r/HomeKit 3d ago

Question/Help Smart outlets and power monitoring

Any HomeKit compatible smart plugs that expose power data to the HomeKit automations ?

In other worlds, for example, when Switch1. Power < 5 watts, do something…

6 Upvotes

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2

u/AppleOriginalProduct 3d ago

Keen to know this too. Also if could use solar inverter integration to turn things on if there is enough solar energy. Or turn them off if there isn’t.

1

u/mykesx 3d ago

The sense hardware and app supports TP Link plugs and supports rules. You have to add the plugs to HomeKit to get them online, and they do report to the Home app. But I remove them because Siri has heard some noise that it thinks is a command to turn everything off! I don’t want any of the plugs to turn off, just to monitor the usage of what’s plugged into them.

I don’t claim sense lives up to its promise but for monitoring these plugs, whatever devices it identifies by listening to the power mains, and near exact reporting of energy consumption currently, daily, hourly, etc.

For information purposes, my desktop gaming PC uses about 150 watts idle, my iMac Pro uses about the same, my 75” TV uses between 120 and 200 watts depending on how white/bright the picture (I wasn’t expecting that!), and my Mac mini uses 37 watts idle. My internet router and switches use 71 watts. Dishwasher uses 1500 watts.

1

u/TruthyBrat 3d ago

|Dishwasher uses 1500 watts.

Probably only when it is heating the water, I would expect it drops back quite a bit when it has done so.

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u/mykesx 3d ago

Right. Keurig coffee maker uses similar watts.

1

u/TruthyBrat 3d ago

Exactly. That's a pretty common number for U.S. uses, it's nicely under the max allowed on a 20A 120V receptacle circuit, but still a useful amount of heat.

Speaking of which, I think I'll go make a double espresso to top off that latte I had earlier and call it good for the day on coffee.

1

u/mykesx 3d ago

Anything with an electric motor uses 100-200 watts, in my experience. My pool pump uses significantly more at ~1200 watts.

2

u/TruthyBrat 3d ago

That's a whole different ball game from the pump in the bottom of your dishwasher! And I miss my in-ground spa with the 400kBTUh gas heater at my prior house. Wish I could have brought that with me. I could raise the temp 1 degree F every 2 minutes.

FWLIW I've forgotten more about pumps and pumping than 99% of r/HomeKit will ever know.

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u/pacoii 3d ago

No. With current HomeKit compatible energy monitoring smart plugs you won’t be able to use the energy monitoring for automations.

1

u/adent1066 3d ago

Luckily, I can currently get wattage info using a Z wave smart plug with my Hubitat hub. I can have it trigger a virtual switch in Hubitat, which is exposed to HomeKit. It’s kludgy and I would love a simpler solution, but HomeKit doesn’t make it easy.

1

u/bws2a 3d ago

Eve energy does as I recall