Hi,
Has anyone else noticed a pattern of Kasa KP115 smart plugs losing their connectivity after an equivent finishes?
I’ve replaced 3 x KP115 plugs that I assumed were faulty. They went offline (in both Equiwatt and the Kasa app) post-equivent, and I had to manually turn the units off and back on at the wall for them to be recognised.
No changes to our Wi-Fi. Signal strength all good.
With the equivent being the thread between these faults, I wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this?
Richard Tubb.
Hi @Richard_Tubb ,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.
We apologise for any inconvenience you have experienced with your TP-Link Kasa Plugs. We understand that this issue is frustrating for you. I have raised a ticket with the tech team and we will get back to you with a solution.
Thanks again for your patience and for being part of the equiwatt community.
Hi @Richard_Tubb ,
Our technical team has diligently investigated the matter at hand and would greatly appreciate your assistance in providing additional details.
Specifically, we kindly request clarification on the following points:
- Is the occurrence of this issue consistent after every event?
- Can you confirm whether the KASA plugs are also indicated as offline within the KASA app?
Your prompt response with this information would greatly aid our efforts in resolving the issue efficiently. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Warm regards,
Ragav Krishnakumar
Team equiwatt
Ragav,
I’ve had at least five different Kasa KP115 plugs lose their connectivity.
However, the pattern now shows it is not just after Equivents, but at totally random times.
I resolve the issue by physically turning the plugs off, then back on, but the same plugs often lose their connectivity again at an intermittent time.
I’ve replaced the KP115 plug’s that are affected, and the problem has not returned with the new plugs (yet).
Therefore, I don’t know if this is an Equivent issue, a KP115 issue, or something else!
I’d be happy to work with you to find a resolution, but I wanted to give you all the information first.
Richard Tubb.
Hi @Richard_Tubb ,
Thank you for your prompt response. After thorough investigation, we have determined that the issue appears to stem from faulty plugs rather than an integration problem with our application. Regrettably, there is not much we can do in this case.
Please let us know if you require any further assistance or clarification.
Regards,
Ragav Krishnakumar
Team equiwatt
Hmm.
There may be trouble ahead for Equiwatt then.
Plugs you have supplied seem to be developing faults at an unacceptable rate. I’ve just reported one via email which we’ve just noticed turned off our chest freezer for 48 hours uncommanded.
If I can’t use these devices for Equivents, there’s not much else I can use to participate. I think you need to look into reliability of the smart plugs and getting the issue fixed, or switching to a supplier that can guarantee reliability, at least for a warranty period longer than 12 months.
Otherwise I can’t see how you have a viable proposition.
1 Like
Hi @John_Thomas ,
Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We understand your frustration and apologize for any inconvenience caused by the faulty smart plug.
We have investigated this issue and, unfortunately, there is nothing we can do on our end to resolve this specific fault. To prevent any further damage to your appliances, we recommend removing the smart plugs from your critical devices like your chest freezer. You can still participate in Equivents manually to ensure you continue to have the opportunity to win points.
We appreciate your understanding.
Warm regards,
Ragav Krishnakumar
Product operations Intern
equiwatt
Hi @John_Thomas @Richard_Tubb,
Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention, and we apologize for any inconvenience it has caused. Ensuring the reliability of our smart plugs is a top priority for us, and we are actively investigating alternative suppliers to address these concerns.
We understand the importance of having dependable equipment for Equivents, and we are committed to finding a solution that meets your needs. Please stay tuned for updates on our efforts to improve the reliability of our smart plugs.
In the meantime, if you have any further questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue.
Thankyou.
Regards,
Ragav
Product operations Intern
equiwatt
Ragav, good to hear you’re looking into an alternative. However the incident I described above - which apparently left our chest freezer without power for nearly 2 days - according to your support investigation was not related to an Equivent or any signal sent by Equiwatt.
I’ve had several plugs fail altogether, one of which you replaced - thankyou. TP themselves were useless, making me jump through a number of hoops to get support engaged, then making me jump through almost the same hoops again in the UK to get to the point of them asking me to send the old device back at a post, packing and hassle cost to me that probably exceeds the value of a new plug.
You may need to square the circle though. In my opinion you need a plug manufacturer prepared to offer a ten year unconditional warranty on devices - meaning very few will fail in the first nine years of use - but plugs that are easily affordable for ten/twenty or so devices per household.
I never thought the “smart grid” was going to be as easy as campaigners claimed. I’ll keep trying to support, until my wife throws all the plugs in the bin - which was not far off the consequence of the freezer incident.
@Ragav_Krishnakumar Thanks for the update.
I can confirm that after the latest Equivent, two more of my Kasa KP115 plugs failed to come back online.
Once again, I was able to “fix” this by powering the socket down, then turning it back on.
However, this is usually the first sign that the KP115 units will fail of their own accord – whether there is an Equivent or not.
I’ve now replaced six different KP115 plugs, and the only common theme I can find is that they are all used by Equiwatt and are all attached to what I’d consider to be high-draw devices – fridges, freezers, heaters, etc.
Given the current price of KP115 (£30 for a single unit) and that the market has dozens of other smart plugs that support energy monitoring for at least 50% of the cost, I’d really love to see Equiwatt adopting smart plug manufacturers outside of Kasa.
Richard Tubb.
