I’m working on a DIY state detection for my dryer and have some questions.
I’ve seen suggestions to use a vibration sensor for this, so purchased and connected an SW-420 vibration sensor to an ESP8266. Unfortunately, this does nothing for me. Not sure if my dryer runs too smoothly but it does not detect any vibration from my dryer. I’ve adjusted the potentiometer on it, but still no luck. I have to give the sensor a tap in order for it to register anything. Is this the expected detection level for this sensor?
Does anyone recommend a different vibration sensor, or does the one I have not seem to be functioning properly?
My dryer runs on 220v as I am in Canada If it were 110 I would just use a power meter for it like I have for my washer.
To get dryer detection for the time being I’ve rigged up a micro switch to dryer and added a small 3d printed pointer the the timer knob located in the “done/off” position. It is very ugly and crude as I just used clear tape to attach the pointer and the micro-switch to the dryer but it works for now, until something better can be out in place.
if it’s 220 though you may be able to use a UK/EU energy monitor (clamp type or even something like a Shelly if the load is low enough), just check it’s compatible with the frequency of the power supply (50/60hz)
Since you are already using an ESP8266, maybe a temperature senor would be a better choice for a dryer, I’m just saying, washing machines shake, dryer really don’t (unless something is f’ed up). Or monitor power consumption, obviously they use a lot of juice
Forgive my curiosity but I’m interested to know what you get from knowing the dryer is running. I can see why you might want to control it to make use of a time of use energy tariff but assuming it gets used to dry clothes when they are wet, which is not something you can really do much about, I can’t immediately see what knowing it’s running does.
I think knowing it is running is for the purpose of openhab to then calculate the cost / energy as it will probably be more or less fixed amperage / wattage.
Purpose of detection is for both learning and my dryer is in the basement, I usually miss the signal it is done as it is barely audible. I will have a rule like I made for my washer that announces via my Google Mini “Dryer is done”.
I’ve looked a clamps, and from what I have read would I not have to seperate the lines, I can’t leave them together correct? I’m not overly comfortable messing with this type of wiring. It is 60Hz.
And thanks for the temperature detector and Washer thread suggestion I’ll give it another look in case I missed something I could use.
If it has a light that is on when it’s running, you could look at detecting that. Before I had a smart thermostat, I looked at putting a neon indicator across the boiler switched live and then sensing it.
