SonOff Low Cost Wifi Switches for Home Automation

Blanchy90

clint_silver wrote: »

yes, but the basic sonoff only has live and neutral. wiring an extension lead will require the earth to go round, its really messy, if youve got a basic sonoff just do a lamp first.

But once you do you'll realize how easy it is and how good it works.

My 5 year old turns her lamp on and off with with alexa. We named her lamp ""hername" lamp, and then registered it so you can issue commands like
"alexa turn off xxxx lamp"
or
"alexa turn xxxx lamp on"

But whatever way she was articulating her name, alexa wasnt picking it up so we played around with words til alexa recognised one so she named her lamp "chocolate" so nightly we get "alexa turn chocolate lamp on"

I haven't bought the switch yet so I'll just get one with the live in it.

Maybe this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Control-Consumption-Measurement-Function-Assistant-01-Sonoff-Pow/dp/B06XZ4QDH6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1531814817&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sonoff&psc=1

The power consumption monitoring could be handy I want to use this extension lead for my tv and consoles and I wont have easy access to pull the plug out

clint_silver

Blanchy90 wrote: »

I haven't bought the switch yet so I'll just get one with the live in it.

Maybe this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Control-Consumption-Measurement-Function-Assistant-01-Sonoff-Pow/dp/B06XZ4QDH6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1531814817&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sonoff&psc=1

The power consumption monitoring could be handy I want to use this extension lead for my tv and consoles and I wont have easy access to pull the plug out

yeah thats the one, but get them on ebay, cheaper. I got my first one on amazon, the rest on ebay. not a bother with any of them.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/5-Packs-Sonoff-Pow-16A-Smart-APP-WiFi-Remote-Switch-Module-DIY-Power-Measure-GO1/292636119269?hash=item442278d0e5:m:mhflypVJiKJGNalNHsjAeag

Blanchy90

clint_silver wrote: »

yeah thats the one, but get them on ebay, cheaper. I got my first one on amazon, the rest on ebay. not a bother with any of them.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/5-Packs-Sonoff-Pow-16A-Smart-APP-WiFi-Remote-Switch-Module-DIY-Power-Measure-GO1/292636119269?hash=item442278d0e5:m:mhflypVJiKJGNalNHsjAeag

Nice one, whats the delivery time like from them?

clint_silver

Blanchy90 wrote: »

Nice one, whats the delivery time like from them?

I got a couple from china at the start and had them in under 2 weeks, the uk ones usually 7-10 days.

most of the ebay shops will do all of the devices. Pick ones based in "uk and ireland".

I've all the lamps done with the sonoff basics, the POWs on the extension boards and the higher one again for the immersion.
All paired with alexa dots I have around the house I got on sale in argos.

One thing, make sure you have an android device when configuring the sonoffs, I couldnt get it to work with apple devices, others have said it works ok but I just couldnt get the iphones to pair with the sonoff. I wasted a good couple of hours before trying an old android tablet to do it, worked in seconds once I used that, android phone worked too .

john_doe.

wheresmybeaver wrote: »

Hey there experts, I've standard Sonoff switches (flashed with Tasmota) that have been working very reliably with my Home Assistant setup the last few months. They're just controlling desk lamps and basic things for now. Very reliable and great value.

My next project is to control my zoned gas heating system.

Currently I have battery powered thermostats in each zone that are wired back to the hot press (see photos below); these seem to operate as a relay (the thermostats themselves make a loud "click" on and off). So I was thinking the sonoff 4ch pro would work with this setup? If so I would get an electrician to wire it up, don't fancy touching this stuff myself.

Are you also going to control the hot water from this .
Will you flash the fimrware and bring it into Home Assistant.

wheresmybeaver

john_doe. wrote: »

Are you also going to control the hot water from this .
Will you flash the fimrware and bring it into Home Assistant.

Yep the plan is to have the sonoff control the 3 gas powered zones - zone 1 (upstairs), zone 2 (downstairs), zone 3 (hot water), and also the thermostat (referred to as "hot water clock" on the guide, if I'm right). So 4 in total.

