Laundry Monitor

James, the main app I’m using now is yours, but it doesn’t keep my switches from going inactive. Well…actually, maybe it does keep them from going inactive if they are already in an active state…I just needed to get them to the active state first, because nothing was “activating them” app-wise. They’ve stayed active since I deleted and reconnected them a day ago. Now I just need them to stay this way! :slight_smile: Thanks! -Steve

@kgofswg1973, I thought I read a post somewhere in this community that the Active/Inactive status we see in the Device list means nothing. I have a ton of devices saying Inactive, but I can tell you without a doubt they work just fine.

Here is my anecdotal observation about active/inactive.
So my meter switch is on my washing machine. The washing machine in my house is used infrequently (once a week on Saturdays or Sundays). Since I had no application that polls the switch frequently, I would see it’s status turn to INACTIVE in the SmartThings Device List from the web interface.

When in the INACTIVE state, I did not get events sent to SmartApps monitoring the device. The instant I would turn off/on the device using the Android App, it would return to an ACTIVE state, and the device would start reporting again. If I failed to do this step before using the washing machine, I would not see the activity reported by the SmartApp to the hub. But eventually, it would return to the INACTIVE state.

After talking with another user, he mentioned that polling the switch using Pollster would keep it in ACTIVE state. I guess the hub is supposed to poll the device on a schedule but something might be is amiss there in the hub, device type, or just the configuration of the device.

EDIT: Please read my response to this thread further down ↓

Yeah, I read that too, but but I only receive the app notifications when it’s listed as ACTIVE. Even turning the switch off then back on again in the iOS app wouldn’t make it active for me. So odd!

I’ve mentioned it a couple times in this thread now but has anyone else tried my Device Type that I linked earlier in this thread? I don’t have to use Pollster.

Sorry, I didn’t notice that you replied to me and not just the thread in general. When it changes the state of state.isRunning to true, line 67, the app thinks it is running, so have a trigger to turn on a switch or whatever controls it there. Then have it turn off when state.isRunning gets set back to false. You’ll have to add the devices to control of course but you could get fancy with delays and timing as well if you wanted.

Keep in mind, my SmartApp is just a ripped off, now simpler, version of the one that @sudarkoff originally created. The device type is where I believe the magic is happening that has it reporting better than you guys are indicating.

It is the device type that makes the magic happen. I just published in the forums a device type for the [Aeon Labs Smart Energy Switch DSC06][1]. For the DSC06, the switch itself can send a report on a timer and/or when the power consumption (in watts, not kWh) changes by some amount. With the correct device type (really the correct device configuration), like @bmmiller stated, you do not have to use Pollster to poll the device.
[1]: Aeon Labs Smart Energy Switch DSC06

Just to complete the circle. The device type written by @jpansarasa is great and has some really neat adds that seem like not a big deal on the surface but are quite useful. Specifically, disabling on/off capability on a device that I only care about energy usage on, is fantastic and prevents inadvertently turning off the washer mid-cycle, which maybe happened once or twice previously, haha.

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Or in my case turning off a UPS with networking equipment on it. Took me some time to figure out why the UPS stopped working.

Ok so this is my first Smart Things device and App, I Think im using the Custom Device type from Jpansarsa with my Aeon smart energy, Its pulling every minute and I can Disable the on/off SO I think I have that right. and Next im using George Sudarkoff’s BetteryLaundryMonitor It seems to be giving me false alarms today, I just set it up yesterday and I think it seemed to be working OK. Heres the Logs- What do you guys think?

