"Alexa, Fireplace On"

Beware, this project deals with fire and electricity. Proceed at your own peril.

About

This is rather trivial project, but decided to document as it might save some time researching the components. The task is very simple- I wanted to be able to switch on/ off my gas fireplace by asking Alexa.

My fireplace is activated by a switch. So I set to replace that one with a smart one that works with Alexa. My choice is a WeMo Light Switch, but there are multiple options available, just research for "light switch, works with Alexa". The challenge is that the fireplace switch does not turn the 110V current, it just connects to control wires. The light switches on the other hand are designed to close the 110V circuit. My solution is very simple- use a coil relay that's powered by 110V to close the circuit; the one I used is for $8 on Amazon.

How to

Some of the pre-requirements to make this work:

• The receptacle need to have 110V power, including neutral wire

• If you use a WiFi device (like WeMo) check if the reception is good; otherwise there are devices with proprietary protocol like Lutron Caseta - while they require a hub, the signal propagates might wider and they generally very reliable

• The switch has to be a switch and not a dimmer

• Both the relay and the switch fit into same receptacle; the fit is quite snug nevertheless works

The only remaining part is to program the switch. Follow the manufacturer instructions, then in Alexa app make the device discoverable. If you named the switch "fireplace" then say "Alexa, fireplace on" and enjoy.