Wyze plug washing machine

I like the advice to pay attention to the power ratings of the devices you’re using. I’ve actually been using a Wyze Plug (not Plug Outdoor) to control power to a washing machine for a few years.

The washer in question is smart but frequently loses its Wi-Fi connection, which makes it dumb. If I want to get a remote notification when a cycle is done or if there’s an error and the cycle stops, then the thing needs to be connected. The manufacturer’s support is minimally helpful; they won’t acknowledge a problem with the appliance losing its Wi-Fi connection. In fact, the only good advice the support representative ever gave me was to power cycle the washer by either unplugging it or by cutting power at the breaker.

This thing is on a pedestal and has a wall-mounted cabinet above it, so climbing over it to reach the outlet is less than convenient. So is going downstairs to the breaker box. The Wi-Fi signal in that room is fine. The adjacent dryer has a consistent connection, and cycling power to the washer always (so far) restores its Wi-Fi connection for at least a few wash cycles.

This is where Wyze Plug makes my life much easier. The washing machine is rated for 10 Amps, so now a Plug sits between the washer and the outlet. I can use my phone to control the Plug, but usually I just talk to a nearby Google Home device to trigger a routine or tap a Shortcut on my Wyze Watch to run a rule that power cycles the Plug.

I really like the Plug.

I don’t know how a Plug or Plug Outdoor could do that. How would the Plug get that information from the washer? I think what you’re asking about has more to do with your washer’s features than what a Plug is able to provide.

The only possible way to do that with a Plug Outdoor that occurs to me has to do with the Plug Outdoor’s energy usage monitor. If the Plug Outdoor was on all the time and could perform some function when the power consumption load dropped to zero (like when the washer finishes a cycle and shuts off), then I could see the possibility of it generating a notification or acting as a trigger for other actions, but I don’t know if the Plug Outdoor is actually capable of this, and I don’t believe Wyze exposes that as a possible Rules Action in the app. That might actually be kind of a cool thing to do, though. :thinking: