Fireplace Remote Control

Web app screenshots

Prototype

Production device

WiFi-enabled remote control system for Duraflame electric fireplaces using ESP32 microcontroller.

Features

• WiFi Control: Web-based Progressive Web App (PWA) for mobile devices
  • Instant data loading on connection (no initial HTTP requests)
  • Real-time temperature and time display
• WiFi Resilience: Automatic reconnection after network outages or power loss
  • Event-driven reconnection monitoring
  • Auto-resync time and weather after reconnection
• IR Transmission: Controls Duraflame electric fireplace via infrared signals
• Temperature Monitoring: Real-time indoor temperature sensing with Dallas DS18B20 sensor
• Smart Thermostat: Automatic temperature control with scheduling
  • Configurable target temperature
  • Temperature hysteresis control
  • Day-of-week scheduling (Mon-Sun)
  • Time-based scheduling (start/end hours)
  • Manual override (5 minutes)
• Weather Integration: Outdoor temperature from OpenWeatherMap API
• Temperature Units: Toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius
• Advanced Settings:
  • Configurable temperature hysteresis
  • Outdoor temperature threshold
  • WiFi reset functionality
• Factory Reset: Hardware reset via built-in BOOT button
• Mobile-Optimized UI: No hover effects, touch-friendly buttons

Hardware Requirements

• ESP32 Development Board (tested with ESP32-WROOM-32) Amazon
• IR LED Transmitter (38kHz) Amazon
• Dallas DS18B20 Temperature Sensor (1-Wire) Amazon
• 4.7kΩ Resistor (pull-up for DS18B20 data line)
• Current Limiting Resistor for IR LED (typically 100-330Ω)
• Duraflame Electric Fireplace (compatible model)

Wiring Diagram

Pin Connections

Component	ESP32 Pin	Notes
IR LED (+)	GPIO 15	Via current limiting resistor
IR LED (-)	GND
DS18B20 VCC	3.3V
DS18B20 GND	GND
DS18B20 Data	GPIO 4	4.7kΩ pull-up to 3.3V
BOOT Button	GPIO 0	Built-in (for factory reset)

DS18B20 Wiring

ESP32 3.3V ----+---- DS18B20 VCC
               |
              4.7kΩ
               |
ESP32 GPIO 4 --+---- DS18B20 Data

ESP32 GND  --------- DS18B20 GND

IR LED Wiring

ESP32 GPIO 15 ---- [100-330Ω] ---- IR LED (+)
ESP32 GND     -------------------- IR LED (-)

Software Dependencies

Arduino Libraries

Install via Arduino Library Manager or PlatformIO:

• WiFiManager by tzapu (>=2.0.0)
• ESPAsyncWebServer by me-no-dev
• AsyncTCP by me-no-dev
• IRremote by Arduino-IRremote
• OneWire by Paul Stoffregen
• DallasTemperature by Miles Burton
• ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon (>=6.0.0)

Installation

1. Clone Repository

   git clone https://github.com/sensboston/FireplaceRemote.git
   cd FireplaceRemote

2. Configure OpenWeatherMap API (Optional but recommended)

   • Get free API key from OpenWeatherMap
   • Copy the sample secrets file:

     cp secrets.sample secrets.h

   • Edit secrets.h with your credentials:

     const String WEATHER_API_KEY = "your_api_key_here";
     const String WEATHER_CITY = "YourCity";
     const String WEATHER_COUNTRY = "US";

   • Important: secrets.h is already in .gitignore and won't be committed

3. Open in Arduino IDE

   • Open FireplaceRemote.ino
   • Select Board: ESP32 Dev Module
   • Select Port: Your ESP32 COM port

4. Upload to ESP32

   • Click Upload button
   • Wait for compilation and upload

5. Initial WiFi Setup

   • ESP32 will create WiFi access point: FireplaceRemote
   • Connect to this AP with your phone/computer
   • Browser will open configuration page automatically
   • Select your WiFi network and enter password
   • ESP32 will restart and connect to your WiFi

Usage

Web Interface

1. Connect to Web App

   • Find ESP32 IP address in Serial Monitor, or
   • Check your router's DHCP client list
   • Open browser: http://[ESP32_IP_ADDRESS]
   • Add to Home Screen for PWA experience

2. Control Buttons

   • POWER ON/OFF (Red) - Toggle fireplace power
   • HOT + (Orange) - Increase heat level
   • HOT - (Green) - Decrease heat level
   • AIR FLOW TOGGLE (Blue) - Toggle air circulation

3. Thermostat Settings

   • Enable "Keep Temperature" checkbox
   • Select target temperature (60-80°F or 15-27°C)
   • Configure schedule:
     • Select active days (Mon-Sun)
     • Set start and end hours
   • Settings auto-save on change

4. Advanced Settings

   • Click + button to expand
   • Temperature Hysteresis: How many degrees below target to turn on (0.5-10°F)
   • Outdoor Temperature Threshold: Don't run fireplace when outdoor temp exceeds this (30-80°F)
   • Reset WiFi Settings: Factory reset WiFi configuration

Factory Reset

To perform complete factory reset:

