A communications adapter may be in operative communication with the controller of the appliance via a connector, cable, or wire configured to send and/or receive electrical signals, data, and/or power. Through the connector, the communications adapter may be configured to retrieve various types of appliance data (both real-time and static data) from the appliance controller. The communications adapter may then wirelessly communicate with a user device to relay the appliance data and receive user inputs. In this manner, the communications adapter provides a way to retrofit legacy appliances with wireless communication capabilities, which in turn enables the user to remotely monitor and control the appliances.