After doing some research, I am ready to pull the trigger on the “smart” fireplace. I have a gas fireplace with a wall switch. The flame is constant, but when you flip the wall switch the flame gets bigger (basically on or off). This is what I have determined so far. I cant use the typical smart switch such as replacing your typical wall smart switch. What I am seeing as a solution is the Z-wave dry contact module. Here is a picture of my setup if someone has any suggestions.
Wall Switch Off:
First check your local jurisdiction. In many places in the US it is illegal to put a gas fireplace on any remote that can be operated out of line of sight, which means more than about 20 feet.
That would apply to all devices controlled by SmartThings, because even though you might say you never intend to be at the office and turn on the fireplace at home, just the fact that you can becomes a code violation. And that kind of code violation can in turn void your homeowners insurance. This is why the fireplace remotes that you can buy from national manufacturers almost all have a very short range of operation.
If you determine that it is legal in your own jurisdiction to have a SmartThings operated fireplace remote, then it is essential that you only use a device which has an internal timer which is not dependent on the SmartThings cloud.
There have been multiple reports in the forum of garage doors opening unexpectedly, or doors unlocking unexpectedly, or lights turning on randomly. If that happens with the gas fireplace, you can have a very serious hazard. So you want to be sure that you only use a device which has an internal timer so that it can be set to always turn itself off after a brief period.
I myself never put anything on SmartThings that I would be uncomfortable having run for 24 hours unattended because of the random execution issue, but obviously that’s a decision each person has to make for themselves provided that they are meeting their local safety codes.
You can check the project reports in the community – created wiki for fireplace projects and see what kind of devices other people have considered. But again check your local jurisdiction first to make sure that remote operation capability is legal where you live.
