this post was submitted on 16 May 2025
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Your recommendation for smart plug (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I'm tinkering with our ventilation over-pressure function in combination with an inline fan I run when 3D printing or soldering, to get the fumes and particulates out while simultaneously not creating a massive vacuum inside. The plan is to control it with MQTT from HA to a PLC that controls the ventilation via RS-485.

Therefore I'm looking for a simple but clean looking smart plug that I can integrate with HA to let me know when the fan is on (pulling power, actual wattage is irrelevant) to automatically enable this function.

I know Sonoff makes some, but I always prefer personal advice over random search results.
Preferably Zigbee or WiFi (offline) as I don't have any Matter/Z-wave hub/dongle. Compact design and black would be nice, but not a must. Stability and ease of setup matters more than added functionality.

Does anyone have any personal experience to share?
I'm grateful if you do. Thanks!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I bought those IKEA plugs. They work over Zigbee and should work fine with Zigbee2Mqtt. They're white, though. Setup couldn't be easier (enable discovery in whatever Zigbee system you use, factory reset the plug, wait five seconds).

Watch out with fans, though. The IKEA plugs, for instance, do about 3600W of normal load (@230V, for things like lamps and computers), but only 300W of motor load (fans, vacuum cleaners, etc., unless they have modern inverter circuitry). Even if you consider alternatives, make sure they can actually drive your fan. The startup current for an electric motor like that can be massive!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Cheers! Good advice on inrush current as I don’t think it has a soft start built in