Make Any Dishwasher Smart – No Cloud, No Rewiring

Sun, 25 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Your dishwasher isn’t smart yet? Not for long! In this article I’ll show you how to bring any old appliance up to speed with one simple trick – no rewiring, no cloud, just a small smart plug. The same principle works equally well with washing machines, dryers, or any other household appliance that runs a cycle and then gets forgotten.

To load the video, please click the image. Please note that by doing so, data will be transmitted to YouTube.

What you get out of it

Automatic notification when the cycle is done
Saved standby power
Increased safety at home
Ability to switch the appliance off remotely

The idea: energy monitoring instead of cloud

Many new appliances are “smart” – but usually only through manufacturer-dependent clouds. Why buy something new when the existing machine still works perfectly? With a smart plug like the Shelly Plug S (or any other relay with energy monitoring) you can retrofit any appliance and integrate it into Home Assistant – completely local, no cloud required.

The following devices are suitable for this project:

Shelly Plug S (affiliate link)
Shelly Plus 1 PM (affiliate link)
Sonoff POW R2 (affiliate link)
Sonoff POW Elite (affiliate link)
Smart Plug (affiliate link)

Note: Links marked with affiliate link are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I receive a small commission if you purchase through these links — at no extra cost to you. The revenue helps me run this blog and YouTube channel and keep creating content. Thank you for your support!
― Joachim

How the detection works

The idea is simple: the power consumption of the appliance is measured. If it exceeds a certain threshold for a certain period of time, the wash cycle is running. If it drops below that threshold – again for a defined period – the appliance has most likely finished. To prevent the automation from reacting to every small spike, a hysteresis is built in, meaning a delay or waiting period.

Determining typical values

Measure a complete cycle of your appliance and observe the power draw. In my case, that’s more than 5 watts for at least 5 minutes (appliance running) and less than 5 watts for at least 5 minutes (appliance done). The exact values can vary depending on the model – experiment and adjust the thresholds accordingly.

Implementation in Home Assistant

I also walk through this step by step in the video – feel free to check it out for the screencast!

Add the device: Integrate the Shelly Plug S or another smart relay with energy monitoring into Home Assistant.
Create sensors: Set up threshold sensors (e.g. using a template or a threshold sensor) that detect the appliance’s status.
Automation: Create an automation that notifies you when the appliance is done – or that cuts power to the device completely after the cycle finishes.

Practical example: saving standby power

You can also see this workflow in the video as a screencast – check it out if you want to watch the implementation live!

After the wash cycle, I switch the dishwasher off completely. My appliance draws 4 watts in standby – that’s 35 kWh per year, or roughly €12 at €0.35 per kWh. You still need to subtract the smart relay’s own consumption of about 1 watt, which leaves around €9 in savings per year. That means the Shelly Plug S pays for itself in just over a year. Take a measurement on your own appliance – you might be surprised what a power drain it actually is.

Benefits & safety

No more standby, no voltage at the appliance
Greater safety (e.g. when away from home for longer periods)
Control and monitoring from anywhere

Conclusion

With a simple smart plug and Home Assistant you can make any old appliance smart – no cloud, no rewiring, and no vendor lock-in. You save electricity, improve safety, and always know whether your dishwasher (or any other appliance) has finished its cycle.

→ This video generated a lot of feedback. I’ve compiled the most useful practical tips from the community in a follow-up article: Making your washing machine & dishwasher smart? 5 things you should know!

Energy Monitoring on Smart Home? Sure — But Secure!

Make Any Dishwasher Smart – No Cloud, No Rewiring

What you get out of it

The idea: energy monitoring instead of cloud

How the detection works

Determining typical values

Implementation in Home Assistant

Practical example: saving standby power

Benefits & safety

Conclusion