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by invalidator 742 days ago
You can! Get an energy-monitoring smart plug[1]. Set it up on Home Assistant[2] or another smart-stuff system. Then create an Automation which sends an alert when it drops below 25 watts for 3 minutes.

It's all-local, and requires no integration with the washer. 220V dryers may be a little trickier, but still easy enough if you're comfortable with basic electrical stuff. You can put a sensor on an indicator light, or put a current clamp on one of the wires. Usually you only care when the washer is done though, so you can move your clothes over.

[1] I use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPY5D1KC for Zigbee, but there are WiFi/Z-wave/other options.

[2] https://www.home-assistant.io/

1 comments

This is exactly what I did. It sends a text when it’s done. I forget some times even with the text, so I added repetitive alerts. That got annoying, so I added a door sensor to the washing machine to silence repetitive alerts if you open the door after a cycle is done. Total cost was negligible. A cheap $20 smart plug that I never use except for monitoring and $10 for the door sensor.