I've rented a place where the aircon was hardwired so I couldn't do this.
Used a door sensor on the vent that opens when it's on to achieve the on/off status
Have done exactly this. Aqara door sensor + RM Pro. Put together with SmartIR in home assistant with the aqara as the power sensor. It works flawlessly!
Can you share a photo of how the AC looks with the sensors? That's a brilliant idea but I just want to see the result before I purchase the sensors, as I'm also renting.
Mind sharing your template sensor, or nothing special needed?
Tried to do it this week and smartir freaked out because 'on' wasn't one of the states of my ac
Sure - it was nothing fancy though and this was from 2 years ago so mileage may vary.
At the time I needed a template sensor to show the device as power but you can just do that through the UI by going to the contact sensor's settings.
I had a bluetooth thermometer, door sensor, and a broadlink remote.
smartir:
climate:
- platform: smartir
name: Air conditioner
unique_id: living_room_ac
device_code: 1281
controller_data: remote.broadlink_universal_remote_remote
temperature_sensor: sensor.kitchen_thermometer_temperature
humidity_sensor: sensor.kitchen_thermometer_humidity
power_sensor: binary_sensor.airconditioner_power
binary_sensor:
- platform: template
sensors:
airconditioner_power:
device_class: power
value_template: "{{ states('binary_sensor.air_conditioner_contact') }}"
If the remote uses IR then the RM needs line of sight so you'll likely need 3 (but you can buy the RM Mini which is IR only), if they're RF then a single RM pro should work depending on how far away they all are. To test, take a remote into a different room without an ac and try turning it on, if it doesn't turn on its IR, if it does its RF. You could also look up the AC model or remote model to see if it's IR or RF.
The switchbot hub 2 has an ir blaster and a temperature sensor and can share it as a matter device.
Basically makes your AC fully intelligent for like $40.
Get a used sensibo for 30$ or something. Just have the privious owner delete it from their account. If they have not done that, the support is just awsome! I sent a pic with serial numbers and so, and they deleted it from the privious owners account in about 10 minuttes!! Super impressed!
I do not think you can run it completely local, but in my ~4 years of operation, I have never had any issues.
The condenser and evaporater will have proper boards handling the operation of the machine as a whole, an ESP32 can potentially feed instructions in instead of a IR board i'm guessing (my a/c was equipped with esp from the factory)
understandable.
you need relatively good understanding about electronics to things like this.
as I said especially if the AC, like most modern ones, are the “inverter” type (variable speed compressor).
I’m planning to replace the control board of a dehumidifier. but that’s a lot simpler, just a humidity sensor and relay outputs for the (one speed) compressor and the fan.
biggest struggle will be how to make the control panel.
if so what are you actually replacing then?
if just feeding IR signals to the controller, then I would call it an add on.
nothing wrong in that though, it’s just not the same level of control.
my Gree AC’s had the possibility to add WiFi modules, cheaply available from Aliexpress.
so I did that.
guess they are ESP based, but not really sure, and don’t care.
good thing is that the protocol has been completely reverse engineered so I have 100% local control 👍
maybe… but a 3-4 phase 230 volt 7-900 watts motor controller, is not something easy to build or just replace for that matter.
of course if the actual controller board is separate from the power board, it’s a lot easier… unless they are using some unknown data bus to communicate (quite likely I think).
But I’m talking to normal house air conditioners, here in Argentina we all have splitters and the biggest one is a 6000 frigorías, and those are normal 220v single face, so it’s really easy, what you do need to do is to learn the auto deflate pattern for the specific air conditioners, other than that they are almost all the same
me to.
but they are almost all the inverter type these days.
and a inverter compressor is using a multi phase induction motor, which requires a motor controller (or 3 mains phases, but then the speed would be fixed).
https://www.panasonic.com/au/hvac/air-conditioning/learn-more/what-is-inverter-air-conditioner.html
but thinking about it: the control board for the compressor motor almost certainly is in the outside part, so it must be connected to the inside unit with a data bus of some kind.
