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    How to get generator status into HS4?

    I have a Generac house generator that comes on automatically when the power goes out. It has wifi, and updates me with a crappy app (and subscription ) on status, including email and text alerts.

    I'm new with IFTTT, and don't see a link for that app.

    i also have my HS4 on a UPS, so i can't use the logs, as it will show "power" coming back on, but it will be the generator faulting over, and not power from the street (if that makes sense). So using the UPS PI, HS4 thinks i have AC power (but it's coming from the generator)... So i need to actually know when generator is done running.

    looking for simple (e.g. not build a RPi and use MQTT ) ideas on how to get status into HS4 that I can use to trigger an event?

    #2
    Another idea that would work ... i could monitor internet and trigger the event when i see internet comes back. Any thoughts on how to do that relatively easily?

    Is there a simple way or PI that monitors internet status on a server?

    Comment


      #3
      I did that on my Generac. Old school. I had 2 old Radio Shack 120VAC coil DPDT relays laying around. I just ran a 4 lead wire from the Generac transfer switch to my Ocelot Secu16 digital inputs. Wired one relay to outside utility power, the other to the generator return power.

      Logic.

      Relay 1 on, Utility Power on
      Relay 1 and 2 On, Generator is in test mode
      Relay 1 off, Relay 2 goes on Generator is supplying power to the home.
      Both OFF for more than 45 seconds, Aw ****, email and push notification to me!

      But I'm sure others may have a better way, but I did this years ago.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Tomgru View Post
        I need to actually know when generator is done running.

        ideas on how to get status into HS4 that I can use to trigger an event?
        Do you have any circuits that are not on generator backup?

        Mike____________________________________________________________ __________________
        HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548, NUC i3

        HW: Stargate | NX8e | CAV6.6 | Squeezebox | PCS | WGL 800RF | RFXCOM | Vantage Pro | Green-Eye | Edgeport/8 | Way2Call | Ecobee3 | EtherRain | Ubiquiti

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by George View Post
          I did that on my Generac. Old school. I had 2 old Radio Shack 120VAC coil DPDT relays laying around. I just ran a 4 lead wire from the Generac transfer switch to my Ocelot Secu16 digital inputs. Wired one relay to outside utility power, the other to the generator return power.

          Logic.

          Relay 1 on, Utility Power on
          Relay 1 and 2 On, Generator is in test mode
          Relay 1 off, Relay 2 goes on Generator is supplying power to the home.
          Both OFF for more than 45 seconds, Aw ****, email and push notification to me!

          But I'm sure others may have a better way, but I did this years ago.
          I do something similiar using Elk M1 inputs except I use 4 relays:

          Utility AC Power Present
          Generator Running
          Transfer Switch Activated
          Load (House) AC Power Present

          I have voice prompts that track progress as things switch over:

          "Utility Power Failure" or "Utility Power Restored"
          "Generator Has Just Started Up" or "Generator Is Now Off
          "Emergency Power Active" - every 15 minutes while generator is running and Transfer Switch is engaged.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Uncle Michael View Post
            Do you have any circuits that are not on generator backup?
            I do! AC, Oven, etc. but not sure i want to go into my breaker panel :-)

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by upstatemike View Post

              I do something similiar using Elk M1 inputs except I use 4 relays:

              Utility AC Power Present
              Generator Running
              Transfer Switch Activated
              Load (House) AC Power Present

              I have voice prompts that track progress as things switch over:

              "Utility Power Failure" or "Utility Power Restored"
              "Generator Has Just Started Up" or "Generator Is Now Off
              "Emergency Power Active" - every 15 minutes while generator is running and Transfer Switch is engaged.
              Super interesting, but maybe a little over my head/nervous.

              For any of these, i need to run wire from my breaker panel to my alarm system? I do have that hooked up... Vista PI with an AD2USB if that helps.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Tomgru View Post

                Super interesting, but maybe a little over my head/nervous.

                For any of these, i need to run wire from my breaker panel to my alarm system? I do have that hooked up... Vista PI with an AD2USB if that helps.
                My relays are next to the transfer switch and a regular Cat6 cable goes from there to the Elk panel. I wired any AC stuff to outlets in surface boxes next to the transfer switch and used small wall warts to drive 12V relays when the various outlets are active. Exception is "generator running" which required a wall wart in the outlet on the generator itself with the 12V side fed via buried landscape lighting cable to the relays at the transfer switch.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Simple solution to my generator problem. The monitoring service i pay for (Mobile Link) sends me an email notification when the generator is on/off (per above).

                  I just created the event that when i get an email that the generator has turned back off, the event to restart the PIs is triggered.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I use the Homeseer LED detectors to tell me when the power is on from the street and when the generator is on. It looks a little ghetto without the cover but it works well...

                    Click image for larger version

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                    Attached Files
                    HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.435 (Windows Server 8.1 on ESXi box)

                    Plug-Ins Enabled:
                    Z-Wave:,RaspberryIO:,AirplaySpeak:,Ecobee:,
                    weatherXML:,JowiHue:,APCUPSD:,PHLocation:,Chromecast:,EasyTr igger:

                    Comment


                      #11
                      If Generac has an app than it should have an API. Look for the API documentation. It can be done in much more elegant way if you have the API. Unfortunately many vendors nowadays "hide" their API on purpose to charge you for their "crappy" app use. If this is the case than look if someone hacked it and published it.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I have a 17kw generac and am using the Genmon open source project (jgyates/genmon: Generac Generator Monitoring using a Raspberry Pi and WiFi (github.com)) with mcsMQTT on HS4 to get some degree of integration. The evolution and nexus controllers have a Modbus UART serial interface that genmon uses to get a lot more functionality than the Generac app including on/off/transfer as well as a lot more data. The downside is that you need a custom cable to access this functionality (which I think the wifi add on uses), a raspi and if you have a remote setup a RS232 to wifi device.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by upstatemike View Post

                          My relays are next to the transfer switch and a regular Cat6 cable goes from there to the Elk panel. I wired any AC stuff to outlets in surface boxes next to the transfer switch and used small wall warts to drive 12V relays when the various outlets are active. Exception is "generator running" which required a wall wart in the outlet on the generator itself with the 12V side fed via buried landscape lighting cable to the relays at the transfer switch.
                          This seems like a simple and elegant solution. If all you need to know it whether or not the generator is running, a single wall wart at the generator outlet would do the trick.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Alex_W View Post

                            This seems like a simple and elegant solution. If all you need to know it whether or not the generator is running, a single wall wart at the generator outlet would do the trick.
                            It works well for me. For years I paid way too much money to Omnimetrix to monitor the generator via a cell link. Not only have I eleiminated that expense but I also have more notification options since I can do anything I want when the relay is tripped.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by ZuluBravo View Post
                              I have a 17kw generac and am using the Genmon open source project (jgyates/genmon: Generac Generator Monitoring using a Raspberry Pi and WiFi (github.com)) with mcsMQTT on HS4 to get some degree of integration. The evolution and nexus controllers have a Modbus UART serial interface that genmon uses to get a lot more functionality than the Generac app including on/off/transfer as well as a lot more data. The downside is that you need a custom cable to access this functionality (which I think the wifi add on uses), a raspi and if you have a remote setup a RS232 to wifi device.
                              I have 17kw Generac and Genmon RaspPi Wifi with mcsMQTT as well... on HS3. Love it. I set up announcements for when the generator starts and stops its weekly exercise and when there is a power failure (that one was a bit tricky...had to do a delay to let Sonos speakers start back up after the power outage).

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