1. Disconnect power from ESP32
2. Press and hold BOOT button (GPIO 0)
3. Connect power while holding BOOT
4. Wait 2 seconds, then release
5. ESP32 will:
   • Clear all stored settings
   • Reset WiFi configuration
   • Restart in AP mode

API Endpoints

The web server exposes these REST endpoints:

• GET / - Main web interface (HTML)
• GET /temperature - Get indoor/outdoor temperatures (JSON)
• GET /settings - Get thermostat settings (JSON)
• POST /settings - Save thermostat settings (JSON body)
• POST /advanced - Save advanced settings (JSON body)
• GET /cmd?button=[1-4] - Send IR command (1=Power, 2=Hot+, 3=Hot-, 4=Air)
• POST /resetwifi - Reset WiFi settings and restart

Technical Details

WiFi Reconnection

The system uses ESP32 WiFi Events for robust connection management:

• Event-Driven: ARDUINO_EVENT_WIFI_STA_DISCONNECTED triggers automatic reconnection
• Retry Interval: Attempts reconnection every 30 seconds during outages
• Post-Reconnect: Automatically resyncs NTP time and updates weather data
• Handles: Power outages, router restarts, network blackouts

Instant Data Loading

When clients connect to the web interface:

• Server-Side Injection: Temperature, time, and fireplace state embedded directly in HTML
• No Initial Delay: Data displays immediately without waiting for HTTP requests
• Update Cycle: Continues polling every 5 seconds for real-time updates

HTML Optimization

The web interface uses a dual-file system for optimal development and production:

• Development: html.h - Readable, well-formatted HTML/CSS/JS with comments (30.1 KB)
• Production: html_compressed.h - Minified version without comments/whitespace (22.9 KB)
• Savings: 7.2 KB (24% reduction) in Flash memory
• Selection: Controlled by USE_COMPRESSED_HTML define in FireplaceRemote.ino

For Development:

// #define USE_COMPRESSED_HTML  // Comment out

For Production:

#define USE_COMPRESSED_HTML  // Uncomment (default)

Editing: Always edit html.h for UI changes, then regenerate html_compressed.h

Temperature Control Logic

The thermostat uses hysteresis to prevent rapid on/off cycling:

• Turn ON: When indoor temp drops below (target - hysteresis)
• Turn OFF: When indoor temp reaches target
• Outdoor Check: Fireplace disabled when outdoor temp ≥ threshold
• Schedule Check: Only operates during configured days/hours
• Manual Override: 5-minute pause on manual button press

Temperature Filtering

Indoor temperature uses 10-sample moving average filter to reduce noise.

IR Signal Details

• Protocol: Raw IR (38kHz carrier)

Data Persistence

Settings stored in ESP32 NVS (Non-Volatile Storage):

• Thermostat enabled/disabled
• Target temperature
• Schedule (days, start/end hours)
• Temperature hysteresis
• Outdoor temperature threshold
• Fireplace on/off state

Troubleshooting

Buttons Don't Work

• Check IR LED wiring and polarity
• Verify GPIO 15 connection
• Ensure proper current limiting resistor
• Check serial monitor for "IR: Done" messages

Temperature Reads Error

• Verify DS18B20 wiring
• Check 4.7kΩ pull-up resistor
• Test sensor with separate sketch
• Check for "Temperature sensor disconnected" in serial monitor

WiFi Won't Connect

• Use factory reset (BOOT button method)
• Verify WiFi credentials
• Check 2.4GHz network (ESP32 doesn't support 5GHz)
• Ensure router allows new device connections

WiFi Keeps Disconnecting

• Check Serial Monitor for "WiFi connection lost!" messages
• System will automatically attempt reconnection every 30 seconds
• If reconnection fails repeatedly:
  • Check WiFi signal strength (ESP32 should be within router range)
  • Verify router stability
  • Check for MAC address filtering on router
  • Consider reducing WiFi sleep mode if enabled

Web Page Won't Load

• Check ESP32 IP address in serial monitor
• Verify device on same WiFi network
• Try accessing via IP instead of hostname
• Clear browser cache

Configuration Constants

Key constants that can be modified in FireplaceRemote.ino:

// Temperature thresholds
const float DEFAULT_TARGET_TEMP = 72.0;           // Default target (°F)
const float DEFAULT_TEMP_HYSTERESIS = 2.0;        // Default hysteresis (°F)
const float DEFAULT_OUTDOOR_TEMP_THRESHOLD = 50.0; // Outdoor threshold (°F)

// Schedule defaults
const uint8_t DEFAULT_START_HOUR = 8;             // 8 AM
const uint8_t DEFAULT_END_HOUR = 22;              // 10 PM
const uint8_t DEFAULT_DAYS_MASK = 0b01111111;     // All days enabled

// Timing
const unsigned long TEMP_READ_INTERVAL = 1000;     // 1 second
const unsigned long WEATHER_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 1800000; // 30 minutes
const unsigned long MANUAL_OVERRIDE_DURATION = 300000; // 5 minutes
const unsigned long WIFI_RECONNECT_INTERVAL = 30000; // 30 seconds

License

This project is open source. Feel free to modify and distribute.

Credits

• Author: sensboston
• Hardware: ESP32, Duraflame Electric Fireplace
• Libraries: WiFiManager, ESPAsyncWebServer, IRremote, DallasTemperature

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please open an issue on GitHub.