Hello! I just got a chest freezer and want a way to monitor that it’s working and get alerted when it loses power since we’ll be storing breast milk. Have a Qolsys IQ 4 panel and get alerts when that loses power already. However, I also want to be able to monitor that the outlet itself is working in case of a breaker trip.
If I get a basic zwave plug (from the qolsys approved list), would I get an immediate alert if that smart plug loses power but the panel/house doesn’t? Or should I get a smart plug that also has a small built in battery so it can send its own alerts? It appears that’s a thing…
I also plan to get a temp sensor in case the door is left open or it stops working despite receiving power.
A z-wave plug would take too long to to notify you. If you have found a battery Wi-Fi powered one, then that would probably be the best route to go. It may even have an energy monitor also showing you when power is being pulled.
To add to what @vidail mentioned above;
I needed a similar power state monitor that could alert me on the panel and via an alarm.com notification. Here’s the link to one I built and use in my garage for my freezer circuit. It uses a 5v plug in transformer, a relay and an IQ Extended sensor, but also PowerG would work. (Actually this was just reworked to use a PG9945 instead of what is in this article.)
As for the smart plug - I’d recommend the Zooz ZEN15 Plug, which is specially made for appliance loads. I have these on multiple fridge and freezer devices with no issue.