My main circuit breaker keeps tripping while I'm away and I keep coming home to find my freezer has been off for 2 or 3 weeks in 100 degree heat. I could send a friend there to do something about it if I know when it happens. I was thinking of using a UPS or a battery with a change over relay to run the router and device long enough to send out an alert. Is there an cheap straight out of the box solution? I having trouble finding one. I could modify it to suit electrically but i'm just not great a coding in languages other then Basic and ladder logic.
Is there a digital input module that can send an alert to my phone via an app like Tuya?
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I think I would just fix the main problem of why the breaker is tripping before leaving, is it actually the main breaker or just that circuit? No reason for the main breaker to trip, that’s extremely rare, have an electrician fix the real problem. Usually it’s because of a GFI breaker on the line with a refrigerator or freezer that trips it so it’s usually better to keep on regular breaker and receptacle
I'm a Electrician by trade and I'm renting a small place with just one single combination C20 CB/RCD with a 30mA trip that protects everything on one circuit. I Let my licence lapse so now I'm unlicensed and in Australia it's illegal for me to do work, It's also illegal without public libiltity Insurance which i don't have either. It was a earth leakage problem that I sorted out though. all power sockets by law need to be on a RCD protected circuit with a maxium of 30mA trip. I did though spit 2 feeds going out on the load side of the RCD and left the one out that has a previous fault leaving half my place not powered up. The rent is cheap but they don't want to spend money on the place. I just never want this freezer thing to happen to me again and would feel better if could have this extra layer of protection.
Sounds like I was right about the protection, the imbalance of the power drain from the compressor in the freezer is tripping it at times but you want something with a battery backup to power an alert when it trips the power and send it through the internet, not sure if that type of app is available to alert you, maybe you could make something of your own design to send a text to you when power is lost from another device hooked to the internet. There always is new things coming up, some alarm companies might have systems hooked up to know when power is lost in a home. I guess you are near a flood area to need it protected like that to trip so easily. I was an electrician in the 80s and 90s but I don’t do full time anymore, just side jobs sometimes so I’m familiar with what you were talking about but it might take some research
Yeah I see where your going with that, it might be possible with a security system's window reed switch. A relay's NO contact soldered into where the reed was and coil energized by 12v dc plug in supply to detect the power drop out. then all I would need is a backup power supply to keep my router and security panel running long enough to sent an alert to my phone. There will a Digital input module for home automation soon no doubt, but for now It looks like I'm going to have to rely on some old school butchery and hacks.
Yeah pretty much but I think that will work. No bearskins and knives like Spock said on Star Trek 😊
Google nest and other smart home devices let you do that and more.
But it seems you're just covering for a bigger problem as if your breaker is continually tripping then either your wiring is shit, or you need to find a mouse or whatever is causing a spike.
It's unlikely to keep happening now but I still need this because i'm paranoid, I'll be less stressed if I know I have this covered. If it happens it will be through accumulation of earth leakages through heating elements and fridge compressors.
I found relay modules that can use relays to switch stuff on through google assistant which is a digital output but now I need google assistant to detect whether a switch is open or closed and that is a digital input. In industrial automation they have always had such devices but they are expensive I would need at least $1400 to replace the software I had and another $3000 of second hand PLC accessories and I would rather Google handles that anyway. If you do find a digital input module or something that alerts you to power dropouts straight out of the box please post a link to it.
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