In a period where the whole world is experiencing issues of global warming, a phenomenon that refers to the earth’s increasing average temperature, an air conditioner has become an invaluable possession. Making use of an AC unit transforms our living conditions on some days from literaraly being in an oven to a relaxed exquisite life.
Over the years, the world of AC units has continued to undergo an enormous transformation. Various manufacturing companies have released brands of ACs with lots of features. Today, we even have smart air conditioners that tend to enhance our living experience. However, on an average day for most classes of persons within the society, owning a simple air conditioner unit is quite expensive. Talk less of them purchasing a smart air conditioning unit, which is way beyond their financial capabilities.
Also, going after every new brand of technology could be an endless pursuit. Since with almost every single passing day, there is new technology released. Whenever possible, if making use of a straightforward and cheap device could transform any of our appliances to be on par with news innovations, we always gladly embrace, such with both hands wide open.
The same goes too with the air conditioner. If making use of a smart plug can enhance our Air conditioner to one possessing smart air conditioner unit capabilities, then that will be a welcomed development. Nevertheless, the big question now is, can it do so?
Can I Use A Smart Plug With An Air Conditioner?
Yes, you can use smart plug with an air conditioner. When you are away from home you can just open your mobile or tell your google assistant or Alexa in your car. Hey Google, can you turn on AC in home, before reaching home your home will cools or heats and you are all set. You can also save the electricity be adjusting the temperatures when you are away from home, this will save lot of electricity bills. You do not require AC in your home when you away from home.
if your home has centralized air conditioner you can also use nest thermostat to control all your home and its compatible with all your smart speakers and devices and it has artificial intelligence features where it learns household and adapts the settings accordingly.
However, for a few, it will not work. Using a smart plug, one can make many air conditioner units smart. They transform a “dumb device” figuratively speaking, into a smart one. A smart plug is a gadget that works on an elementary law. After connection to an outlet and the appliance is connected into them, they are programmed and controlled with either a smartphone’s app or voice-controlled through a smart virtual assistant.
These other appliances do not have a built-in smart assistant of either Amazon’s Alexa or Google smart virtual assistant. The smart plug serves as an intermediary gadget that incorporates such a feature.
Check List To know If Air Conditioner Is Compatible With A Smart Plug
The smart plug can automatically turn on/off one’s AC based on the instruction one issue without manually operating one’s AC. Accomplishing this feat will require one’s AC to be on standby on mode while relinquishing the function of on/off controls to the smart plug. So when the smart plug is off, it cuts power to whatever appliance connected to it. Furthermore, when it is on, electricity is allowed to enter the device. After which it resumes its function from where it stopped.
In the case of air conditioners, not all air conditioners allow this smart plug function to happen effectively; this is only because of their accompanying switches. For an air conditioner having a manual switch just like our light bulbs, the positional state where they were before a power interruption, remains that way until the power restoration takes place. Unless one manually changed it. So for such manual switches, once they are switched on and connected directly to a smart plug, the smart plug takes absolute control over its power transmission. Moreover, once voice-controlled using a smart virtual assistant or controlled via its app, the air conditioner performs accordingly.
On the other hand, there are air conditioners that make use of electrical switches. This electrical switch stores the present state of its circuit board. Whenever there is a break in power, that memory is lost and would require one to switch on the air conditioner again once power is back on. So, even if they are connected to a smart plug, they will not relinquish that function performed by a switch to the smart plug.
Therefore if they are put off when the power goes off, the smart plug cannot automatically put them on once power is restored. So using a smart plug meant to incorporate smart air conditioner features will not work.
To know what kind of switch one’s air conditioner operates on, if one’s air conditioner makes use of a physical toggle switch or dials for its on/off controls, then that is a mechanical switch. Such an air conditioner will perform correctly when smart plugs are connected with it.
Nevertheless, if one’s air conditioner makes use of soft buttons and an LED screen, they are built with an electrical switch in most cases. Moreover, therefore cannot exhibit smart features even when a smart plug is connected.
If one is still in doubt over what type of switch one’s air condition unit operates with, here is a simple test one can carry out. Please put on one’s air conditioner unit, and while it is on, unplug it. Wait for about five seconds after which, one can plug it back in. If upon doing so, one’s air conditioner turns back on automatically without one having to press any button, then it will work well when connected to a smart plug.
