Live in NYC? Test Apple HomeKit for free with with your air conditioner, ThinkEco SmartAC ...

AppleInsider

If you're a ConEdison customer, iPhone user and Mac owner in New York City and you want to dabble in HomeKit with your existing Apple hardware, you can turn your "dumb" window air conditioner into a smart device for free with an accessory and some relatively simple hacks.

ConEdison customers in New York can apply for the power company's Smart AC program to receive a ThinkEco SmartAC adapter gratis. This small plug sits in between your window air conditioner and wall socket.

The ThinkEco SmartAC has a built-in thermostat that measures the room's ambient temperature. It pairs with an included remote that allows users to program their desired temperature for their room.

For example, set the SmartAC to 74 degrees, and the air conditioner will run until the room reaches the desired temperature. Once it's low enough, the SmartAC will cut power to the window air conditioner, saving electricity.

The free accessory takes a normally dumb appliance and makes it smart, though it works best if your window AC remembers its previous state of use once it is turned back on.

The ThinkEco accessory relies on its own app and is not, on its own, HomeKit compatible. But thanks to enterprising enthusiasts who have greatly expanded the HomeKit lineup with outside accessories, it's easy to integrate the SmartAC into Apple's smart home platform.

The key is Homebridge, an open-source third-party effort that allows non-HomeKit devices to still work with Apple's Home app and Siri. Previously, Homebridge was an unsanctioned project, but starting this fall with iOS 11, Apple will open up HomeKit to third-party homebrew platforms, meaning such hacks should remain functional in future versions of iOS.

Homebridge is easy enough to test if you have a Mac and have some basic experience with Terminal. That said, if you haven't dabbled in Terminal before, you should probably turn back now.

Still with us? You'll need to have Xcode installed, which is free on the Mac App Store, and you'll also need to install Node.js.

Next, open Terminal and write the following command to install Homebridge on your Mac as an administrator:

sudo npm -g install homebridge

You won't have any plugins installed yet, so the service will advise you to check out the readme file for instructions. To install the HomeKit hack for the ThinkEco SmartAC, the command is:

sudo npm install -g homebridge-platform-smartac

Finally, you'll need to create and edit the Homebridge configuration file at the location "~/.homebridge/config.json". Refer to the Homebridge Readme on github to complete this step, then you can add the configuration file for ThinkEco to the config file, as follows:

"platforms": [
{
"platform": "SmartAC",
"name": "ThinkEco SmartAC Platform",
"username": "[email protected]",
"password": "XXXX"
}

Obviously, you'll have to enter your ThinkEco login credentials in the appropriate spaces to allow Homebridge to connect between HomeKit and the SmartAC.

Next, simply type "homebridge" into Terminal to launch it. Assuming you've set it all up properly, you should be able to add Homebridge to HomeKit as a bridge, and it will include the SmartAC accessory.

When ThinkEco's SmartAC is added to HomeKit, you can turn your air conditioner on or off, or adjust the target temperature for the built-in thermostat. Within the Home app, firmly press or long press (depending on whether your iPhone has 3D Touch or if you are on an iPad) on the air conditioner to access temperature adjustment controls.

Tap the "Mode" button in the lower left to choose between "Cool" and "Off." Options for "Heat" and "Auto" are also available, but do not apply here considering the simple on/off nature of the plug.

Now you can adjust the target temperature or turn the air conditioner on or off with Siri. But the real fun begins when you start automating within HomeKit, allowing your window AC unit to turn on or off based on factors other than target temperature, such as temperature at a time of day, or whether or not you are home with geofencing.

Unfortunately, as of iOS 10, Apple's Home app does not allow for triggers based on temperature. Thankfully, third-party HomeKit apps can create rules and automate activities, such as the Home - Smart Home Automation app for $14.99.

But since this is focused on doing HomeKit on the cheap, we recommend the Elgato Eve app, which offers more granular controls than Apple's Home app.

Regardless of what you use to create your scenes and triggers, the beauty of HomeKit means that you can combine your SmartAC with other HomeKit accessories, from a variety of manufacturers (even unsanctioned ones through Homebridge). Create a scene where your air conditioner and fans turn on together. Trigger your SmartAC based on a temperature sensor in another room or location. Run cooler at night and warmer in the day.

You'll need to keep Terminal open on your Mac for Homebridge to continue working. If you're pleased with the result, you can buy a Raspberry Pi on the cheap and have that act as a Homebridge server, which will continue running the service without the need for your Mac to be powered on or connected to your home network.

Eric_WVGG

Fascinating!

I ordered one of these kits a month ago, it showed up in about a week. I have to say that ThinkEco's software is hot garbage. Even worse, the device occasionally "loses" the wifi… fixing this requires a factory reset. Although the setup is quite clever (I like the way it creates its own Wifi network to connect to), it's not something you want to do more than once, and you wind up having to rebuild your schedule and whatnot.

Also, both the remote and the power device connect to the wifi independently, creating two points of failure. If either disconnects, back to the factory reset.

I couldn't in good faith suggest that non-nerds/hobbyists accept this offer from ConEd, but I'm having plenty of fun with it and might give this a crac.

nhughes

Eric_WVGG said:

Fascinating!

I ordered one of these kits a month ago, it showed up in about a week. I have to say that ThinkEco's software is hot garbage. Even worse, the device occasionally "loses" the wifi… fixing this requires a factory reset. Although the setup is quite clever (I like the way it creates its own Wifi network to connect to), it's not something you want to do more than once, and you wind up having to rebuild your schedule and whatnot.