I've flashed all my existing sonoffs to tasmota and it works great so that's what I'll do here as well. They should show up as 4 separate switches in home assistant. I've never downloaded the ewelink app.

All depends on if my heating system will work with the sonoff 4ch pro. And I wonder if I can continue to have the existing thermostats connected so that they will still work as a backup.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

bluemachaveli

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The main win for me it that it doesn't depend on the cloud. It all runs local in my house so in the case of an internet outage everything still works once you are home. All you lose is remote access.

That and the fact that Tasmota is open source, I've a small assurance that my switches aren't going to become part of some botnet

b.gud

bluemachaveli wrote: »

The main win for me it that it doesn't depend on the cloud. It all runs local in my house so in the case of an internet outage everything still works once you are home. All you lose is remote access.

That and the fact that Tasmota is open source, I've a small assurance that my switches aren't going to become part of some botnet

If you configure a VPN in homeassistant you can still have remote access

wheresmybeaver

b.gud wrote: »

If you configure a VPN in homeassistant you can still have remote access

If you hook it up via Home Assistant (MQTT) then you can control them in lots of interesting ways (mostly automated), but if you secure your Home Assistant setup adequately you can also easily access from outside your home network.

The default firmware on sonoff devices doesn't integrate with home assistant ( https://www.home-assistant.io/ )

john_doe.

Thought this was interesting on the PRO from an Amazon review:

"This is specifically a review for the 4CH Pro R2.... which is an important point as my main complaint appears not to be there on the 4CH.
The good:
Not too hard to set up, the "manual" is quite basic, but having worked out how to do it, doing a second would take very little time at all. It may be a little foreboding to some to have to open it up and set small DIP switches on the circuit board - make sure that you have a magnifying glass handy.
Once set up, it is easy to connect to wifi and alexa if you actually folllow what it says, definitely not one for those that like to wing it.
Works well, and responds quickly to Alexa commands. Not received my RF switches yet so will have to see how easy they are to set-up - NOTE: the SONOFF wall switches will not work in the UK unless you have specifically wired for smart switches ie taken a neutral to the light switch - something not standard in the UK. I managed to find some RF stick-up battery powered switches from China
**** The BAD! ****
The Pro seems to have taken a silly decision to require you to loop the live feed from the input to the 'common' connection on each switch. The basic 4CH does this linkage internally and so you connect live to the L connection and just take a switched live out to the device. The big problem with the approach taken by the Pro is that it requires you to put a physical link wire from the Live terminal to the Switch 1 common then to the Switch 2 common etc. this means that each connector needs two wires in it - one 'in' and one 'out'. This a a huge issue as the connectors are only small push fit, not screwed down. Therefore the wires are barely held in a hole just big enough for one wire, let alone two. I'm certain this means of connection of mains voltage is not legal to building wiring regs. Having thought about it, I think that you need to effectively create a common live connection rail and then run a single wire to each common input. To do this safely I would expect that you need a small distribuiton box, which will significantly impact how cheap this solution would actually be.

My strong advice is to look at the 4CH instead, not the pro"


Good article here for heating system:

http://www.davidhunt.ie/diy-smart-home-heating-control-system/

wheresmybeaver

john_doe. wrote: »

Thought this was interesting on the PRO from an Amazon review:

"This is specifically a review for the 4CH Pro R2.... which is an important point as my main complaint appears not to be there on the 4CH.
The good:
Not too hard to set up, the "manual" is quite basic, but having worked out how to do it, doing a second would take very little time at all. It may be a little foreboding to some to have to open it up and set small DIP switches on the circuit board - make sure that you have a magnifying glass handy.
Once set up, it is easy to connect to wifi and alexa if you actually folllow what it says, definitely not one for those that like to wing it.
Works well, and responds quickly to Alexa commands. Not received my RF switches yet so will have to see how easy they are to set-up - NOTE: the SONOFF wall switches will not work in the UK unless you have specifically wired for smart switches ie taken a neutral to the light switch - something not standard in the UK. I managed to find some RF stick-up battery powered switches from China
**** The BAD! ****
The Pro seems to have taken a silly decision to require you to loop the live feed from the input to the 'common' connection on each switch. The basic 4CH does this linkage internally and so you connect live to the L connection and just take a switched live out to the device. The big problem with the approach taken by the Pro is that it requires you to put a physical link wire from the Live terminal to the Switch 1 common then to the Switch 2 common etc. this means that each connector needs two wires in it - one 'in' and one 'out'. This a a huge issue as the connectors are only small push fit, not screwed down. Therefore the wires are barely held in a hole just big enough for one wire, let alone two. I'm certain this means of connection of mains voltage is not legal to building wiring regs. Having thought about it, I think that you need to effectively create a common live connection rail and then run a single wire to each common input. To do this safely I would expect that you need a small distribuiton box, which will significantly impact how cheap this solution would actually be.