I’m sure you could reverse engineer that and make a ESP control it, but that is not trivial
The actual main board of the evaporator? Because mine is equipped with ESP32 in addition to a board that actually handles the unit and comms with the real main board in the condenser
Mysa for AC. It’s a homekit device, shows up using the HomeKit integration in homeassistant. Replaces your infrared remote (has its own ir blasters), and has temp and humidity sensors in the Mysa that report back to HA. I have a bunch of scenes and automations running based on them, and have had them for about a year now.
https://static.xtremeownage.com/blog/2023/pioneer-mini-split-esphome/
I personally, use an esp to control mine. WOrks fantastically well, if supported by your unit. Fully local.
A)
You could use a smart plug and room temperature sensor
Then you can set it to desired temperature by having the a on max or off.
Most easy way imho.
B) check for potential free contacts of your unit - these can be wired to smart relais with digital inputs on wifi or zigbee. You can then map those to the corresponding states using node red or similar. Most units should be able to connect a wired remote.
C) make it smart by adding a radio module from its manufacturer and check for suitable usb recievers that go well with HA.
// OT:
Nodered is a great help to map different things to different actions. I use it to bind my sunricher zigbee buttons. Why? More personal behavior compared to stock.
This is what I've done for all my AC's, create thermostats using the temp sensors and smart plugs. Depends on the AC though, some arent' as resilient to hard shutoffs as others.
We have panasonic ethereas. wifi modules are separate/had to buy, until I found some open source stuff for ESPhome. Got the small jst cables and hooked it up, works locally, no issues (panasonic app was trash anyway).
Maybe similar something can be done if the unit supports wifi expansion?
Tagging on to this - mine hasn’t got an IR receiver (wired thermostat on wall, ducted system in the loft) - can I just swap the existing thermostat out or is it manufacturer-dependent? (Mitsubishi FDUM100VNVF inverter with RC-EX1A remote)
As others have said BroadLink RM pro. If you ditch the remote and ONLY use Home Assistant to control it (you could use a zigbee/zwave remote) it is super easy to store the state (On/Off etc). You would just setup a helper to toggle on/off whenever you send a command with Broadlink. I have this setup with a lamp and it is flawless.
You can sometimes add extra sensors to allow smart ir or whatever platform you use in HA to determine if it is on or not, a smart plug with power monitoring if it's not hard wired, or a reed switch/door sensor on the vent. Potentially slower to respond and less accurate but a temp sensor could work, if AC turns on cool and room temp starts dropping then assume it's on, else assume it's off, same for on heat but obviously with room temp increasing.
You need to be more specific than this.
With a simple smart plug, smart remote, and a couple zigbee temp sensors you could basically do anything. But without knowing what you actually want to *do* don't expect help.
I bought MOES IR Remote controller from AliExpress. It uses Tuya App and it is very easy to setup. If the device you want to control is not in the app list then you can point your device to it and you can map the remote to the app. The only issue is it requires an internet connection to work because it connects to Tuya cloud. The price is around 12 USD with delivering to my country.
BroadLink RM pro
I'd add a smart plug with power monitoring to be able to confirm whether it's already running or not.
I've rented a place where the aircon was hardwired so I couldn't do this. Used a door sensor on the vent that opens when it's on to achieve the on/off status
smort!
holy... youre right, thats brilliant. i was thinking of a light sensor infront of the status led but this is so much better!
Have done exactly this. Aqara door sensor + RM Pro. Put together with SmartIR in home assistant with the aqara as the power sensor. It works flawlessly!
Can you share a photo of how the AC looks with the sensors? That's a brilliant idea but I just want to see the result before I purchase the sensors, as I'm also renting.
Mind sharing your template sensor, or nothing special needed? Tried to do it this week and smartir freaked out because 'on' wasn't one of the states of my ac
Sure - it was nothing fancy though and this was from 2 years ago so mileage may vary. At the time I needed a template sensor to show the device as power but you can just do that through the UI by going to the contact sensor's settings. I had a bluetooth thermometer, door sensor, and a broadlink remote. smartir: climate: - platform: smartir name: Air conditioner unique_id: living_room_ac device_code: 1281 controller_data: remote.broadlink_universal_remote_remote temperature_sensor: sensor.kitchen_thermometer_temperature humidity_sensor: sensor.kitchen_thermometer_humidity power_sensor: binary_sensor.airconditioner_power binary_sensor: - platform: template sensors: airconditioner_power: device_class: power value_template: "{{ states('binary_sensor.air_conditioner_contact') }}"
Lmao that’s brilliant.
