Possible way to monitor utility power restored?

So I’m circling back to a solution that (because you only think about it when the power is out) allows me to receive an alert from ST when my utility power is restored.

Here is my post from last year about this: Power restored monitoring. Am I overcomplicating this? - #12 by nsweet

Basically, I use a lockout switch to power my home with a generator during an outage. My main panel breaker is turned to the off position, and the generator backfeed breaker is turned on. This powers all circuits in my home, including subpanels.

My problem is, when the power is restored, I don’t really know. My original idea was a little complicated, and wouldn’t really work anyway. So I went back to the drawing board and have an idea now that I think is a simpler solution.

My utility provider gives a discount if you have a separate meter for your AC units. So on the outside of my house I have another breaker box that is fed by this separate meter, that feeds the AC compressors. Obviously when we lose power, that panel goes dead. So this is the one downside of my current utility setup. I cannot use my generator to run our central air because those are not on my main panel in my home that my generator powers. Luckily, we have some window units we can use to get by. But my thought was, I can wire another 15 amp circuit in that breaker box to connect a smart device of some kind (whatever is easiest and cheapest) that ST will monitor the status of. If that device goes offline, and remains offline for a set amount of time, and then returns back online (after utility power is restored), I can have ST send a push notification. I could use WebCore for this.

But I have two questions.

  1. Does ST monitor devices going offline in real time? I tried testing this with another device in my house, and it doesn’t seem to notice when the power is killed to a smart device.

  2. What would be the most simple smart device to wire up? I was thinking like an in wire relay (https://www.amazon.com/Enerwave-ZWN-RSM1-PLUS-Wireless-Control-Required/dp/B01G7OD1F8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=zwave+relay&qid=1624816617&sr=8-2). That way I could just tuck it inside the breaker box.

Let me know what you guys think. Again, I might be going at this the wrong way. But I’d like to get something once and for all so I don’t have to depend on the neighbor to text me when our power is restored. Thanks!

I use a couple of these on both circuits and individual appliances like refrigerator and freezer.

note that it is cheaper to piece the kit together with individual parts (relay and contact).

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Your idea sounded so good I had to try it. I had a spare Enerwave module in my desk drawer. So I hooked it up and tried your idea.
It did NOT work. When power is restored the relay in the unit clicks and connected bulb turns on. The problem is that the switch is NOT updated in the ST app and says the switch is off when in fact it is on.
I think the problem is that the relay closes before the module reconnect to the hub, so the hub does not know it operated.
To make it work you would probably need a time delay relay between the aux connection on the hot connection, which over complicates things.

Not sure about monitoring the offline portion, but I use a Sengled bulb to monitor my power. When power is restored, the bulb goes to an On state.

If it’s on, I have automations to check my other bulbs vs the room main switches. Then it sets them to the correct state. Then, an automation turns off the bulb. Nothing in my setup turns on that bulb, so if it’s on, it’s because of a power failure.

That’s the easiest for me, not sure if it’s the best way.

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Offline status is really about the absence of normal activity, but you won’t necessarily see Online status restored automatically. Arguably an ST hub itself would be one of the most effective devices to use if you went down that route, and it would still take several minutes for the cloud to notice.

I think you can revisit the suggestions in the earlier thread now. I tend towards at least trying the ‘canary bulb’ approach, though I do really like the idea of a mains powered presence/arrival sensor tag because it isn’t a one shot thing.

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Thanks a lot for this!

I already had an extra Ecolink Door/Window sensor, so I grabbed up the relay to get this going. I think this should finally solve my problem!

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