Mains voltage current sensor?
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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.
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@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/powerI 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
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@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.
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@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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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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Sonoff pow?
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@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
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@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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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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The sonoff pow looks interesting actually. 10 USD is a really good price.
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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
