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Appliances Control
Knowing when the wash finished, and what the oven is still doing.
Most appliances will never be smart, and most do not need to be. What they need is to be observable — a plug that measures power tells you when a cycle finished far more reliably than any timer, and it works on a machine built in 2009.
Here we look at detecting cycles from power draw, catching the oven left on, running the dishwasher on solar surplus, and the safety limits on what should ever be switched automatically.
Articles in this category
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Smart plugs: what they are genuinely good for
The cheapest way into home automation, most often bought in a four-pack and forgotten. Used deliberately they teach you more about your house than anything else.
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Connected appliances: which premiums are worth paying
A washing machine lasts fifteen years and an app rarely does. That single fact should shape how much you pay for connectivity.
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The kitchen: air, fire and water before anything with a screen
The room with the most energy use, the most moisture, the most particulates and the most fire risk — and the one where projects add gadgets instead.
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Laundry: the most automatable chore in the house
Long unattended cycles with clear start and finish points, a lot of energy and water, and a failure mode that is merely annoying. Ideal territory.
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Televisions, speakers and the appliances nobody calls appliances
Often the biggest standby load in a house, and the source of more household friction than anything else. Also where integration produces the most pleasant results.
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Robot vacuums: what actually determines whether one works
One of the few categories where connectivity is the product and the expensive models are genuinely better. Also frequently disappointing, for predictable reasons.
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Catching appliance failures before they happen
Most appliances announce their failure first — longer cycles, higher current, more frequent running. None of it is visible without measurement.
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Smart ovens and refrigeration: what is actually useful
Remote preheat and a door-open alert earn their keep quickly. Recipe guidance and inventory cameras mostly do not, yet.
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Leak and cycle monitoring for dishwashers and other wet appliances
The appliances most likely to flood a kitchen are also the cheapest to monitor, if the sensor goes in the right place and the hose gets replaced on time.