Appliances with RS232/485/IP control

durosity

durosity

durosity

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Joined
2 Jun 2013
Posts
10
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
I’ve been looking for a (reasonably priced) oven, dishwasher, washing machine and microwave with some form of connectivity to be able to read their current states to integrate with a home automation controller but had little luck. I’ve came across a Wolf oven that has a serial port on it (but is horribly expensive) and old Dyson washing machine with a connection that allegedly can read and control the device… but they’re not made anymore.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
Not sure why monitoring a microwave is of use, but wiring up sensors to any machine isn't overly complex, especially if say a washing machine has led status indicators.
 
I love this idea, but at the same time am lost, what's the benefit?
I have to physically at the machine put clothes in it and take them out, what good is remote control there?
Same with any appliance, apart from say a boiler that already has a timer or thermostat control in anyway?
 
Mostly for status reasons really.. for example we often forget about clothes in the washing machine.. i’d love some way of reading how long it has until the current load is finished, and indeed some way of notifying that its been done (E.G. my server detects that the washing machine has finished. If after 5 mins it hasn’t been switched off it’ll send a push notification to my phone. Same again after 30 mins. etc. Same idea goes for the Microwave.. i’ve got a very short attention span so i’ll often stick something in there, walk away and forget about them. Come back an hour later to a rather cold pile of meatballs.

As for wiring up sensors.. yeah it can be done.. it just looks a bit messy. And yes i could mount them under the facia so it’s not noticeable.. but that involves effort. I’m a very lazy man. Hence why I have an interest in domotics.
 
You are probably a bit ahead of your time here.
People have to move from 'why' to 'why not' before this gets built into domestic appliances.

When gas cookers can talk to microwaves then we can have reheated peas that finish cooking at the same time as a roast chicken. World needs more 'what is possible' thinking.
 
You can get microwaves that will continue beeping until you open the door and washing machines that will chime to tell you they're finished. That's probably the best you're going to get for now.
 
Another year or 2 kitchen appliances will connect to your wifi and you will be able to look on your phone to see statuses

You can already control boiler/heating/lights/sockets over wifi/3g so appliances will follow
 
Indeed.. why is the question i get from my SO all the time.. sure she likes some of the automation systems i’ve installed (heating controls and AV controls) but most of the technology she just isn’t excited by.. i was hoping some kitchen appliances might make her more tolerant ;)
 
Blimey, if you have a memory like a goldfish just set a timer on your phone...
 
Pug said:
then you are incapable of functioning in the outside world.
Click to expand...

What is this outside world you speak of? Oh.. you mean that scary place away from home? Nah.. don’t want to go there.

In all seriousness though it’s not just about laziness and bad memory.. it’s mostly a hobby.. i really like the idea of everything in the home being able to talk to each other. The more that i can integrate the more it can work as a whole.. even if it is simple little things like notifications to say the washing is done or a pop up stating the oven has preheated to the desired temp.
 
As Danny's partly mentioned, it's still a bit early for these connected appliances, a lot i've seen are still in prototype stages.
 
All that connected stuff would **** me off, phone beeping constantly over mundane things, who needs that?

Thought there might be something 'clever' in it? But no, not so far.
 
I got given a free energy monitor by nPower. Which to be honest I though would be a bit of gimmick. But it meant I could pop down to the kitchen, set the kettle boiling go up to my desk.

When the power useage dropped off I knew the kettle had boiled.
 
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