I need a simple, affordable solution to monitor my freezer’s temperature from overseas. It should alert me on my phone and ideally have both a battery backup and a plug-in option, as I’m frequently away for extended periods. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
hawley said:
Here’s a low-tech tip: freeze a cup of water, then place a penny on top of the ice. If you return to find the penny at the bottom, you’ll know there was a power failure. It’s an old but gold method!
While that’s clever, the original poster needs a way to be alerted remotely so they can prevent loss, not just assess damage after the fact.
hawley said:
Here’s a low-tech tip: freeze a cup of water, then place a penny on top of the ice. If you return to find the penny at the bottom, you’ll know there was a power failure. It’s an old but gold method!
Love that trick. I freeze a bottle horizontally then stand it vertically. If the water shifts, you’ll know.
hawley said:
Here’s a low-tech tip: freeze a cup of water, then place a penny on top of the ice. If you return to find the penny at the bottom, you’ll know there was a power failure. It’s an old but gold method!
This is my go-to method as well. It’s never failed me.
I had a similar problem and opted for Switchbot. Bought a hub and temperature sensor on Amazon. The sensor uses AAA batteries, lasting over a year. The app notifies you if the temp falls outside your set range. Connect the hub, modem, and router to a UPS to maintain functionality during power outages.
I recommend YoLink. It’s around $80 on Amazon for a set with two temperature/humidity sensors and a hub. They have a long battery life, great range, and you can receive alerts via SMS or email. It’s been working great for me.
@Kent
I’ll second that, YoLink has been reliable for me too.
@Kent
Thirding YoLink here, solid choice.
@Kent
Big fan of YoLink as well.
I use an Acurite thermometer with lithium-ion batteries. It’s integrated into my home automation via an RTL-SDR dongle and Home Assistant. Note: This setup requires Home Assistant to work.
Masitsa said:
I use an Acurite thermometer with lithium-ion batteries. It’s integrated into my home automation via an RTL-SDR dongle and Home Assistant. Note: This setup requires Home Assistant to work.
Sounds interesting, but I think Home Assistant is something for Apple? Not sure that will work for me.
@Ivan
Actually, Home Assistant is a free, open-source platform, not related to Apple’s HomeKit. It’s quite versatile for home automation tasks.
Just curious, what’s your plan if you get a temperature alert while abroad?
TomHenry said:
Just curious, what’s your plan if you get a temperature alert while abroad?
I’d probably call a friend back home to check things out.
I use ThirdReality temp sensors. They use regular batteries and last a long time. Connected via a SmartThings hub, they notify my Alexa devices if the temperature exceeds a set threshold. This setup has saved my freezer’s contents more than once.
@Moses
That’s really helpful, especially with the smart lock hub I have. Thanks for the great info!
Just be cautious. I know someone who set up alerts only to discover their freezer occasionally warmed up more than expected during its defrost cycle.
Williamson said:
Just be cautious. I know someone who set up alerts only to discover their freezer occasionally warmed up more than expected during its defrost cycle.
Yeah, mine occasionally reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit during defrost.
If you’re away for months, why not empty the freezer and turn it off?
For remote notifications, I’d go with a setup connected to a Hubitat hub. I use an Ecowitt temp sensor, which has excellent battery life and RF range. It’s added to my weather station linked to Hubitat. Setting up alerts for temperature limits is straightforward.