IoT Smart Water Heater with GSM Alerts
Keywords:
Energy efficiency, ESP32, GSM alert system, Internet of Things (IoT), Smart water heaterAbstract
Domestic water heaters frequently consume excessive electrical energy due to inefficient continuous heating cycles and a lack of intelligent scheduling. This paper presents the development of an energy-efficient, Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart geyser control system designed to mitigate standby power loss while maintaining optimal convenience. The proposed architecture utilises an ESP32 microcontroller integrated with a high-precision MAX6675 thermocouple for accurate, real-time water temperature monitoring. To ensure uninterrupted accessibility, the system features a dual-interface control mechanism, a local 4×4 matrix keypad with an I2C LCD for offline physical interaction, and a responsive web-based dashboard for remote operation via a local area network. A critical focus was placed on operational safety and hardware longevity. The control logic incorporates a strict temperature hysteresis band (maintaining water between 60°C and 65°C) to prevent relay chatter and mechanical wear. Furthermore, a multi-tiered fail-safe protocol is implemented, featuring a hard-coded absolute thermal cutoff at 85°C. In the event of an over-temperature anomaly or upon the successful completion of a user-defined heating cycle, a secondary cellular fallback mechanism employing a SIM800L GSM module dispatches immediate SMS alerts, ensuring critical notifications are delivered regardless of Wi-Fi connectivity. The resulting prototype offers a highly cost-effective retrofit solution that significantly reduces energy consumption without compromising safety.
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