Is there a smart/wifi outlet that has a temperature sensor?

[OilStasher]

I'm looking for a smart outlet that has a temperature sensor for a space heater in a detached garage. Basically I'd like to automate the process of turning on a space heater when it reaches a certain temperature to prevent the pipes from freezing. I'll settle for a notification when it reaches a certain temperature to manually activate the outlet over wifi.

Has to be
Also, energy monitoring/reporting is a bonus, but definitely not required.

Any ideas? I've spent a few hours looking without much luck. But I'm a complete noob with "smart" devices. Hate them. Except for this idea...

Thanks!

 

[MichiganMadMan]

There are thermostatic devices that turn on around 35F/2C for this exact purpose. Not "smart" devices at all.

https://www.ruralking.com/farm-innovators-thermostatically-controlled-outlet-thermo-cube

Shows $13 for me.

I have a space heater in my basement plugged into one all winter in case the furnace decides to go on strike while I'm out of town.

 

[Kira]

It's a cool looking item but NOWHERE in the ad is watt capacity mentioned.

You'd think a product which is chiefly designed to power heaters would be required to have capacity listed.

Do I have to putt my flame suit on for pointing this out?

 

[daman]

Originally Posted by Kira
It's a cool looking item but NOWHERE in the ad is watt capacity mentioned.

You'd think a product which is chiefly designed to power heaters would be required to have capacity listed.

Do I have to putt my flame suit on for pointing this out?


What I found by reading the reviews...

". Also note the high amperage rating. That will cover a lot of products, virtually anything off the shelf."

 

[Rmay635703]

Amperage rating is meaningless, the Guage of materials and tightness of fit and tolerances make the product.

A lot of cheap 15 amp products use 14 or 16 Guage which is unacceptable in a continuous application

 

[Bailes1992]

Sounds like you just need a thermostat and possibly suitably sized contactor to switch the power on or off to the socket feeding the heater. Unsure why it would ever need to be any more complicated.

 

[Kestas]

Do you have a security wifi camera in the house? Put a large thermometer on the other side of the room.

 

[gathermewool]

Every Smartthings sensor shows temperature...except the smart plugs! They don't have an outlet, either, and I'm not aware of a smart outlet that works on temperature alone, sorry.

If you purchase the starter kit, you'll get a smart plug and some sensors. You can see the sensor temperature on the app, then turn the plug on when you need to.

In the summer, we use this method to turn the A/C back on while we've been away, if it's hot enough. Door sensor shows 87F? OK, turn on the A/C smart plug and watch the watts rise to nominal to ensure it did turn on correctly.

 

[exranger06]

Just found this:
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temp...&qid=1576773025&sr=8-18&th=1
Apparently they're made for terrariums that have to be kept within a certain temperature range. It doesn't quite meet your $25 threshold, but honestly I don't think you're going to find a product that does. This is the cheapest option I found. I can think of several more options, but they're all more expensive.

 

[OilStasher]

Originally Posted by MichiganMadMan
There are thermostatic devices that turn on around 35F/2C for this exact purpose. Not "smart" devices at all.

https://www.ruralking.com/farm-innovators-thermostatically-controlled-outlet-thermo-cube

Shows $13 for me.

I have a space heater in my basement plugged into one all winter in case the furnace decides to go on strike while I'm out of town.
I purchased this exact item already (snagged for $3 on Amazon), and it's one of the two alternatives I mentioned. But I'm looking for a more trustworthy option that can report back to me on demand to confirm it's on. Good suggestion though!

Originally Posted by Kira
It's a cool looking item but NOWHERE in the ad is watt capacity mentioned.

You'd think a product which is chiefly designed to power heaters would be required to have capacity listed.

Do I have to putt my flame suit on for pointing this out?
I already bought and am utilizing this item. It works as intended, and lists everything it should. The Amazon listing has more details. But good eye!

Originally Posted by Bailes1992
Sounds like you just need a thermostat and possibly suitably sized contactor to switch the power on or off to the socket feeding the heater. Unsure why it would ever need to be any more complicated.
The entire purpose is to not go out to the garage at 2am when it gets below freezing to turn on the heater, and also avoid turning it on too early and wasting electricity. I have no control over the detached garage from inside the house. The only thing shared is the main breaker on the power pole between them. So without running new circuits/breakers, a wifi outlet is my best bet, no?

