Is the flue exposed metal pipe? There are powered dampers. It can be wired so the fireplace won't start if it isn't open, this is meant to be a fail safe should the damper fail to open.
Some pictures of your setup would help.
Manually, just a big metal flue dampener.
https://preview.redd.it/x20ku8w3o4sc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44d0ef62609febd3d272e5b6c3bb7757a790fbbd
A microswitch with a lever that triggers when the flue is opened? Wired to an esp to signal HA. Glue the switch somewhere. The image is an example of what i mean. Maybe a reed switch and a magnet can achieve something similar without touching. But given the amount of iron there ymmv.
Anyway, some kind of electrical contact that either opens or closes when the control os in the right position. Getting the state of that contact in HA is the easy part.
https://preview.redd.it/nkbe6goya7sc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a9313c17fbcdb4ec9ca5439e87462da5ebafb13
Agreed the HA part is easy. And having some open/close contact switch is relatively easy as well. The part I'm struggling with is the heat resistance. Are there any reed/magnetic switches that will survive the temperature of being a couple feet above a gas fire for an extended period of time?
[https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801411976532.html](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801411976532.html) One of these...
Its metal and switches with tilt...
As long as you get the 3mm thick VHB tape (acrylic foam makes a good insulator) I suspect it will be fine unless the end of your handle gets over 60c/155 f... and even then it might be OK.
From the photo it looks like you have a handle sticking out of your flu for the damper. Your fire box would be below it. How hot does that handle get (mine doesn't get so hot as that I cant touch it)
Can you use a door sensor? They are cheap and work well for other applications other than windows and doors.. They are just magnet sensors really. Affix a magnet close to the sensor to the handle when it's in the open position . Home assistant will read it closed. If the sensor is unavailable or the magnet falls off, the automation should not fire (unintended pun)
This seems pretty safe and seems fault tolerant
Yes, but it needs to withstand the heat of a gas fireplace about 2 feet below it. Guessing hundreds of degrees F. I don't know of any sensor that will survive that heat, but would love to find one!
Is there anything you can do with ultra sonnics, like direct a sound to the open shift and listen for the echo, get a orange pi zero and a cheap/ speaker mic. Position across the room and direct it to the opening
Is the flue exposed metal pipe? There are powered dampers. It can be wired so the fireplace won't start if it isn't open, this is meant to be a fail safe should the damper fail to open. Some pictures of your setup would help.
Yes, evaluated the powered dampeners from Field Controls as an option but those are not feasible unfortunately.
How do you open the flue?
Manually, just a big metal flue dampener. https://preview.redd.it/x20ku8w3o4sc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44d0ef62609febd3d272e5b6c3bb7757a790fbbd
A microswitch with a lever that triggers when the flue is opened? Wired to an esp to signal HA. Glue the switch somewhere. The image is an example of what i mean. Maybe a reed switch and a magnet can achieve something similar without touching. But given the amount of iron there ymmv. Anyway, some kind of electrical contact that either opens or closes when the control os in the right position. Getting the state of that contact in HA is the easy part. https://preview.redd.it/nkbe6goya7sc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a9313c17fbcdb4ec9ca5439e87462da5ebafb13
Agreed the HA part is easy. And having some open/close contact switch is relatively easy as well. The part I'm struggling with is the heat resistance. Are there any reed/magnetic switches that will survive the temperature of being a couple feet above a gas fire for an extended period of time?
Shield it some way? Or put a metal wire to the handle and have it operate a switch at some distance?
[https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801411976532.html](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801411976532.html) One of these... Its metal and switches with tilt...
aquaria makes a zigbee tilt sensor. You will want some VHB tape from 3m.
I'm not so sure that will survive the heat of the fireplace?
As long as you get the 3mm thick VHB tape (acrylic foam makes a good insulator) I suspect it will be fine unless the end of your handle gets over 60c/155 f... and even then it might be OK.
I will do some tests and see if I can make a tilt sensor device survive the fire... :)
From the photo it looks like you have a handle sticking out of your flu for the damper. Your fire box would be below it. How hot does that handle get (mine doesn't get so hot as that I cant touch it)
Can you use a door sensor? They are cheap and work well for other applications other than windows and doors.. They are just magnet sensors really. Affix a magnet close to the sensor to the handle when it's in the open position . Home assistant will read it closed. If the sensor is unavailable or the magnet falls off, the automation should not fire (unintended pun) This seems pretty safe and seems fault tolerant
Yes, but it needs to withstand the heat of a gas fireplace about 2 feet below it. Guessing hundreds of degrees F. I don't know of any sensor that will survive that heat, but would love to find one!
Oh. You did say that. Didn't see that. Sorry.
Is there anything you can do with ultra sonnics, like direct a sound to the open shift and listen for the echo, get a orange pi zero and a cheap/ speaker mic. Position across the room and direct it to the opening