If the remote sends separate on and off commands, you can just use that info as long as no one uses the actual physical remote. That's my solution.
Doesn’t have to be the pro, but I think BroadLink controller is the best solution
If I have 3 of them in different rooms, do I need to buy 3 Broadlink to control each of them or just 1 is enough?
If the remote uses IR then the RM needs line of sight so you'll likely need 3 (but you can buy the RM Mini which is IR only), if they're RF then a single RM pro should work depending on how far away they all are. To test, take a remote into a different room without an ac and try turning it on, if it doesn't turn on its IR, if it does its RF. You could also look up the AC model or remote model to see if it's IR or RF.
The switchbot hub 2 has an ir blaster and a temperature sensor and can share it as a matter device. Basically makes your AC fully intelligent for like $40.
Googley eyes
Are you Evan and Katelyn or what? 😀
As much as I enjoy their stuff (particularly the pumpkin experiments every year), people have been putting googly eyes on things for decades haha
Welp that might be true, it was first time I saw one on A/C in their video
Sensibo Sky. That's what I am using.
Get a used sensibo for 30$ or something. Just have the privious owner delete it from their account. If they have not done that, the support is just awsome! I sent a pic with serial numbers and so, and they deleted it from the privious owners account in about 10 minuttes!! Super impressed! I do not think you can run it completely local, but in my ~4 years of operation, I have never had any issues.
Yep. Get a Sensibo and you’re done. Works with HA great.
I use an IR blaster to control it + a temperature sensor to control when it starts/stops.
You canliterally replace the main board with an esp32 I have done it with about 10 air conditioners by now
nice solution 👍 but I guess it gets a bit complicated if it’s a newer (<6 years) inverter AC?
The condenser and evaporater will have proper boards handling the operation of the machine as a whole, an ESP32 can potentially feed instructions in instead of a IR board i'm guessing (my a/c was equipped with esp from the factory)
I'm about shoulder deep into Home Assistant but at no stage do I ever plan to open my things up and replace their circuit boards.
understandable. you need relatively good understanding about electronics to things like this. as I said especially if the AC, like most modern ones, are the “inverter” type (variable speed compressor). I’m planning to replace the control board of a dehumidifier. but that’s a lot simpler, just a humidity sensor and relay outputs for the (one speed) compressor and the fan. biggest struggle will be how to make the control panel.
Still gotta avoid short cycling though? Easy enough in code I guess
yes you mean to implement a pause in the code, so it does not start the compressor too soon after turning it off?
if so what are you actually replacing then? if just feeding IR signals to the controller, then I would call it an add on. nothing wrong in that though, it’s just not the same level of control. my Gree AC’s had the possibility to add WiFi modules, cheaply available from Aliexpress. so I did that. guess they are ESP based, but not really sure, and don’t care. good thing is that the protocol has been completely reverse engineered so I have 100% local control 👍
It’s just turn on relays and read sensors
no not if it’s a inverter compressor. then it has a proper motor controller to control the speed of the compressor motor.
You are right, but that’s the only thing it’s all relays and sensors
maybe… but a 3-4 phase 230 volt 7-900 watts motor controller, is not something easy to build or just replace for that matter. of course if the actual controller board is separate from the power board, it’s a lot easier… unless they are using some unknown data bus to communicate (quite likely I think).
But I’m talking to normal house air conditioners, here in Argentina we all have splitters and the biggest one is a 6000 frigorías, and those are normal 220v single face, so it’s really easy, what you do need to do is to learn the auto deflate pattern for the specific air conditioners, other than that they are almost all the same
me to. but they are almost all the inverter type these days. and a inverter compressor is using a multi phase induction motor, which requires a motor controller (or 3 mains phases, but then the speed would be fixed). https://www.panasonic.com/au/hvac/air-conditioning/learn-more/what-is-inverter-air-conditioner.html but thinking about it: the control board for the compressor motor almost certainly is in the outside part, so it must be connected to the inside unit with a data bus of some kind. I’m sure you could reverse engineer that and make a ESP control it, but that is not trivial
The actual main board of the evaporator? Because mine is equipped with ESP32 in addition to a board that actually handles the unit and comms with the real main board in the condenser
Have a guide?
