I would like t know if you have an outdoor moisture sensor. Specifically I would like to turn on my roof heat tape via a smart switch when an outdoor sensor senses snow accumulation.
Any thoughts?
Are you in the US or the UK? There are a number of devices in the US that might be used for this, but the choices are more limited in the UK.
Thank you for your input. I am not very handy so I am not sure about wiring things together. I live in the US though and would appreciate ready made solutions.
There are no ready made solutions under $500 USD. But you can put one together rather cheaply. What you would do is use a ultrasonic range finder for Arduino, mounted pointed at the place you wish to check for accumulation. By monitoring the return range numbers, you would be able to tell how much snow has accumulated because the range would decrease.
The basic electronics would only cost about $15 USD, fabbing a weather proof box and all perhaps another $40. Check around locally for any Maker’s clubs, they could most likely build you a complete unit for under $100, all coding done and ready to integrate with a smart house system.
Thank you Kokoro. Very creative solution. I will have to look into Maker’s clubs in my area.