Trying to find a device that has power monitoring that I can use for the purpose of washing machine/cycle done notification.
I've tried to search but there are so many references to plugs that seem to just not exist/be available anymore. And even harder buying in Canada - a bunch of retailers simply don't ship to Canada.
The ONE I came across is the Zooz Zen15, which looks like it should totally fit the solution... but that's $65 CAD which is simply a lot and seems more than I need for this - it is "just" a washing machine and shouldn't push the limits of typical high-energy appliances this seems more marketed for.
Surely someone knows a better (cheaper) option? Please and thanks!
Honestly i have a zen15 on my washer and it works great. Though the washer may not use allot if electricity all the time it can use a good amount at certain times. Most smart plugs don't do more the 10amps reliably. I have had a few shut down and reset under the stress of the highes power draw part of the cycle. Keep in mind this is also a inductive load because if the motor. That generally makes the needs a but more stringent
Im using Sengled plugs, they working great with hubitat and report power. Although not very accurate at low wattages (<4w) and I have not used on loads >10amps. If the power goes out they return to the last state.
Looks like you need to buy 2 @$49.99 for the pair.
I think I would go with the Zen15. It's flexible as far as capabilities go, has reporting, auto on/off, power outage return, disabling overcurrent protection, options, and @jtp10181 's driver uses them all. His option of changing parameters on the fly could have a lot of potential. So far, the unit itself has been reliable.
I have one on my front loading washer. I watched most of a cycle, on and off, lol, one time. The load varies a lot as it changes direction, speed, drain, etc. I have no logs of a recent run, because it's mostly off, I guess lol.
Below is a recent screen shot. I turned off all reporting except watt, but it looks like 1000 watts is max, which I seem to remember. Now bear in mind, there's a good chance that's due to motor startup. Perhaps newer washers have different motors that don't have as much inrush current.
The issue with a lot of the cheaper (less expensive) smart plugs is that most are not rated to handle an inductive load. Most are designed to work with resistive loads (e.g. things that don't have a motor). The fact that a washer is an inductive load is the reasoning behind ZEN15s (and the like) having a higher cost. They have beefier relays designed for the heavier duty cycle of running an appliance like that.
So, yeah, a cheaper plug may work for a bit, but could result in premature failure (best case) or a fire (worst case) if not properly rated.
When I first tried to monitor the power usage i used a Smartthings Outlet and it wold kick into overload protection and kill the washer in the middle of a cycle.
I just checked my Zen15 for it's min max values similar to what Velvetfoot posted. It is below:
It is really about that High value right. In my case my LG Washer has hit over
1100 watts. It doesn't do that very long. Most like in the final high speed spin to remove as much water as possible.
You also need to keep in mind these power reporting values are based on settings right. So a momentary spike that only occurs for a few seconds may not be captures depending on those settings.
What is it you are trying to use this power monitoring functionality for?
You could also use a vibration sensor like the ZSE43 to detect start/stop. There's just the potential for false positives, but that can be worked around. Assuming that getting the actual power/energy readings are not something you're looking for.
I am not sure I would recommend the Zooz sensor for that. As you said it can be prone to false positives and atleast when i heard information on it before the word was that the shock sensor wasn't very sensitive.
Power is probably the best way to monitor for it, but then you need the right device for the load the appliance can make.
I definitely feel like they were more widely available but it doesn’t seem so much these days? I don’t know if tp link pulled them or there’s just been too much demand
164 days. Impressive. @mavrrick58 , can I ask you what your settings are on your Zen15? I'd like to get the other units involved, not just watts, but I don't want to overdo it on the reporting. Thanks.
I could probably be a bit more conservative to reduce the load on the Zwave network, but this seems to be pretty good.
It is still capturing a fair amount because of how much the power draw fluctuates. Here is a graph from grafana where you can see how it changes during a load. Allot of ups and downs. This is a front loading LG Washer by the way. It looks like we ran 3 load of laundry that day.
I have an Aeotec whole house monitor transmitting at 5 second intervals. Plus, a bunch of Zen04 and like, 4 Zen15's . So far, so good, but for how long, lol.
Generally speaking...on the device label. If the device has been specifically tested for inductive loads, then there should be a rating on the label. The real issue isn't really with the amount of power being pulled, but more around how the power is being pulled.
Here's a Kasa plug only showing markings for resistive load. Being a better named brand though, I would wager this thing could handle a lighter inductive load.
A ZEN15 doesn't have the specific markings on the plug, nor in the tech specs, but they do have in the documentation elsewhere that it's alright on a 1/2 HP load:
All this to say...I would wager any plug rated for 15A from a respectable manufacturer would probably be alright. I would not go grab the first $5 plug on Amazon and use it though.
