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Making it smarter

A project log for Washing Machine Conversion

Converting a Manual switched washing machine in to a Arduino powered smart washer.

boris-van-galvinBoris van Galvin 03/12/2017 at 21:000 Comments

Last night I was finishing some washing and thought about ways to make this thing smarter.
Maybe adding a flow meter to the pump so when the train cycle has finished and there is no more water being pumped out the spin cycle ends.
Using something like this.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/OKD-HZ32DN-flow-sensor/553216447.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.30.4OhXxy&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10065_10068_433_434_10136_10137_10138_10060_10062_10056_10055_10054_302_10059_10099_10103_10102_10096_10052_10053_10050_10107_10051_10106_10084_10083_10119_10080_10082_10081_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_10078_10079_10073_10070_10122_10123_10120_10126_6000000_10124-10119,searchweb201603_3,afswitch_1_afChannel,ppcSwitch_2,single_sort_0_default&btsid=95ce6e22-2276-410e-aa3b-e31e7aa06c15&algo_expid=490d3712-fcab-49f7-b477-65a36b9380a1-3&algo_pvid=490d3712-fcab-49f7-b477-65a36b9380a1

The other thought was to add an actual water level sensor. There is a tube at the base of the tub that goes upwards to the existing sensor/switch, you dial up the water level and when that level is reached the switch triggers but I was contemplating adding one of these instead.
MPX5010GP
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MPX5010GP-MPX5010-INTEGRATED-PRESSURE-SENSOR-100-New-Original/32770095909.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.10.SzOVcb&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10065_10068_433_434_10136_10137_10138_10060_10062_10056_10055_10054_302_10059_10099_10103_10102_10096_10052_10053_10050_10107_10051_10106_10084_10083_10119_10080_10082_10081_10110_10111_10112_10113_10114_10078_10079_10073_10070_10122_10123_10120_10126_6000000_10124,searchweb201603_3,afswitch_1_afChannel,ppcSwitch_2,single_sort_0_default&btsid=4ab2fe85-22d8-4c53-8395-634a306b0075&algo_expid=73d7dae1-8ab8-4988-b25a-1a3c4d99cfe5-1&algo_pvid=73d7dae1-8ab8-4988-b25a-1a3c4d99cfe5

Only other thing that would be cool is a sensor to work out just how much washing is in the machine but I cant really see any way to do this at the moment as it cant really be based on weight as clothes have different weights and an optical sensor would not really work as things like sheets when you put them in tend to sit a little higher but then compress more when they are wet.

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