Zigbee temperature & humidity sensor

I bought a 3 pack of Sonoff SNZB-02 sensors but I couldn't get 2 of them to pair with the hub. The 1 that I could get paired must not be accurate as the humidity readings only go up by 1% when the shower is running. The sensor is installed on the top row of tiles over the shower.
So I'm looking for a Zigbee H&T sensor that won't break the bank but also actually works. Any recommendations?

I just recently bought a couple of the Konke ones and it has been working well for me. It's a little wait though unless you can find a local source.

Also, a little note on the pairing, if I remember correctly, it's picky on the zigbee channel. I had to switch mine and ended up having to re-pair a couple of devices that did not like the channel change.

Did you buy through Aliexpress?

@Skin_Job, I make some Zigbee Temperature & Humidity sensor. I have the for sale in Ebay. I am going the route of powering the sensor with DC power so that I do not have to change the battery. I am also able to read the sensor at much faster rate with DC power. Here is a link for your information. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

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Went through bangood

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iharyadiOwner

3h

@Skin_Job, I make some Zigbee Temperature & Humidity sensor. I have the for sale in Ebay. I am going the route of powering the sensor with DC power so that I do not have to change the battery. I am also able to read the sensor at much faster rate with DC power. Here is a link for your information. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

@iharyadi, your sensor looks top notch. but the DC power requirement makes it unsuitable for my application (bathroom humidity sensor to trigger exhaust fan). It would however make a good sensor for our bedrooms. When the time comes for that I will keep your sensors in mind.

I had the same problem as you. Bought 3, 2 paired, the last refused no matter what. I then bought the Aqara model from Amazon and I was amazed at how fast and easy the pairing was, but also how well it responds and reports to variations in temp, humidity and pressure.

I carried it around the house and it was updating in near realtime.

I'll continue to use my 2 working Sonoff until they become unreliable, at which point I'll pull the batters and toss them. I'm sold on the Aqara!

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The problem with temperature and humidity sensors is that the sensors are enclosed in a plastic case with only a few vent holes to allow exchange of air. Air gets trapped inside the sensor, so these sensors are often slow to respond to changes in temperature and humidity.

When you say your humidity sensor only went up 1%, how long a period did you wait for it to go up? It might take several minutes before it registers the full humidity change.

If you can get air to blow across the sensor to facilitate exchange of air, that will significantly improve the response time. If you mount the sensor near your exhaust fan, that will help with turning off the fan once the humidity level drops, but it won't help for turning the fan on. Perhaps you need another type of trigger to start the fan when you get in the shower.

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I would have to go back to look at my prior comments to be certain, but the Sonoff device updates no faster than 5 minute intervals. That is fine for my applications, but I understand that others prefer quicker response.

I find that I sometimes have to pair Sonoff ZigBee devices close to the hub - four feet away-ish. Then I move them where I want them and they continue to work. It goes against Zigbee principles but it works for me.

Also, have received some devices with weak batteries so check that as well.

I bought a five pack of the sonoff’s of AliExpress. They all joined and reported temp and pressure regularly but humidity would only report if it changed drastically - like inside to outside.

I now have seven of the Aqara paired and they seem reliable. I haven’t moved them yet to their final destinations though.


@rwclements228, I posted up a screenshot of my event log page showing a time frame where I know the shower was running (approximately 17:20 - 17:40). The humidity rises and drops 1% through out the whole time shown above.
It's not me I'm worried about, the kids never remember to turn on the fan.
I basically have the sensor mounted in the shower.

Hal3Owner

2h

I find that I sometimes have to pair Sonoff ZigBee devices close to the hub - four feet away-ish. Then I move them where I want them and they continue to work. It goes against Zigbee principles but it works for me.

Also, have received some devices with weak batteries so check that as well.

Yeah tried pairing at multiple distances away from the hub, including trying to pair with the sensor 6" away. I tried different channels too.

@steve.maddigan , I'm hoping I can return the Sonoff sensors to the ebay seller and then check out the Konke or Aqara sensors.

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Both of these come with caveats:

  1. Konke - work with any zigbee repeater, very stable on Hubitat. Report regularly. However, they only work on zigbee channels 15, 20, and 25.
  2. Aqara - work stably only if ALL zigbee routers on the network are Aqara-compatible. Reporting can be sporadic. Not very stable on Hubitat.

Your Sonoffs clearly do not work.

I just opened one I ordered a while back. It was manufactured by eWeLink. It paired instantly from a room away from the hub.

So, you may just have some defective units. I will keep buying them because they are so inexpensive.

You might have better luck with a different supplier?

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This is very true. It was not a good experience until I unplugged my three ST plugs.

The Sonoff S31 Lite plugs seem to play very nicely with them.

I’ve never heard of Konke. Google time.

I do have four Sonoff S31 plugs around the house primarily for their repeater properties.

SONOFF S31 Lite Zigbee Smart Plug US Type, Works with SmartThings and Amazon Echo Plus, Hub Needed for Amazon Alexa(2-Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GKK89QQ/

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Or search this forum :grinning:

FWIW, I have ~12 of them now; 8 of which have been in operation for 2 years without issues (outside of one battery change).

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@aaiyar Thanks for the info. I’ll see how it goes with my Aqara first once I distribute them. I also have one Aqara motion in use and a second still in the box. Too many outside projects have reduced inside play time!!

@Hal3 i just counted and I have 12 of the S31 Lite’s plus another 5-6 of the Sonoff basiczbr3 inline switches. Overall I am happy with the in-line switches as well but I have found on a couple of them that they keep dropping off after a period of time and seem to go south quickly after that. I just replace one that has been in use for over a year after it dropped three times in a week.

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