Also, both the remote and the power device connect to the wifi independently, creating two points of failure. If either disconnects, back to the factory reset.

I couldn't in good faith suggest that non-nerds/hobbyists accept this offer from ConEd, but I'm having plenty of fun with it and might give this a crac.

The software is a little wonky, but thankfully in my week or so of testing I have not had any Wi-Fi/Homebridge dropouts (wish I could say the same for my Neato vacuum). Fingers crossed that I don't run into any issues.

The Homebridge hack should, in theory, address your remote Wi-Fi drop-out problems, because it basically negates the need for the remote. Can't do much about the unit itself disconnecting, however.

That said, you're right, this is definitely a fun project for enthusiasts. I breathed a sigh of relief when Apple announced at WWDC that they are going to allow and encourage this kind of homebrew activity with HomeKit. Homebridge works especially well with my Logitech Harmony Hub.

mike1

I wonder if this could be made to work with an A/C unit that has an electronic power switch rather than a mechanical power switch. That's the reason I haven't been able to set up a rule or remotely control my A/C unit with Wemo or anything else. If I "unplug" the unit, it powers back in the off position.

nhughes

mike1 said:

I wonder if this could be made to work with an A/C unit that has an electronic power switch rather than a mechanical power switch. That's the reason I haven't been able to set up a rule or remotely control my A/C unit with Wemo or anything else. If I "unplug" the unit, it powers back in the off position.

For what it's worth, my AC does not have a mechanical power button, it is electronic, and it remembers its previous power state when it is turned on. It's a Kenmore window unit.

zoetmb

I don't understand why this is needed.   On my A/C you set the temperature and it will cycle the compressor off when the room reaches that temperature.   The fan still blows, but it's the compressor that uses most of the electricity.   There's also a power saving mode where both the fan and the compressor shut off when it reaches the set temperature.  

However, the problem with this and I suspect the problem with this SmartAC device is that you'll have constant and very fast cycling.  On a very hot day, if power shuts off to the A/C via such a device, the room temperature increases very quickly and it will cycle back on after a short pause.   Since it has to re-cool the room from a higher temperature, it has to cycle on longer and I'm not sure very much electricity is actually saved. 

Eric_WVGG

zoetmb said:

I don't understand why this is needed.   On my A/C you set the temperature and it will cycle the compressor off when the room reaches that temperature.   The fan still blows, but it's the compressor that uses most of the electricity.   There's also a power saving mode where both the fan and the compressor shut off when it reaches the set temperature.  

Your air conditioner is cooling the room all day and all night. Using the SmartAC, I have it scheduled to cool the room about an hour before I arrive home, shut down around an hour after I fall asleep.

However, the problem with this and I suspect the problem with this SmartAC device is that you'll have constant and very fast cycling.  On a very hot day, if power shuts off to the A/C via such a device, the room temperature increases very quickly and it will cycle back on after a short pause.   Since it has to re-cool the room from a higher temperature, it has to cycle on longer and I'm not sure very much electricity is actually saved. 

It does not do "constant and fast cycling." The remote doubles as a thermostat, it cycles the compressor pretty much the same way that your built-in thermostat does, with the added bonus that you can stick the remote in a warmer corner of the room so the thermostat isn't "biased" to where the unit is.

The rest is a common myth. Search "is it better to leave air conditioner on all day" and you'll find dozens of articles that all say the same thing.

jeromec

Woh. I would not call that "relatively simple hacks".

I have had homebridge running on a Mac mini for a while now, in order to make my Logitech Harmony Smart Control HomeKit enabled.
So I can use my phone to turn on or off TV, set top box, stereo and home theater.
It works very well although it can only launch activities, not emulate all actions.

There are 2 things you need in addition to what's in the article:
- have an always-on Mac (I am guessing that is not so common these days)
- create a daemon to launch homebridge and keep it running (because it crashes every few days and you do not know until you try to use it and it does not work), which is explained here for example: http://www.acousticwebdesign.net/programming/creating-start-up-items-in-mac-os-x/

But once it works it is very nice indeed :-)

jbdragon

I could have used something like this is my old place where I had a window unit in my bedroom. So as long as your unit remembers what it's set to when you unplug it and then plug it back in. Even if it's electronic, if you turn it on and it's running and you pull the power cord for a minute and then plug it back in and it starts up all on it's own at the set point you have it at, then this thing will work. Though you should have your set point lower then what you set it with this software. So if you set it at 78, maybe sometimes you go to 74. Set the Temp to 70-72 so it won't go no lower, but the built in thermostat that is in this short cord will control the temp you set it to, anything higher then 70-72. You set the software to 76, and it'll kill the power at 76 and when it warms up a bit, turn the power back on and the AC will start running again cooling the room back to 76 at which point it kills the power once again. So you just need to make sure you have a AC unit that will you pull the power cord and it stops, and wait a minute and plug it back it, it continues to run as before. it just starts up and cools to the set point you had it set to. You would think this would be kind of a normal thing. Think about how many times on a Hot day with a lot of AC running and you have power outages. Power goes out, AC is killed and maybe a hour later the power goes back on, you want that AC to turn right back on also.

vmarks

jeromec said:

Woh. I would not call that "relatively simple hacks".

You haven't seen what he thinks of as complex!

Eric_WVGG

Just got an email from ConEd, they're raising temperatures and reducing the number of cooling cycles for tonight. We're forecasted as having a hotter than usual day. Kinda cool IMO, but I still don't have much faith in the jerry-rigged nature of SmartEco's platform for this to be useful in the long run. ConEd's "cool points" marketing is childish and patronizing. I'd prefer they were just upfront about what the program does.