90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:03:46 PM: debug Parse(description: "zw device: 02, command: 3202, payload: 21 64 00 00 01 14 00 3C 00 00 01 14 ")
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:02:46 PM: debug Parse returned [‘name’:‘energy’, ‘unit’:‘kWh’, ‘displayed’:false, ‘value’:0.276, ‘isStateChange’:false, ‘linkText’:‘Washer’, ‘descriptionText’:Washer energy is 0.276 kWh]
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:02:46 PM: debug MeterReport(deltaTime:60 secs, meterType:Electric, meterValue:0.276, previousMeterValue:0.276, scale:energy(0), precision:3, rateType:1)
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:02:46 PM: debug Parse(description: "zw device: 02, command: 3202, payload: 21 64 00 00 01 14 00 3C 00 00 01 14 ")
9dc77d8d-3c86-4655-94cf-2ce0178c71a4 1:01:47 PM: error groovy.lang.GroovyRuntimeException: Ambiguous method overloading for method java.lang.Long#minus.
Cannot resolve which method to invoke for [null] due to overlapping prototypes between:
[class java.lang.Character]
[class java.lang.Number] @ line 88
9dc77d8d-3c86-4655-94cf-2ce0178c71a4 1:01:47 PM: debug Washer Is Done
9dc77d8d-3c86-4655-94cf-2ce0178c71a4 1:01:46 PM: trace Power: 0W
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug Parse returned [‘value’:0, ‘displayed’:false, ‘name’:‘power’, ‘unit’:‘W’, ‘isStateChange’:false, ‘linkText’:‘Washer’, ‘descriptionText’:Washer power is 0 W]
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug SensorMultilevelReport(sensorType:4, scale:0, precision:3, scaledSensorValue:0.428, sensorValue:[0, 0, 1, 172], size:4)
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug Parse(description: "zw device: 02, command: 3105, payload: 04 64 00 00 01 AC ")
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug Parse returned [‘name’:‘power’, ‘unit’:‘W’, ‘displayed’:false, ‘value’:0, ‘isStateChange’:true, ‘linkText’:‘Washer’, ‘descriptionText’:Washer power is 0 W]
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug MeterReport(deltaTime:60 secs, meterType:Electric, meterValue:0.428, previousMeterValue:0.276, scale:power(2), precision:3, rateType:1)
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug Parse(description: "zw device: 02, command: 3202, payload: 21 74 00 00 01 AC 00 3C 00 00 01 14 ")
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug Parse returned [‘name’:‘energy’, ‘unit’:‘kWh’, ‘displayed’:false, ‘value’:0.276, ‘isStateChange’:false, ‘linkText’:‘Washer’, ‘descriptionText’:Washer energy is 0.276 kWh]
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug MeterReport(deltaTime:60 secs, meterType:Electric, meterValue:0.276, previousMeterValue:0.276, scale:energy(0), precision:3, rateType:1)
90630845-ee1e-494c-a06b-97cbecc509e3 1:01:46 PM: debug Parse(description: "zw device: 02, command: 3202, payload: 21 64 00 00 01 14 00 3C 00 00 01 14 ")
2411e93e-9628-466b-b7ee-fdf0cb4210a6 1:00:55 PM: debug [touched_by:[touched_by:3, touched_id:Logitech Harmony], auto_away:0, auto_away_learning:ready, hvac_heat_x3_state:false, compressor_lockout_enabled:false, hvac_alt_heat_state:false, target_temperature_type:heat, hvac_heater_state:false, hvac_emer_heat_state:false, can_heat:true, compressor_lockout_timeout:0, hvac_cool_x2_state:false, target_temperature_high:24.0, hvac_aux_heater_state:false, hvac_heat_x2_state:false, target_temperature_low:20.0, target_temperature:19.942, hvac_ac_state:false, hvac_fan_state:false, target_change_pending:false, name:, $timestamp:1422298034115, $version:-18295, current_temperature:20.07, hvac_alt_heat_x2_state:false, can_cool:true]
2411e93e-9628-466b-b7ee-fdf0cb4210a6 1:00:55 PM: debug Calling get : /v2/mobile/user.759381 : []
2411e93e-9628-466b-b7ee-fdf0cb4210a6 1:00:55 PM: debug Logged in
2411e93e-9628-466b-b7ee-fdf0cb4210a6 1:00:55 PM: debug Executing 'poll’
9dc77d8d-3c86-4655-94cf-2ce0178c71a4 1:00:46 PM: error groovy.lang.GroovyRuntimeException: Ambiguous method overloading for method java.lang.Long#minus.
Cannot resolve which method to invoke for [null] due to overlapping prototypes between:
[class java.lang.Character]
[class java.lang.Number] @ line 88
9dc77d8d-3c86-4655-94cf-2ce0178c71a4 1:00:46 PM: debug Washer Is Done
9dc77d8d-3c86-4655-94cf-2ce0178c71a4 1:00:46 PM: trace Power: 0W

