this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2024
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Privacy

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[–] Selmafudd 11 points 11 months ago (5 children)

Every washing machine I've owned for the last 30 years has had a delayed start function and I've never used it once, if that simple function is useless I donno what else a WiFi connection could offer

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago

Delayed start, but from your phone, via their totally-not-tracking-infested app. That's why it needs wifi.

Not sure if I need the /s but here it is just to be sure.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Notify you when a cycle is done, but you could do that with a vibration sensor over zigbee and home assistant, or an outlet power monitor.

People simply don't understand there are other low-band wireless local communication protocols other than wifi and maybe IR, and that is completely taken advantage of by companies who deal in user data.

[–] StereoTrespasser 5 points 11 months ago

That's so odd to me, too. I'm notified when the buzzer goes off. I would hear the buzzer before I heard my phone.

And who needs to be notified immediately when a cycle is done? I'm lucky if my laundry doesn't sit there for hours after I've heard the buzzer and said to myself, I should do that laundry.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

I had a WiFi enabled range and the only remotely useful thing it could do was send my phone a notification when the timer went off.

It could preheat the oven via the app too but I wasn't too keen on turning on my oven when I wasn't near it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I do use the timer delay to run the wash cycle when the power is cheap. I'd really like it if I could set it as "ready to go" and something else give it the "go" when the power is cheap.

Once I have that, it's also useful to have something to tell me there's wet washing that needs to be unloaded.

If my washing machine was older I could do all of this with a remote power switch and sensor, but because my washing machine has touch buttons instead of click/clacks, I can't. Turning the power on just makes it wait for a button press.

[–] Selmafudd 2 points 11 months ago

Ok setting the delay for off peak electricity actually does make a bit of sense

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

I have a wifi enabled AC unit. It also has a remote control.

No, I have never used wifi to control it. Why would I? It has a remote control.