Use case
Power outage alerts
An alarm that runs on site has a problem when the site loses power: it goes off with everything else. A power outage alert has to come from somewhere that still has power.
NoDisrupt turns that around. A small device on the mains circuit you care about checks in every minute. When the power goes, the check-ins stop, and the alert is sent from our side, by SMS, phone call or email.
Works on the Free plan. No card to start.
Start freeHow it works
- Step 1
Pick a device on the right circuit
A Raspberry Pi, an ESP32 on a USB plug or any always-on box. Plug it into the circuit you want to watch, not into a UPS, or it will keep running through the outage.
- Step 2
Check in every minute
Post any reading to an asset monitor, or call a heartbeat URL, from cron or the device's loop.
- Step 3
Set the window
Alert after, say, 3 missed minutes, so a router reboot does not page anyone.
- Step 4
Know when it is back
When check-ins resume, the incident resolves, and its timeline shows how long the power was off.
* * * * * curl -fsS -m 10 -X POST "$FEED_URL" -H "Authorization: Bearer $FEED_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"metrics": {"mains": "on"}}'What it tells you
| Watch | Metric or check | Example alert |
|---|---|---|
| Power or connection lost | no data received | No check-in for 3 minutes |
| Power restored | check-ins resume | Incident resolves, with the duration |
| Supply voltage (optional) | voltage_v | Below 210 V |
| UPS on battery (optional) | ups_status (text) | Equals on_battery |
- It cannot tell a power cut from an internet outage: both stop the check-ins. If you need to know which, add a second device on a UPS-backed connection.
- The device has to be plugged into the circuit you are watching and must not be on a UPS itself.
- Asset monitors work on every plan, including Free, with email alerts; SMS and calls use the credits included with paid plans. Heartbeat URLs start on Core.
Common questions
How do I get a text when the power goes off?
Put a device on the mains circuit that posts a reading to NoDisrupt every minute, and add SMS to the monitor's escalation policy. When the power fails the readings stop, and NoDisrupt sends the text.
Does it work if the internet goes down with the power?
Yes, that is the point. The alert comes from NoDisrupt's servers noticing the silence, so nothing at your site needs to be working.
Can it monitor power at a second home or a remote site?
Yes. Any site with mains power and an internet connection works, and each site is its own monitor.
How quickly will I know?
As soon as the window you set has passed. With check-ins every minute and a 3-minute window, you hear within about 3 to 4 minutes.