Mentioning it just because I didn't see it addressed in the article: AC compressors & fans can be a significant current draw. If you want to replicate this project, it's probably worth checking the amperage ratings for whatever smart plug you use. Something intended to switch lights or a room fan may not be up for the task of repeatedly starting a compressor. Even if the AC unit only draws 15 amps (an so is fine to plug into a wall), inrush current could be an issue for an traic or SSR-based smart plug.
> If the temperature is above 75Ā°F, the job turns the smart plug on. If the temperature is under 73Ā°F, the job turns the smart plug off.
Would turning on/off a high current A/C like this have any negative consequences? Some A/C units have a cooldown period after you turn them "off" via their button since they need to remove some condensation and perform other normal maintenance. Would that issue apply to cheep window A/Cs?
https://github.com/ct-Open-Source/tuya-convert is useful for re-flashing some widely available smartplugs without opening them up. Then you can use MQTT or HTTP.
Unfortunately some newer plugs are incompatible with the hack (different chipset - https://github.com/ct-Open-Source/tuya-convert/issues/484 ).
Check out Home Assistant. I use Home Assistant to control about 35 TP-Link Kasa devices via local control. Home Assistant supports both local and cloud control of Kasa devices.
I use a mix of ESPHome (using ESP8266 devices) and BLE sensors (feeding back through ESPHome ESP32 based gateways) to gather home air quality data.
It sure looks like that thing has a thermostatic control. Iāve got similar window shaker units and they have a distinct click when the thermostat turns on or off and they do an ok job of controlling the temp in the bedrooms.
Love the spirit of the idea and execution! I would guess the ātemperatureā knob ties to some sort of trigger relay downstream. You would probably be able to tie in a microcontroller of some sort to control it and maintain the process function like ramp up and cool down. But at the expense of requiring to open up that panel.
In university I had an air conditioner that would turn off when the power went out (regular occurrence, few minutes), so I'd wake up sweltering or otherwise needing to get up/interrupted in order to switch it back on (it had a cabled remote/controller)
The automation was a clothes peg on the power button.
Is anyone aware of an open-source smart plug or smart outlet with a public API? ...That doesn't assume a big-tech integration?
A general note: Arbitrarily cutting and restoring power is a bad idea for a compressor. See the first answer at this link for a detailed explanation:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/145791/how-bad-is-it...
In a nutshell, it takes time for the refrigerant pressure to equalize. An AC with a thermostat will have a timer to prevent an immediate restart after a stop.
Another option is to introduce hysteresis into your control loop as the TFA author has done: Use a distinct power threshold from your off threshold. By setting the power on a couple of degrees higher than the cutoff, it will give the refrigerant pressure time to settle.
To the author: I agree with the other posters. Looks the AC already has a thermostat, just no automatic fan control.