Results
Smart Outlet Set Up
Our smart outlet is made up of an ESP 8266 MCU (Microcontroller Unit), 120-240 VAC input and 5V DC output power supply, a SRD-05VDC-SL-C relay module, and a tamper-resistant power outlet. The input for our smart outlet takes in and splits the live wire into three, feeding the always-on portion of the outlet, connecting to the relay common input, and supplying power to the power supply. From the relay output, a live wire is sent to the controlled portion of the outlet. Here on the outlet, we also find the ground and the neutral wire, which we split off to provide a neutral connection for the power supply. The stepped down 5 V DC from the power supply output is fed to the MCU via USB connection, and in turn the MCU sends a 5V DC signal to trigger the relay via a set of wires. Our smart outlet is made up of an ESP 8266 MCU (Microcontroller Unit), 120-240 VAC input and 5V DC output power supply, a SRD-05VDC-SL-C relay module, and a tamper-resistant power outlet. The input for our smart outlet takes in and splits the live wire into three, feeding the always-on portion of the outlet, connecting to the relay common input, and supplying power to the power supply. From the relay output, a live wire is sent to the controlled portion of the outlet. Here on the outlet, we also find the ground and the neutral wire, which we split off to provide a neutral connection for the power supply. The stepped down 5 V DC from the power supply output is fed to the MCU via USB connection, and in turn the MCU sends a 5V DC signal to trigger the relay via a set of wires.
Smart Water Heater Controller Setup
To begin the installation of our smart water heater controller, we replaced a wall mounted mechanical controller with our setup which includes a Wi-Fi controller element as well as a manual override. The components in use are an ESP 8266 MCU, 120-240 VAC input and 5V DC output power supply, a SRD-05VDC-SL-C 4-relay module, and a double-pole switch capable of handling up to 270 VAC. The input for our water heater controller is somewhat different because a water heater requires at least a 240VAC input, as such the input received at the controller is composed of 2 120VAC live wires and a ground wire. This in turn led to an issue with the power supply which needs a neutral wire to operate, however this issue was remedied by running a standard 3-wire setup from a nearby outlet to provide for the needs of the power supply. As such, the incoming 240 VAC 2-wire set is split to the switch and the relay commons, while the 3-wire set is used to provide 120 VAC to the power supply and returns via the neutral line, while the ground wires meet and continue to the water heater. Two separate pairs of 240 VAC wires leave from both the switch and relays, coming together, forming a parallel circuit, before leaving to supply power to the water heater. Just as with the smart outlet, the 5 V DC output of the power supply output is fed to the MCU via USB connection, and the MCU sends a 5V DC signal to trigger the relays via a set of wires.