My strong advice is to look at the 4CH instead, not the pro"


Good article here for heating system:

http://www.davidhunt.ie/diy-smart-home-heating-control-system/

I read that review before, I think that if you are wiring it to a traditional mains then the non-pro makes more sense (it's like a traditional sonoff x 4), but my thermostats are electronic relay ones with a much lower voltage (I believe), so effectively they are just acting as relay controllers and are not passing through the full current for the zones. So I believe the 4ch pro is the appropriate one to use here.


Of course I'm no electrician which is why I'm asking for opinion, but still it's only €25 to buy it and see if an electrician can then wire it.

john_doe.

Ya I've been evaluating it for my own heating system. Biggest concern is how safe these things are and what certifications they have got.
The CE doesn't really mean much.
End of day a €30 switch is great but if over heats and burns the place down not so great. My current thinking is they are good for thinkering but not so sure I'm ready to allow them to control the home boiler.

banie01

I don't know if I'm late to the party on this one, but have any of ye good people given Yeti App a try?

It's a home automation/control app but the nifty thing is that it allows control of Nest, Sonoff, Hue, LifX, netatmo, yeelight, Honeywell and a slew more flavours of home control in one app interface!

Currently it's running my Nest and my Sonoff, the caveat for Sonoff control is that it's Tasmoto compatible only.
I use a pile of smart bulbs from the Tuya/Smartlife/eFamilycloud range of stuff and they have said they are adding integration for that too!

It takes me from 3 apps to 1 and there's widgets for Oreo too!

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Blanchy90

Ive just ordered a sonoff pow r2 and I think my echo dots have arrived

air

john_doe. wrote: »

Ya I've been evaluating it for my own heating system. Biggest concern is how safe these things are and what certifications they have got.
The CE doesn't really mean much.
End of day a €30 switch is great but if over heats and burns the place down not so great. My current thinking is they are good for thinkering but not so sure I'm ready to allow them to control the home boiler.

I tested one to destruction and it was the relay that failed, there was no damage at all to the SonOff or the traces. I replaced the relay and it works fine to this day, I reduced the rating of the internal fuse in the SonOff as this failed to protect the relay.

I haven't seen any reports of them failing dangerously and last I saw they were selling North of 40k units a month.

A central heating boiler is typically a very small load for the boiler itself and a circulation pump.

clint_silver

air wrote: »

I tested one to destruction and it was the relay that failed, there was no damage at all to the SonOff or the traces. I replaced the relay and it works fine to this day, I reduced the rating of the internal fuse in the SonOff as this failed to protect the relay.

I haven't seen any reports of them failing dangerously and last I saw they were selling North of 40k units a month.

A central heating boiler is typically a very small load for the boiler itself and a circulation pump.

Pow r2 on my immersion stopped working at weekend. Melted internally and started to melt outside. I’ll try get pics up later.

durtybit

clint_silver wrote: »

Pow r2 on my immersion stopped working at weekend. Melted internally and started to melt outside. I’ll try get pics up later.

Immersion would be too much of a load for these things from what I read.

clint_silver

The pow 2 is rated at 16a so supposed to be ok for immersion. Many other reports say its ok.

However, after a bit of digging around, I found the problem or at least what looks like it is, this exact issue was reported and if mine was from the bad batch this exact problem would occur...

https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/03/01/some-sonoff-th16-and-sonoff-pow-manufactured-in-december-2016-january-2017-are-being-recalled/

msmx5

clint_silver wrote: »

The pow 2 is rated at 16a so supposed to be ok for immersion. Many other reports say its ok.

