This article will show you how any water heater can be turned into a smart water heater. If you read my previous DIY projects, you would have realized that I like to provide the context to explain the problem that I am trying to solve for. If you wish go straight to meat, you can go to the Smart Water Heater Switch section.

Background

So I was in the market looking to replace my old 30L storage-tank water heater because the internals had corroded and rusty water can be seen leaking out of the inlet and outlet of the heater. We have been using Ariston water heaters from the very beginning and this will be the third replacement after approximately 21 years living in my current residence. From my experience, I must say Ariston heaters are very durable. Apart from the corrosion which happens over time on any water heaters, it never broke down and we didn't have to go through the hassle of having to service the heater during the warranty period.

After doing some research, I was planning to once again purchase an Ariston water heater. The Ariston Andris2 Top model caught my attention because it is the only water heater that has the Wi-Fi function that is currently in the market. One problem that I believe many people face is not being able to power the water heater on demand. This often leads to some sort of inconvenience or energy wastage(imagine not remembering to turn of the heater before you leave your home for work). I did further research and price comparison between different retailers and quickly came to a conclusion of not getting it for a couple of reasons.

My top reason for not getting Ariston Andris2 top are:

1. Cost Difference ($134 difference between Andris2 top and an basic  Andris Lux model)
2. I found out how to make a water heater "smart" by using a $16 Wi-Fi switch which can easy integrate into your existing smart home ecosystem due to Alexa/Google Assistant/Siri compatibility.
3. Place of manufacture (If we have to buy Ariston, most people would prefer it to be "Made in Italy". The new model such as "Andris2" were all made in Vietnam and the old model such as "Andris" is made in Italy. But this is more of a personal preference, the plumber who did the installation for me, told me that really isn't any difference in terms of the quality)

I eventually purchased the Ariston Andris LUX 30 litre from lazada which comes with 1 year warranty on parts and service and 5 years warranty for heating element, excluding transport and labor. I purchased it during the 5.5 sale at $274 which is approximately 10% off from retail prices. This would give you an idea of how much discount you can possibly get. If you got a better deal then this, do share it in the comments for the benefit of other readers!

Of course the price is only for the water heater, most retailers engage external plumbers to do the installation. I sourced multiple plumbers on my own and they typically charges somewhere between the range of $120 to $180. I eventually paid $120 for the installation to the plumber that was associated with the retailer where I bought my heater from, which includes changing my rusty pipe elbow. Take note that most plumbers will charge extra for changing the pipe elbow and if you are upgrading to a different capacity water heater they will also charge additional fees for pipe modifications(approximately $30). As my old water heater is also a 30 litres model, no pipe modification was required. This is what it looks like after the installation is completed, a pretty good job I would say. 

Smart Water Heater Switch

Now, time for the main lead, Smart Water Heater Switch. I found this while I was doing my research and I am not the first person who have done this. If you do quick search in most e-commerce site for "tuya 20A smart switch", there is a ton of merchants selling this switch. You should be able to get your hands on it somewhere between the price of $16 to $19. 

Installation

WARNING! Please do not attempt to do this installation on your own even if you have had prior experience with wiring up electrical circuits. This is an extremely dangerous task for anyone. Just between 0.1 to 0.2 ampere of current is lethal and here we dealing with current potentially 200 times the magnitude. You can purchase, the heater switch in advance and check with the plumber if they could help you with changing the switch and cost associated. If you are intend to change just the switch, please engage a licensed electrician to do the wiring for you. The plumber who did the installation of the water heater helped me with wiring the switch and here is the before and after looks like.

There is a total of 2 live wires(red), 2 neutral wires(black) and 2 earth wires. A pair of live and neutral wires connects to the source of electricity and the other pair connects to the water heater. The 2 earth wires were meant to be attached to the screws that is holding the switch panel, in the event where there is a malfunction and electricity arcing within the switch, it is suppose to receive the electrical charge and activate the circuit breaker(sounds familiar?) and cut electrical supply. If such incident indicates that a product(either the switch or water heater in this case) is faulty and its time to call in an electrician. Once the switch has been installed correctly, you will be able to turn the water heater on and off just like a typical switch.

Set up with TuyaSmart or Smart Life app

Setting up the Wi-Fi connection to the switch is straight forward. A generic set-up guide is included together with the switch. We have made the following video to make is simpler for everyone and you can experience the set up process before deciding if you wish to purchase the smart switch.

This pretty much sums up yet another DIY Project! A brand new Smart Water Heater well within budget to help enhance your living habits. We hope this was informative and do let us know in the comments section if you have any questions!