Why Opt For Smart Air Conditioner Units Transformed By Smart Plugs?
It is inexpensive
Normally, purchasing an ordinary air conditioner unit that’s not incorporated with smart features does not come cheap. Talk less of buying a smart air conditioner units; it is quite expensive. So, having a method that makes use of a simple, smart plug to convert our air conditioner units, giving it the features of a smart speaker is impressive. Mainly if our unit still functions appropriately, buying an air conditioner because only its voice control feature does not make much sense. So using this inexpensive device for the conversion is an excellent option.
It is convenient
Controlling multiple units with just an app or through voice control feature brings exquisite comfort devoid of much stress. Can one imagine having multiple air conditioner units in various rooms, and one is tasked with putting them on when needed and switching them off every day to conserve electricity? One will agree that it is entirely stressful moving round to accomplish this task. Nevertheless, with the aid of transformed smart air conditioner units, without much stress, orders are issued and executed immediately.
Schedule one’s Air Conditioner Usage
A smart air conditioner unit controlled using an app or smart virtual assistant can be scheduled for the time it ought to come on and off. So if the whole family leaves home at a particular time of the day, the air conditioner unit can be scheduled to always go off at that exact time automatically without one’s instructions. Moreover, if everyone in the family all arrives at almost the same period, one can schedule it to come on before one arrives so that one will not step into an overheated home.
It can be operated from anywhere
One is not troubled if one remembered that one forgot to turn off the air conditioner while on one’s way to work. This is because, either through one’s app or one’s smart virtual assistant, one can control one’s air conditioner from just anywhere. With this feature, one’s energy-saving goals can be easily achieved, leading to less energy consumption and bills.
Multi-user access
Any means the smart plug receives information from the app or via a virtual assistant can be shared. Family members, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, or any other person one grants access to its operation can share its control. So there will be fewer issues about missing remote control since almost everyone has control.
Please note, for the sake of convenience and ease of use, if one is making use of multiple smart plugs, there is usually a need to name each of them to differentiate them. After doing so, one should group them into a single group if one is using a smart virtual assistant. This will be convenient so that one can quickly identify all one’s air conditioner units. Rather than always recall if the air conditioner that controls one’s room was set up in one’s app or virtual assistant.
Suppose one wants to make use of a particular smart virtual assistant of either the Google or Amazon Alexa assistant. Please, ensure that while purchasing one’s smart plug, one get the one that’s compatible with the smart assistant of one’s choice.
Conclusion
Although owning a smart air conditioner could be beyond our financial reach, that does not mean we cannot enjoy smart Air conditioner unit features. With just an inexpensive component known as the smart plug, lots of features can be enjoyed via the app or through one’s smart virtual assistant. The connection is very much simple to carry out, as it will, in most cases, not require any rewiring work. It fits into one’s power outlet provided they are compatible. If one is yet to experience this upgrade, carry out one’s research on which brand of the smart plug will serve one better, and make one’s purchase. One will not regret the choice because one will get value for one’s money from its services.
Sam has been a Smart Things expert for years and the author of DIY SmartThings. Recently he’s really more into Nest smart devices and has a lot of experience with all sorts of projects from converting a regular Home to completely a smart home with the background degree in Electronics.
If the A/C is one that won’t come back on after being unplugged, there may be another option. This is an old trick that appeared when X-10 was the smart home system of choice. There were no X-10 thermostats. So, someone invented a small heating pad that was designed to be stuck on the wall just below the thermostat. You would set the thermostat to be a bit hotter than you normally prefer. As long as the heating pad is on, it warms the thermostat, and keeps the A/C off. Turning off that heating pad would cause the A/C to come on.
You might be able to do the same with A/Cs. Perhaps put a 20 watt traditional bulb in a box that is open on the top and bottom. That wattage is a total guess, so more or less may work. Position it so that the warm updraft of air can influence the A/C’s thermostat.
Not a perfect solution. But, it offers an option for controlling both those A/C’s and other systems where you can’t modify the control, such as in an apartment.