Discover the ins and outs of a simple, event-driven microservice setup for tracking your washer and dryer with smart plugs
If you’ve ever forgotten your laundry in the washer or dryer, you’re not alone. I found myself in that exact spot a while back and decided to solve it with technology. That’s how I ended up building a real-time appliance monitoring system using TP-Link Tapo smart plugs. It’s a neat little setup that tells me exactly when my washer or dryer starts and finishes — and it’s designed to be flexible enough for other appliances too.
What Does Real-Time Appliance Monitoring Mean?
When I talk about real-time appliance monitoring, I’m really describing a way to get instant updates on your appliances’ usage. Instead of just guessing when the laundry is done, the system tracks power usage and sends me notifications right away. That way, I can plan my time better and never forget chores.
How I Built the System
I chose TP-Link Tapo smart plugs because they’re widely available and offer good integration options. The architecture I used is an async, event-driven microservice system leveraging RabbitMQ for messaging. This means the different parts of the system talk to each other through messages, and everything runs smoothly without blocking.
Here’s a quick rundown of the components:
- Tapo Service: This monitors the smart plugs for power usage changes.
- Notification Service: This handles sending alerts through a Telegram bot.
- RabbitMQ: Acts as the messaging broker between services.
I containerized everything using Docker, which means I can spin up the entire stack easily on any system and scale it if needed. While I mainly use it for two plugs on my washer and dryer, the system can support many more devices seamlessly.
Why Use RabbitMQ and Microservices?
RabbitMQ is fantastic for handling messages between services without making things complicated or slow. By splitting the system into microservices, I keep things modular. Each service does one job, and they work together via messaging. It’s also easier to maintain and upgrade later if I want to add new features.
Getting Notifications with Telegram
I love getting quick updates on my phone, so I built a simple Telegram bot to send notifications whenever my appliances start or finish. It’s handy and way more reliable than checking manually or waiting around.
What Can You Do With Real-Time Appliance Monitoring?
While I built this mainly to keep an eye on laundry, the possibilities go beyond that. Any appliance with a smart plug can be tracked this way — coffee makers, heaters, lights, you name it. You could even add more complex logic for energy saving or automate other smart home tasks.
If You Want to Try It Yourself
The whole setup is open source and available on GitHub. You can check it out here: Smart Plug Notifier. It includes all the code you’ll need and instructions to get started.
Before diving in, I recommend checking out the official TP-Link Tapo documentation for compatibility and setup tips: TP-Link Tapo Smart Plug. Also, for understanding messaging queues and microservices, RabbitMQ’s website is a solid resource: RabbitMQ Tutorials.
Final Thoughts
Building this real-time appliance monitoring system was a fun project that solved a real problem for me. It taught me a lot about microservices, async communication, and smart home tech. If you feel like automating parts of your home and keeping better tabs on your appliances, this could be a starting point. Plus, it’s pretty satisfying knowing you’ll never forget your laundry again!
If you’re curious about microservices or smart home automation, give it a shot or drop your questions below. I’d love to hear if anyone else’s tried something similar or has ideas for improvements!
Published on August 21, 2025