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  3. Mains voltage current sensor?

Mains voltage current sensor?

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  • maghacM Offline
    maghacM Offline
    maghac
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Any advice on sensing current in mains voltage (240V) circuits?

    What I'm trying to do is to monitor the dishwasher and washing machines, so I can sense when they're done and alert someone to go empty them.

    sundberg84S HenryWhiteH zboblamontZ 3 Replies Last reply
    0
    • maghacM maghac

      Any advice on sensing current in mains voltage (240V) circuits?

      What I'm trying to do is to monitor the dishwasher and washing machines, so I can sense when they're done and alert someone to go empty them.

      sundberg84S Offline
      sundberg84S Offline
      sundberg84
      Hardware Contributor
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      @maghac - I have just ordered som parts im going to play around with.
      I bought the 30A current sensor but there are also som clamps so you dont have to make any cuts into wires:
      https://www.mysensors.org/store/power

      I think im going to build a portable Swedish plug standard machine, something looking like a relay but measures current.
      https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1WHv.MpXXXXcwXFXXq6xXFXXXA/AC-230V-Digital-16A-LCD-Electric-1W-3680W-Power-Energy-Meter-Voltage-Wattage-font-b-Current.jpg

      Controller: Proxmox VM - Home Assistant
      MySensors GW: Arduino Uno - W5100 Ethernet, Gw Shield Nrf24l01+ 2,4Ghz
      MySensors GW: Arduino Uno - Gw Shield RFM69, 433mhz
      RFLink GW - Arduino Mega + RFLink Shield, 433mhz

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      • maghacM maghac

        Any advice on sensing current in mains voltage (240V) circuits?

        What I'm trying to do is to monitor the dishwasher and washing machines, so I can sense when they're done and alert someone to go empty them.

        HenryWhiteH Offline
        HenryWhiteH Offline
        HenryWhite
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        @maghac said in Mains voltage current sensor?:

        so I can sense when they're done and alert someone to go empty them.

        If you just want to do that, you could also use a vibration sensor to determine whether the dryer/ washing machine has finished or not.

        maghacM 1 Reply Last reply
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        • HenryWhiteH HenryWhite

          @maghac said in Mains voltage current sensor?:

          so I can sense when they're done and alert someone to go empty them.

          If you just want to do that, you could also use a vibration sensor to determine whether the dryer/ washing machine has finished or not.

          maghacM Offline
          maghacM Offline
          maghac
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          @HenryWhite That would work for the washing machine, but not for the dishwasher I guess as it doesn't move a lot :)

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          • wallyllamaW Offline
            wallyllamaW Offline
            wallyllama
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Www.openenergymonitor.org has a lot of info on current, voltage, and power monitoring. It isnt mysensors specific, but it is detailed and can likely be made to work.

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            • gohanG Offline
              gohanG Offline
              gohan
              Mod
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Sonoff pow?

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • maghacM maghac

                Any advice on sensing current in mains voltage (240V) circuits?

                What I'm trying to do is to monitor the dishwasher and washing machines, so I can sense when they're done and alert someone to go empty them.

                zboblamontZ Offline
                zboblamontZ Offline
                zboblamont
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                @maghac Why measure current? It will vary with the program in use, and so will water consumption. Both devices have controllers, both will signal the end of a cycle and go standby, usually triggering a bleeper, these are usually low volt DC. Tap into that?
                You must have a distant machine not to hear it, I can hear the washing machine bleep through a wall, the dishwasher is usually quiet until she finishes, then gets noisy again :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

                gohanG 1 Reply Last reply
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                • zboblamontZ zboblamont

                  @maghac Why measure current? It will vary with the program in use, and so will water consumption. Both devices have controllers, both will signal the end of a cycle and go standby, usually triggering a bleeper, these are usually low volt DC. Tap into that?
                  You must have a distant machine not to hear it, I can hear the washing machine bleep through a wall, the dishwasher is usually quiet until she finishes, then gets noisy again :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

                  gohanG Offline
                  gohanG Offline
                  gohan
                  Mod
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  @zboblamont because it's easier to attach a sensor to the power plug instead of hacking the machine's controller 😀. For what is worth, I think that a normal countdown timer will be enough since washing cycles have always the same length.

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                  • maghacM Offline
                    maghacM Offline
                    maghac
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Exactly, I don't want to modify the appliances in any way :)

                    If I monitor the current drawn by the appliance I can detect both when it starts and when it finishes. With a countdown timer I need to start it myself and if I forget to start it I will not get a reminder when it's done.

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                    • maghacM Offline
                      maghacM Offline
                      maghac
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      The sonoff pow looks interesting actually. 10 USD is a really good price.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • gohanG Offline
                        gohanG Offline
                        gohan
                        Mod
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        you can make a dash button that when pressed sets a timer on the controller. With sonoff pow you get energy metering and also a relay tu turn on and off your appliance

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