Tongou 1-63a Din Rail Breaker Review & Setup + Tips

Hardware
1

Reason for purchase: monitor minisplit hvac systems individually.

So i originally purchased the Aeliussine wifi version and paired it to home assistant was amazed it paired easily caught the wifi through the roof no problem and integrated into home assistant via tuya local integration using the taffware_1p63_breaker device profile. Below are the exposed entities:

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Number one wasnt stoked about having to use tuya for anything power related :sweat_smile: but it was okay, the reason for my return however is because it polls at 40/second intervals which is too slow for power monitoring and power related automation i may or may not setup in the future so i decided to go zigbee version

The polling time was much better as low as 1 second (not sure how polling is handled for zigbee stuff tho) but never seen it over 15seconds. and at first it originally exposed the same set of sensors via zha:

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So annoyed with that i then found out about quirks for and chat gpt recommended one to me full prompt below.

The secret sauce

1. Create a folder for custom quirks

In Home Assistant, make this folder:

/config/custom_zha_quirks

That is the standard folder path people use for local ZHA quirks. (Home Assistant Community)

How to create it depends on how you access Home Assistant:

  • File Editor add-on: open /config and create a new folder named custom_zha_quirks
  • Samba/Network share: browse to the config share from your computer and create the folder there
  • Terminal/SSH add-on: run:
mkdir -p /config/custom_zha_quirks

2. Put the quirk file in that folder

Download or copy the custom quirk file you found, which is:

tz3000_cayepv1a.py

and save it here:

/config/custom_zha_quirks/tz3000_cayepv1a.py

That gist is specifically labeled for TS011F Circuit Breaker / Tongou TO-Q-SY2-JZT and others. (Gist)

3. Tell ZHA where that folder is

Open your configuration.yaml and add this:

zha:
  enable_quirks: true
  custom_quirks_path: /config/custom_zha_quirks

Community ZHA setup guides show custom_quirks_path pointing to that folder so Home Assistant can load local quirk files. (Home Assistant Community)

If you already have a zha: section, do not make a second one. Just add these lines under the existing zha: block.

Example:

zha:
  zigpy_config:
    ota:
      enabled: true
  enable_quirks: true
  custom_quirks_path: /config/custom_zha_quirks

4. Check the YAML

Go to:

Developer Tools → YAML → Check configuration

If it reports an error, stop there and fix it before restarting.

5. Restart Home Assistant

Restart Home Assistant after saving the file. ZHA only picks up the local quirk after the restart. Community reports also warn that ZHA can fail to start if the configured quirks folder is missing or the quirk file has a fatal error. (GitHub)

6. Re-pair the device

For this kind of custom quirk, the safest method is usually:

  1. Go to your device in ZHA
  2. Remove/delete it from ZHA
  3. Put the breaker back into pairing mode
  4. Add it again in ZHA

Community guidance and user reports commonly recommend re-pairing so the new handler attaches during device initialization. (Home Assistant Community)

7. Verify that the quirk loaded

After the device is added again:

  • open the device page in ZHA
  • look for a field showing the quirk
  • if it loaded from your local file, it often shows a shorter local module path rather than the normal built-in zhaquirks... path

That behavior is described in ZHA discussions about local quirks. (GitHub)

8. If it does not work

These are the most common reasons:

  • wrong file location
  • typo in custom_quirks_path
  • bad indentation in configuration.yaml
  • Python file saved with the wrong filename
  • device was not removed and re-paired
  • the quirk does not exactly match your manufacturer/model signature
  • the custom quirk is outdated for your Home Assistant version

Also note that custom quirks can break when ZHA or zigpy changes underneath them, which is one reason they are treated as a workaround until merged upstream. (GitHub)

What I would do in your case

Use exactly this layout:

/config/custom_zha_quirks/tz3000_cayepv1a.py

and this config:

zha:
  enable_quirks: true
  custom_quirks_path: /config/custom_zha_quirks

Then restart Home Assistant and re-pair the Tongou breaker.

If you paste your current configuration.yaml zha: section, I’ll show you exactly where to insert it so you do not break the file.

And now i got more sensors exposed

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Important to note while these are marketed as “Din rail breakers” think of them as smart switches or relays not as actual breakers. So you must have this down the line after a real breaker (all electrical wiring in your home SHOULD already be backed by a breaker but for hvac projects like mine you install this after your secondary box at minimum. In my case since my secondary box is two swories away from the actual compressor i install after the safety cut off for my mini split.

Main breaker > Sub panel/Mini split breaker > Safety cut off switch > Zigbee din rail breaker > Minisplit compressor > Indoor unit

For total power consumption of the unit it must be installed before the compressor and not just inside your home before the indoor unit. and you must use a water proof din rail housing unless you like your home well done with a smokey flavor. (cheap on amazon)

Regardless im satisfied with the purchase just wish it zha was more developed like Zigbee2Mqtt which actually exposes everything for this din rail unit more than zha.