shapes sizes thicknesses and quantities.

[didymus]

@SmartHomePrimer

If it’s not cooling and I don’t notice than I must not be eating anything, so I’ve got bigger problems

What about when you are at work, or away on vacation, etc?

[SmartHomePrimer]

I work from home. So does my wife.
Vacation isn’t something anyone is going to have for some time.

I get your point of course. I got it when @jeubanks made it 17 posts ago, that’s why I “liked” his post. But I’ve never worried about such things. If I’m on vacation and the fridge stops working, I don’t need to ruin my vacation with a problem like that. I’ll deal with it when I get back.

[steve.maddigan]

My last fridge evaporator became partially frozen - defrost heater was working but small leak at the input of the evaporator caused a freeze. Basically a slow death that I would have caught sooner had I been monitoring temperature. I can’t tell the difference if food is frozen at -10C or -18C.

[macdenewf]

I cant see any downside to monitoring the temp inside fhe freezer. I have the platform and the extra sensors.
I only lost the stuff in the door this time and was kicking myself for not having a contact sensor on the door to detect that it was left open. I imagine id be kicking myself if the freezer died and i didnt detect it,.....so for the little time it takes...why not. I doubt i’ll look at the temp frequently so i’ll just monitor for a few days then set a rule for something greater but still below freezing to set an alarm. Lights and outlet rules are convenient. potentially saving whats in my freezer...thats the real power of automation.
Cheers.

[SmartHomePrimer]

OK. I have to agree. I need to get a sensor that works in the fridge.

[macdenewf]

Not trying to convince anyone......just letting people how i'd feel if i had further problems.

Cheers

[ritchierich]

@macdenewf

interesting.....you wouldn't have a link to where you buy them by any chance - would you

Home Depot and Lowes carry them if you live in the US.

Search Results for rare earth magnets at The Home Depot

Like @DementedDragon I have used them instead of the large magnet that comes with the sensor because they are too darn big. Example my mailbox where I put an Iris V2 contact under the box and use a small round rare earth magnet on the door.

[macdenewf]

John Rob.
I think i have the contact sorted for this application but you mention a good option.
Can you tell me what type of contact sensors you know of that accept an external inputs?

Thanks
Mac

[macdenewf]

Thanks...glad you sent the picture...i would have bought something larger!

[ritchierich]

@macdenewf

what type of contact sensors you know of that accept an external inputs?

I have only seen Zwave that have them. Both monoprice and Ecolink have them. Just make sure you get Zwave plus. If you are handy you can easily get a Zigbee or any reed based contact sensor to work with external wires by soldering wires to both sides of the reed switch inside.

This thread of mine has pictures and other applicable details.

Power Circuit Monitoring for Power Loss

In a few weeks I am having a sump pump installed in my crawl space because of on going water issues. I have a receptacle in the area of the pump that is tied into a GFIC outlet. For obvious reasons I want to be notified if this outlet ever loses power. I saw @Cobra and @Navat604 old posts on the ST community Curious if these solutions are still working or if there are better ideas. @Navat604 what relay did you use in your contact sensor? It is very small and appears like you have it in…

[ero4444]

@an39511

If you can find the original SmartThings multi sensor, the one that uses 2 AAAA batteries they seem to do very good in freezing temperatures

agree but I think that's like trying to find a unicorn now. I filter ebay and not even one showed up in the last 2 years, nothing but the new junk contact sensor which is worse than nothing.

[JohnRob]

Is this the square'ish one? I think I saw one some days ago.

[an39511]

my PRECIOUS!!!

[JohnRob]

Ah... so there appears to be 3 versions:

The one above with sharp corners at the sensor / magnet interface
A kind of rectandular:

And almost round:

With the one above the "great" sensor!

[techbill]

If anyone looking. I still have some contact sensor left

Bunch of Zigbee Iris 3320-L Contact Sensors - new open box

Someone asked in PM so i thought I would add it here It have a temperature sensor functionally built in. [Screen Shot 2020-03-26 at 9.02.06 PM]

[register1]

FWIW - I posted my solution for both temp and door monitoring last night. Sorry - searched for "Fridge" and didn't see this post.

Monitoring Garage Freezer/Fridge Temp and Door Status

Situation - We have an old side-by-side refrigerator in our (unheated) garage. Not an efficient beast, and at some point I'd like to send it to a farm upstate where it can run free with the other dinosaurs, but for now we need the space. We've also got a small chest freezer in the garage that is very efficient. My issue is that the fridge temp often gets higher than we would like and we've had more than one incident where some unnamed person that shares my gene pool left the door cracked open…

[macdenewf]

wow. That is quite the solution.
I really like the conductive tape solution. Can you post a couple of additional pictures please? I'm trying to figure how i could add that but it seems that i'd have to go across the seal gasket with the tape. Maybe i'm simply missing how it can be installed.

You know for anyone who just wants to add just the conductive tape component of door open detection, i think there is a contact sensor that can be used vs the konected board. The ECOLINK Z-WAVE PLUS DOOR WINDOW SENSOR DWZWAVE2.5-ECO has a set of dry contacts that can be connected up to the tape to detect an open. I might try that option..as ive never played with it and need an excuse to get one.

Cheers
Mac

[register1]

I added a few additional (dusty) pictures on the other post. Vertical tape installation on the frame of the unit and a horizonal piece on the gasket.

I totally agree with your suggestion about the DZWave2.5. I just had a spare konnected.io unit available after an install at my dad's house.