this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2025
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Been using tp-link smart plugs for a moment. Not really had any problems with them but i want to move to something such as z-wave or a ZigBee. Something that is totally local and does not require a different app on my phone.

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[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Out of curiosity, what does failure of one of these things look like? I've got one that's running my window air conditioning unit. It draws about 600 watts while it's running, but when it very first starts up, it pulls about 1700 watts instantaneously and then immediately drops.

That is still within the 15 amps the plug is rated for with a margin of about 100 watts.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

As far as I know the switch stops connecting or disconnecting. But besidss that I don't know what the failure mode of a worn relay looks like. E.g. whether it could overheat and melt due to a poor connection because of worn contacts. You should read more on that.

[–] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago

Okay, that's good to know. If it's just that the switch doesn't disconnect or connect, that's fine, because even if it fails in a connected state, the air conditioner itself only pulls about 5 amps while running, and the plug itself is rated for 15 amps.

It only pulls anywhere close to that when it's very first starting up and only for a brief moment.