Detect power out on plug?

SmartApps & Automations Automation Ideas
1

Is there any device/app combination that I could use to detect if power is out on a particular outlet?

Yesterday my wife hired some neighbor kids to do some yard work and I think their electric trimmer triggered my GFI … I found out last night, per chance, when I tried to plug in a shopvac to clean out my traeger. Turns out, the two freezers in the garage are on the same GFI circuit as the outside plugs. I was able to catch it before anything started to thaw out (thank god I decided to clean the grill).

Anyhow, I’d just like to be notified if the power to that circuit goes down again … and it doesn’t have to be immediate either.

2

I’m not sure if there is such a thing but someone used a temp sensor on (or in?) their freezer to detect change in a range of temperature, which I believed saved the contents.

3
1 Like
4

Thinking about it, I’m wondering if I could write a smart app that would monitor a smartplug and send a notification if it becomes “unavailable”. That might be enough for my situation, and would be fairly easy if a smart app can detect that state.

5

If you are a webCoRE user, @ady624 added a $status attribute that draws from ST’s device health. Example below:

Output:

7/12/2017, 9:09:25 AM +439ms
+192ms	║OSRAM status: OFFLINE
+213ms	║Front Lock Status: ACTIVE

7/12/2017, 9:08:55 AM +170ms
+169ms	║OSRAM status: OFFLINE
+190ms	║Front Lock Status: ACTIVE
1 Like
6

I sometimes have the same problem so I did this:

1 Like
7

Good idea … I was going to look into hacking a solution doing something similar using an esp8266 arduino with a rechargeable battery (more work than your implementation). If the detection of the device going OFFLINE doesn’t work out, I might give yours a try.

Looks like there is already an app (Device Monitor) that will monitor selected devices and notify if they go offline. I’ll try it out and see how it works.

8

In the UK it’s cheaper to use wet/dry sensors (just cut the plug off and use the relay to join the wires)
Once I discovered they work like that I have used a few of them to connect different things to Smartthings and don’t use the door contacts any more

9

I find it’s cheap for me to use a GoControl contact sensor, 5V relay and a USB charger for this purpose. Great success with this hack.

10

Awww… now you’re just rubbing my face in it…
Us poor Brits don’t get half the things you guys do

1 Like