However, after a bit of digging around, I found the problem or at least what looks like it is, this exact issue was reported and if mine was from the bad batch this exact problem would occur...

https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/03/01/some-sonoff-th16-and-sonoff-pow-manufactured-in-december-2016-january-2017-are-being-recalled/

Thanks for that link - good to know. I see the ITEAD recall notice is no longer available on their website but it is available on an internet archive for those interested. Pity its so difficult to identify the affected units.

As you mentioned the POW R2 (for example) should be able to handle a standard immersion which is typically 3000W. The POW R2 is rated for:-
Max current: 16A
Max Power: 3500W

Wheety

I just ordered 2 of the standard Sonoffs for €8.72 on Banggood.

I hope these are ligit. Think they were around £10 on Amazon recently. Only 1 available for £15.99 now.

air

clint_silver wrote: »

The pow 2 is rated at 16a so supposed to be ok for immersion. Many other reports say its ok.

However, after a bit of digging around, I found the problem or at least what looks like it is, this exact issue was reported and if mine was from the bad batch this exact problem would occur...

https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/03/01/some-sonoff-th16-and-sonoff-pow-manufactured-in-december-2016-january-2017-are-being-recalled/

Good catch, like I have said before though, I've had no issues but I don't have any installed on an immersion without a contactor.

clint_silver

air wrote: »

Good catch, like I have said before though, I've had no issues but I don't have any installed on an immersion without a contactor.

I had an electrician look at it, he said he wouldnt have done anything different, once the unit is rated ok then the wiring is straightforward, no different then rewiring a plug.

In this case it looks like a faulty unit as per that recall notice. The melt is the exact same in same area. I've got sonoff basics on several lamps and the POW 2 on another appliance in the house so not worried.

Theres a youtube vid I showing how the sonoff can overheat if you push high amps through it more than the domestic send. Most lamps are 3a so should be ok.

Im waiting on another POW 2 to go back on the immersion, will have it in a junction box and have a smoke alarm over it. That vid has given me another thought though, get the temperature sensor that fits the sonoff, and put the guage on the sonoff itself as a monitor to switch off if the temperature rises above a certain level. I did have mine on for 4-5 months without issue so maybe one of the kids left it on for too long and it didnt like it.

air

Yes, I wasn't implying you did anything wrong, just saying that I prefer the conservative option of using a contactor for loads approaching the specifications of these units.
If it's rated 16A then it should have no issues running 24/7/365 at 13A load.
Out of interest, how did you handle the sink / bath elements, did you just put it on one or the other?

clint_silver

air wrote: »

Yes, I wasn't implying you did anything wrong, just saying that I prefer the conservative option of using a contactor for loads approaching the specifications of these units.
If it's rated 16A then it should have no issues running 24/7/365 at 13A load.
Out of interest, how did you handle the sink / bath elements, did you just put it on one or the other?

ah yeah, I got that no probs, all good.

Yeah I left it on one or the other all the time. I had it in mind to add some IFTTT and stringify to switch to bath or sink but think the solution I came up needed another switch so never got round to it. Theres a couple of solutions on line to do it

whizbang

Folks, Re IFTTT, i have a setup to turn on Sonoff switched lights at sunset, but lately I have noticed the timing is completely random.

Looking at the history in the IFTTT, the Applet is set to run at approx 9pm, but randomly triggers anywhere 9:57 to 10:49pm.

Is this normal, or is it something i shoud be looking into ?

viperlogic

Are the sonoff/EWeLink servers down? Devices won’t connect 😢

whizbang

all ok here.

JaCrispy

Still haven't found a way to replicate the "boost" function with normal boiler timers on the 4CH Pro.
The countdown timer has to be created each time and doesn't have a repeat or replay option.

The scenes work fairly well though so when the temp on my hot water tank reaches 48 degrees then my 4CH Pro will automatically turn of the relevant channel.

Tinder Surprise

So glad I came across this thread....

