Getting ZWave to produce a Zero Volt Momentary Switch connection

Hello,

I’m new to all this and am looking for some help, I’m looking for a device or suggestions as to how to complete the following.

My Gas fire has a physical switch which connects to the receiver. The switch does nothing but short the pins together to ignite the fire. Depending on the pins that are momentarily shorted the fire will either, ignite, turn off, flame down or flame up.

I’m looking for a way to swap this physical switch to a Zwave controlled device that I can in turn control with Alexa.

Attached is an image / diagram showing what I actually want to do… In essence, just turn it on and off (i’n not worried about flame up and down)

If you could offer some advice or assistance in accomplishing this I’d be very grateful.

Thanks for your time,

Bill

I believe JD is typing up the usual fire place warnings right now (which you should read and highly consider). But what you’re looking for is called a dry contact switch. The Remotec ZFM-80 is popular.

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First things first: you need to check with your Township to see if it would be legal to add home automation to your gas fireplace. And it probably will not be. :fire::fire_engine::ambulance::rotating_light:

You should first read some of the other threads in the forum about fireplace controls. In most places in the US, it is against safety code to have any kind of remote control that can be operated out of sight, usually defined as more than about 20 feet.

And once you add smartthings control, or for that matter Alexa Control, to the ignition device, you have violated that. You may know that you never intend to be at your office 20 miles away and turn on the gas fireplace, but just the fact that you can is in itself a violation. And that can then void your homeowners insurance.

Search the forums and you will see a report every month or so of someone saying that a light came on unexpectedly or a garage door opened unexpectedly – – it does happen. To have it happen for a gas burning fireplace would be a serious hazard.

There are some fireplace units which legally qualify as in wall furnaces, but they typically cost $6000 and up and they have their own thermostat and multiple safety features built in. So essentially you are just controlling the thermostat. That’s a very different situation than the typical gas fireplace.

So again, the first step is to check whether what you are considering would be legal where you live, and second to consider whether it would be wise. Read the SmartThings product usage guidelines carefully:

If after doing those two research steps you do want to proceed, just search the forum for fireplace.

Wow, Jimmy, you’ve added “psychic” to your resume? :wink: Well done! LOL

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:smile:

Thanks for the quick reply guys… and the words of warning. This is a unit that is certified for home automation systems but we never implemented any variation of home automation in it. Control 4 is the recommended system but I’m not investing in that for the sake of it.

Thanks again for the help! I’ll have a look at the Remotec unit and search the forum a bit more.

also Fortrezz MIMOlite will do momentary dry-contact

post back when you get it working or I assume you blew up

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Typing them up? At this point, they’re probably a keyboard shortcut. I don’t know whats gotten into everyone but it seems like the it thing to do. While JD might go through the trouble of detailing all of the considerations with automating your fireplace, I simply say, “IT’S FIRE!!! WTF ARE YOU THINKING?!?” And if that doesn’t work, they deserve to have their house burnt down. :fire:

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Yeah, the problem is their house might be next to my house. :scream:

One of the worst fires everyp in California was caused by a homeowner who tried to DIY a connection to an outdoor spa without understanding anything about wiring for that kind of device.

He escaped, no real problem. Four of his neighbors died.

Very true. Sometimes people are so worried about how to do something they don’t stop and think about whether they should. (And yes, that’s as true today as when Jeff Goldblum first said it in Jurassic Park).

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