Originally Posted by Kestas
Do you have a security wifi camera in the house? Put a large thermometer on the other side of the room.
Clever idea, but no. 100% dumb house (the way I like it) except for this heater task.

 

[OilStasher]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Every Smartthings sensor shows temperature...except the smart plugs! They don't have an outlet, either, and I'm not aware of a smart outlet that works on temperature alone, sorry.

If you purchase the starter kit, you'll get a smart plug and some sensors. You can see the sensor temperature on the app, then turn the plug on when you need to.

In the summer, we use this method to turn the A/C back on while we've been away, if it's hot enough. Door sensor shows 87F? OK, turn on the A/C smart plug and watch the watts rise to nominal to ensure it did turn on correctly.

Figures. It doesn't have to work on temperature alone. It (the system) just needs to be capable of reading temperature. A plug with a built-in temp gauge that can be programmed to turn on/off at a certain temperature would be perfect. A plug that can be programmed alongside a separate temperature sensor to do the same task would be great. A temperature sensor that can be read real-time over wifi (which would allow me to manually turn on the separate outlet also over wifi) would be good. Energy reporting on all of the above is a bonus, not required. Beyond that, and beyond $25, I'll use my backup plans (one of which is the thermocube mentioned above).

As for the starter kit, that's way out of my price range. This is purely a luxury. A lazy tax. For >$25, I'd rather take a walk in the cold.

Hopefully I didn't sound critical. Just trying to explain my reasoning. I really appreciate the input!

 

[OilStasher]

Originally Posted by exranger06
Just found this:
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temp...&qid=1576773025&sr=8-18&th=1
Apparently they're made for terrariums that have to be kept within a certain temperature range. It doesn't quite meet your $25 threshold, but honestly I don't think you're going to find a product that does. This is the cheapest option I found. I can think of several more options, but they're all more expensive.

You sir (or ma'am), have my attention. I looked this item over, and partially disqualified it due to the 10A/1200W rating and the cost. However, in the comparison chart there is the C206T which has higher capacities, but loses wifi capability. With the 10% "coupon" it comes to $26.99. I'll have to ponder on these. Neither is perfect, but both are close (excluding the price of the C929). I'll definitely be researching their entire product line. Good catch!

 

[OVERKILL]

Personally, I'd just build something using a smart thermostat like an EcoBee or Nest. Have it trigger a relay to turn your heater on or off, and you could monitor it from your phone.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by OilStasher
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Every Smartthings sensor shows temperature...except the smart plugs! They don't have an outlet, either, and I'm not aware of a smart outlet that works on temperature alone, sorry.

If you purchase the starter kit, you'll get a smart plug and some sensors. You can see the sensor temperature on the app, then turn the plug on when you need to.

In the summer, we use this method to turn the A/C back on while we've been away, if it's hot enough. Door sensor shows 87F? OK, turn on the A/C smart plug and watch the watts rise to nominal to ensure it did turn on correctly.

Figures. It doesn't have to work on temperature alone. It (the system) just needs to be capable of reading temperature. A plug with a built-in temp gauge that can be programmed to turn on/off at a certain temperature would be perfect. A plug that can be programmed alongside a separate temperature sensor to do the same task would be great. A temperature sensor that can be read real-time over wifi (which would allow me to manually turn on the separate outlet also over wifi) would be good. Energy reporting on all of the above is a bonus, not required. Beyond that, and beyond $25, I'll use my backup plans (one of which is the thermocube mentioned above).

As for the starter kit, that's way out of my price range. This is purely a luxury. A lazy tax. For >$25, I'd rather take a walk in the cold.

Hopefully I didn't sound critical. Just trying to explain my reasoning. I really appreciate the input!

I agree. I just got into the whole smart home thing last year. One of the things I like, is the ability to place my 1500W heater on the smart outlet. I check the wetness sensor near our washer and dryer in our unheated basement for temp and if it gets anywhere close to freezing I turn the heater on.

 

[Andrew1972]

$25 budget good luck. Let us know. I was able to pickup an Amazon smart plug for $5 on Black Friday. Incredible for Xmas tree as you can program logic (sunrise and sunset etc thru Alexa smart app) . Not sure you can find a temp sensor that reports to Alexa for $20 as you could trigger on and off with a tiny bit of simple logic setup in their app.