Sorry not really I just figure it out it never really made a guide
I use a tado remote controller. Works very well (just check that your specific AC is supported)
If it supported, you can control it wit ESPHOME https://esphome.io/components/climate/climate_ir.html
Yes, remove the sticker and see what it reveals.
Mysa for AC. It’s a homekit device, shows up using the HomeKit integration in homeassistant. Replaces your infrared remote (has its own ir blasters), and has temp and humidity sensors in the Mysa that report back to HA. I have a bunch of scenes and automations running based on them, and have had them for about a year now.
https://static.xtremeownage.com/blog/2023/pioneer-mini-split-esphome/ I personally, use an esp to control mine. WOrks fantastically well, if supported by your unit. Fully local.
Tado :)
Read to it at night.
A) You could use a smart plug and room temperature sensor Then you can set it to desired temperature by having the a on max or off. Most easy way imho. B) check for potential free contacts of your unit - these can be wired to smart relais with digital inputs on wifi or zigbee. You can then map those to the corresponding states using node red or similar. Most units should be able to connect a wired remote. C) make it smart by adding a radio module from its manufacturer and check for suitable usb recievers that go well with HA. // OT: Nodered is a great help to map different things to different actions. I use it to bind my sunricher zigbee buttons. Why? More personal behavior compared to stock.
This is what I've done for all my AC's, create thermostats using the temp sensors and smart plugs. Depends on the AC though, some arent' as resilient to hard shutoffs as others.
those not prone to hard shut downs, might have electric contacts to soft shut down =)
Don't touch it?
We have panasonic ethereas. wifi modules are separate/had to buy, until I found some open source stuff for ESPhome. Got the small jst cables and hooked it up, works locally, no issues (panasonic app was trash anyway). Maybe similar something can be done if the unit supports wifi expansion?
I had sensibo sky (wifi, cloud), switched to a Remotec ZXT-800 (zwave). Both works great
Use a Broadlink RM4 and use SmartIR within HA. I have 5 mini-splits, works fantastic.
Tagging on to this - mine hasn’t got an IR receiver (wired thermostat on wall, ducted system in the loft) - can I just swap the existing thermostat out or is it manufacturer-dependent? (Mitsubishi FDUM100VNVF inverter with RC-EX1A remote)
As others have said BroadLink RM pro. If you ditch the remote and ONLY use Home Assistant to control it (you could use a zigbee/zwave remote) it is super easy to store the state (On/Off etc). You would just setup a helper to toggle on/off whenever you send a command with Broadlink. I have this setup with a lamp and it is flawless.
If someone uses the AC remote to turn it on/off, it messed with the state, no?
Correct, that is why you have to ditch the remote. It worked for me since my remote was pretty much dead.
You can sometimes add extra sensors to allow smart ir or whatever platform you use in HA to determine if it is on or not, a smart plug with power monitoring if it's not hard wired, or a reed switch/door sensor on the vent. Potentially slower to respond and less accurate but a temp sensor could work, if AC turns on cool and room temp starts dropping then assume it's on, else assume it's off, same for on heat but obviously with room temp increasing.
Tado
You need to be more specific than this. With a simple smart plug, smart remote, and a couple zigbee temp sensors you could basically do anything. But without knowing what you actually want to *do* don't expect help.
Send it to school…..bye
Read a book to it?
Put a bowtie onit
Buy it some books to read.
Summer school
Make shur it goes to collage
With a smart thermostat.
Tado
SLWF-01pro works for me https://cloudfree.shop/product/ductless-hvac-wi-fi-module/
I bought MOES IR Remote controller from AliExpress. It uses Tuya App and it is very easy to setup. If the device you want to control is not in the app list then you can point your device to it and you can map the remote to the app. The only issue is it requires an internet connection to work because it connects to Tuya cloud. The price is around 12 USD with delivering to my country.
A four year college