Looking for a simple way on how to take some Sonoff devices I have off the IOT train

All these ESP8266 devices kinda scare me with being tethered to central Servers in foreign lands

I am getting (so far) that the best approach is Rpi as a server on my LAN but I'm kinda lost after that when it comes to the simplest GUI to control/setup the devices, and also options for operating them over WAN

b.gud

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

So glad I came across this thread....

Looking for a simple way on how to take some Sonoff devices I have off the IOT train

All these ESP8266 devices kinda scare me with being tethered to central Servers in foreign lands

I am getting (so far) that the best approach is Rpi as a server on my LAN but I'm kinda lost after that when it comes to the simplest GUI to control/setup the devices, and also options for operating them over WAN

I have a couple of them and my plan is to flash them with Tasmota and control them through Home Assistant on my Pi.

I haven't gotten around to doing it yet but it looks pretty simple. This guy has lots of videos on flashing various different Sonoff devices

xckjoo

b.gud wrote: »

I have a couple of them and my plan is to flash them with Tasmota and control them through Home Assistant on my Pi.

I haven't gotten around to doing it yet but it looks pretty simple. This guy has lots of videos on flashing various different Sonoff devices

I did it a while ago with a couple of the plugs. It's wasn't plug-and-play levels of simple, but I half-read things before starting . I think the biggest issue I had was not identifying the correct settings to flash before starting. I will do it again without hesitation though. It was more an issue of taking longer than expected. There isn't a huge amount you can mess up permanently.


Disclaimer: Background in electronics so not my first time using Arduino IDE

Tinder Surprise

xckjoo wrote: »

I did it a while ago with a couple of the plugs. It's wasn't plug-and-play levels of simple, but I half-read things before starting . I think the biggest issue I had was not identifying the correct settings to flash before starting. I will do it again without hesitation though. It was more an issue of taking longer than expected. There isn't a huge amount you can mess up permanently.


Disclaimer: Background in electronics so not my first time using Arduino IDE

Think I can handle the re-flashing and will go ahead and order whatever is needed to do so.

I'm looking for the easiest way/software after that to get the devices added to a LAN hub and the best user friendly GUI to manage them after that.

xckjoo

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

Think I can handle the re-flashing and will go ahead and order whatever is needed to do so.

I'm looking for the easiest way/software after that to get the devices added to a LAN hub and the best user friendly GUI to manage them after that.

I've been using home-assistant and haven't had any major issues, but I'm not doing too much automation at the moment. I don't find it the most intuitive to use, but maybe I just need to get used to it. Flashing the Tasmota firmware will give you a web interface and MQTT for each device. There's probably loads of things that can interface with the devices if home-assistant doesn't appeal

UsedToWait

Would appreciate a guide for Dummies if you manage to get sorted Tinder Surprise..

kenmc

xckjoo wrote: »

I've been using home-assistant and haven't had any major issues, but I'm not doing too much automation at the moment. I don't find it the most intuitive to use, but maybe I just need to get used to it. Flashing the Tasmota firmware will give you a web interface and MQTT for each device. There's probably loads of things that can interface with the devices if home-assistant doesn't appeal

Similarly use openhab, but it's not really for the faint hearted, the documentation is a bit sparse. Pretty cool when you figure it out though. But definitely use tasmota, the other option is espeasy, but tasmota is more fully featured.

Tinder Surprise

WOW!!

Looks like Home Assistant with LoveLace is nearly there with the complete package

The mind boggles to think what the finished article will look like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObfRzMIEJPg

this is exactly what I am looking for but probably still a bit early in its development for an amateur like me to go in balls deep - it looks like they really are going down the route of a user friendly GUI which excites me

Black_Knight

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

Think I can handle the re-flashing and will go ahead and order whatever is needed to do so.

I'm looking for the easiest way/software after that to get the devices added to a LAN hub and the best user friendly GUI to manage them after that.

FYI, I bought 2 of these when I was flashing my SONOFFs (hoping 1 would arrive earlier than the other), so i've a spare on going if you want. Save ya waiting a month for aliexpress, or 4-5 times the price if ordering on amazon.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/FT232RL-FT232-USB-TO-TTL-5V-3-3V-Download-Cable-To-Serial-Adapter-Module-For-USB/32634246159.html


For a simple on/off switch, tasmota is the simplest GUI to use. Watch DrZzz videos as suggested to learn how to flash it and set it up.