This is sort of on topic I guess… I’d love to implement a laundry monitor and want to buy one of the Aeon Smart Energy Switches. Can I buy one and attach it to a power strip, and run both the washer and dryer from that?

In theory, yes, but it’s going to be hard to necessarily tell which unit is actually running. I’m sure your dryer will likely have a much higher amp draw so you can kind of assume which one is running when it’s fully loaded, but there will be some extra logic involved for that functionality which the existing SmartApps do not take into account at all. If you want to know which unit is on, you’re willing to code a little bit, and you’re also 100% certain your two units won’t pull 15A when both are running, go for it.

I have my sump pump as well the dehumififier on it thru a Stanley powerstrip in the basement for months now…

What happens in a power failure?

I like this no-command device to protect the load, but I’ll still have to find a way to provide a “are you sure” or “lift cover to actuate”-type function for remote enable/disable. Such as the fridge - power failure should not be allowed to keep the fridge off after restoration. It’s fine if someone is there to push the button, but that’s not optimal.

The most useful application is my desktop powerstrip, which I do like to turn completely off remotely sometimes because that stoopid printer takes 7watts for nothing. So that’s where I really need the “are you sure”. Must have killed it accidentally 10 times in 3 months, because the details-corner is SO SMALL!

Has anyone further enhanced a “Aeon power monitoring switch device” for protected or verified command?

Postscript, eventually settled on selecting the power display for the displayed tile, to prevent most accidental switching.

Also, Brandon Miller’s Laundry Monitor was not too hard to modify to completely turn off the selected load(s) when wattage goes low.

I think I got it working but, My Washer is a Samsung Front loader about 8 years old, When Its done it drops and stays at 4Watts but it also drops down to 4 watts several times during the wash cycle. Any Ideas on what I can do. I don’t care about the dryer, I just need a reminder to move the clothes to the dryer, because if they sit in the washer for more than a half a day the usually need to be rewashed and then I forget all over again, Its a Viscous Cycle sometimes :smile:

The first thing that comes to mind is just “patience”; i.e., if it “drops to 4 Watts” during the cycle, I presume those “drops” are relatively short term in nature (a minute? a few minutes?). Thus, the notification SmartApp could be written to start a timer (or a runIn()) to recheck the power level after perhaps 5 minutes, and another “random” minutes, to get a high confidence level that the cycle is finished.

The reason for random is to avoid someone synchronizing with the machine’s “low power phases” that are in a possibly periodic pattern while a load is still active.

random question, would it be possible to customize the device type of the Aeon Labs DSC06106-ZWUS? for example, right now my washer and dryer always show up as on. I undestand thats because its a switch. I would love to have the device report on while the machines are actually running. I would then like to add it to Lights and switches. hope my question made sense.

Sounds like you want a modified device type to report the state as off when it’s not in use. This isn’t really anything to do with the smartapp though.

I thought there was a modified device type around that would “turn off” the switch and allow the device to be used solely as a meter.

I think the catch with that though is that it wouldn’t survive a power outage, and you would have to physically go and turn the device on if there was a power problem. I’m not sure if that’s a terrible inconvenience though, since chances are that you would be visiting the machine at some point to load / unload it anyway :smile:

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@mattjfrank you are correct. @viguera thanks i am going to try and find.

My ulimate goal is to connect my aplliances to smartthings like washer/dryer (using meter) and dishwasher (using a multisense). May also do fridge with a meter and mulitsensor.

George,

I have used your App and it works fine (thanks for the effort) with one exception it generates three push and text messages at the conclusion of the cycle. Any thoughts on what might be causing this behavior.

Darren