My washing machine and tumble dryer are both started by a thermal touch button.
I would love to auto-start the machines when my solar panels are generating power, but I cannot find any solution to simulate a human touch on the start button. Some kind of small heating element could maybe do the trick; did anyone here try anything like this, and did it go well?
I’d prefer to keep both machines intact, by the way, so I really want to use a something that can be applied from the outside. 
Are you sure it’s thermal and not capacitive?
I’m not an specialist, but the electronics inside look like this, according to the manufacturers website.
The spiral-shaped parts are behind the display in the positions where one is supposed to touch.
Those look like capacitive sensors. You could use a device like a Switchbot that would push a grounded metal strip against the touch-sensitive part (although it wouldn’t be very pretty).
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The Smart Implant from Fibaro or the Shelly Unit can be used for such purposes. However, very good electronic skills are required to install them. In addition, the electronic technical data must of course be compatible.
Edit
!! Please ask your local electrician if it works with the mentioned devices !!
I’m not sure, capacitive sensors don’t work by detecting a make-or-break contact, which is what both these devices offer.
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Okay!? I thought capacitive sensors also work somehow like switches.
They work by detecting a change in capacitance (electronically), not by shorting out two contacts like with a normal switch (mechanically).
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