Here's how my lights out the back of the house look. Tis super simple once it's flashed and you've set it up on you wifi.





EDIT: If integrating with Home Assistant, you'll need an MQTT server. This can run on a raspberry Pi if you have one. Put simply, when you turn the switch ON, it sends a message to this MQTT server. At the same time, Home Assistant is listening to this MQTT server for that specific message (you config this in HA) and the GUI in HA updates by representing that ON switch. DrZzz covers all that in his videos too, though I didn't have a super smooth time getting mine to work when following whatever video I watched.

Here's my HA config for my sonoff switch:
https://github.com/matthewbyrne/homeassistant/blob/master/packages/sensors.yaml#L193

Tinder Surprise

Black_Knight wrote: »

FYI, I bought 2 of these when I was flashing my SONOFFs (hoping 1 would arrive earlier than the other), so i've a spare on going if you want. Save ya waiting a month for aliexpress, or 4-5 times the price if ordering on amazon.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/FT232RL-FT232-USB-TO-TTL-5V-3-3V-Download-Cable-To-Serial-Adapter-Module-For-USB/32634246159.html

Perfect! ..was just about to pull the trigger on one. You're a gent

PM me your Paypal details and price (include shipping) and I will send you payment and address.

Black_Knight

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

Perfect! ..was just about to pull the trigger on one. You're a gent

PM me your Paypal details and price (include shipping) and I will send you payment and address.

On its way to ya.

Tinder Surprise

Black_Knight wrote: »

On its way to ya.

Thanks so much


Don't forget about that email address - I mean it!

its not much but I insist

autumnalcore

Do the timed events show up in the history in the app I have a remote onr here and not sire if its actually working?

PaulKK

The sonoff t1 looks perfect for a heated towel rail in my en suite. I'd like to be able to set it to come on for 30 mins in the morning prior to getting up.

Currently the towel rail is operated by a switched fused spur and is hardly ever used. It has 2 lives 2 neutral and an earth feed. However the issue is it's got a 13a fuse.

Does anyone know if those rails actually draw much current?

The T1 is only rated at 2a. Alternatively is there anything else that would suit this job?

I'd love to replace my light switches with these but I seem to only have a single live on the ones I checked.

Stoner

There's a 16 Amp SONOFF

You can fuse the spur down.

Again I wouldn't have a 10 amp SONOFF behind anything higher than 6 amps or so.

PaulKK

Stoner wrote: »

There's a 16 Amp SONOFF

You can fuse the spur down.

Again I wouldn't have a 10 amp SONOFF behind anything higher than 6 amps or so.

You wouldn't know the model of the 16a? I didn't see anything suitable on their website?

OldMrBrennan83

PaulKK wrote: »

You wouldn't know the model of the 16a? I didn't see anything suitable on their website?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XTNSJ46/

kenmc

PaulKK wrote: »

The sonoff t1 looks perfect for a heated towel rail in my en suite. I'd like to be able to set it to come on for 30 mins in the morning prior to getting up.

Currently the towel rail is operated by a switched fused spur and is hardly ever used. It has 2 lives 2 neutral and an earth feed. However the issue is it's got a 13a fuse.

Does anyone know if those rails actually draw much current?

The T1 is only rated at 2a. Alternatively is there anything else that would suit this job?

I'd love to replace my light switches with these but I seem to only have a single live on the ones I checked.

Check out the shelly1
https://shelly.cloud/shelly1-open-source/

Small enough to go into a wall box. Ordered one last week for the same purpose, hoping it is dispatched from tomorrows batch.

Can be reflashed to tasmota

PaulKK

kenmc wrote: »

Check out the shelly1
https://shelly.cloud/shelly1-open-source/

Small enough to go into a wall box. Ordered one last week for the same purpose, hoping it is dispatched from tomorrows batch.

Can be reflashed to tasmota

That looks great, and there's space behind the faceplate of the spur for it too. Thanks, I'll give it a whirl.

Stoner

I don't know the model numbers

Google

16amp SONOFF

You'll get lots of hits, select one you are happy to buy from.