Add option to change device_type "cover" to device_type "valve"

Feature Requests
1

Currently, I have a motorized valve, which will be controlled by a “Cover” controller from HomeMatic IP (HmIP-BROLL or HmIP-FROLL).

These controllers are just powering a Motor and giving back position information.
Therefore, they can be used perfectly fine and work with a motorized valve just as fine as with a cover-motor.

I would like to have a way to change the device type from COVER to VALVE, just in the way as it is currently possible for SWITCH device types - but the device should keep the functionality (move to position, position reporting, open / close).

I think, implementing this as a helper would be perfectly fine here :slight_smile:

old:

Hi there,

Currently, I am working on an automated valve.
To controll the motor of the valve, I am using a spare Shutter controller I have left here.

It’s a pretty simple setup - the Shutter Controller does move the motor from the Valve, just like it would do with the Shutter-motor… and it is able to provide the information how much the valve is closed / opened.

Unfortunately, I can’t change the device type to Valve.
There are several options supported in the section “show as” - but not Valve:

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I would love to see the option valve to be supported here, even if this might be an edge-case to use…

2

Valves are a completely separate entity in home assistant with 2 device_classes water and gas.

It sounds like your feature request should really be asking the integration that’s creating your cover to actually create a valve.

3

Hm…
Unfortunately, that’s nearly Impossible… :frowning:
From the Integration the device IS a shutter Controller and nothing else.

But since I do have the Option to Switch between the other Options weithin HomeAssistant - which means, I could use the device for other things in theory, I think it should also allow me to setup the device as valve.

I will ask there Integration devs If there’s a way to get Something implemented or If they have any Idea…

4

Yes, and I’m saying that you should be requesting for the integration to provide a valve instead of requesting that covers add a device_class: valve. Unless you’re saying that the device truly is a shutter device that you’ve rigged up to use on a valve.

5

sorry, maybe my wording was not quite clear…
The device is in fact a Shutter controller.
But instead of controlling the motor of a shutter / cover - it should controll the motor of a valve.

Technically, this is working without any issues, you have just to adapt the “Open” / “Close” position within the device correctly.

The Device is a HomeMaticIP Hardware - so, while I am using a custom component for my Homematic (IP) setup, this would also be the case with either the HomematicIP Cloud or the Homematic Integration that comes with the Core, since these are in fact Cover / Shutter controllers. (HmIP-BROLL, HmIP-FROLL)

and for someone, who’s already using Homematic, this would be a simple setup rather than searching for any other integration or using other technologies such as Zigbee, Wifi or even do just the same with an ESP… when it’s perfectly fine to use an existing controller :slight_smile:

6

Try using a template sensor. It is not what you wanted exactly, but it would work. :slight_smile:

7

I know that a sensor would work… but it would just be a “sensor”…

The thing is:

I can change a switch to be a valve (open / close) or even a shutter / cover (open / close)

I can change a shutter to be a door, window, cover, gate, or several other types…
It’s just that I can’t change the device itself to be the control type “valve”.

A sensor template would not change anything here :slight_smile:

8

Will Customizing entities - Home Assistant work?

9

that’s just about changing the name and ID… :wink: and isn’t what I am looking for.
Sorry

btw:
wasn’t “valve” once introduced, because people have used “shutter & cover” devices for this instead?
At least, they are comparing it with “cover” in the release notes, so I would have expected this to be available already :slight_smile:

10

I think the misunderstanding here is that there’s a special integration that allows changing device type of switch into something else, including valve:

But what you screenshotted in the first post is NOT the same thing. It’s not about changing device type, which would change the entity as it does with switches
(for example from switch.whatever to light.whatever).

To be honest, I have no clue what is this option for changing device class really useful for. But it does not change the entity type.

So I think what OP is really requesting with the FR is to create a new integration to allow changing cover entities into valve entities (and maybe other things). Or to add this functionality to the integration that does that for switches. This actually does make sense to me.

1 Like
11

thanks :slight_smile:
this was indeed the first place I looked for - but since I could not add a “cover.” device there, I was just looking into the options of the entitiy itself, where I saw the different options the entitiy could be shown as…

Probably, I was confused about this - or I couldn’t really find the right words to describe what I wanted.

But you are completely right.

12

I would edit the request then. It is the first thing a potential helper will see and your most effective place to argue your point to someone to help you…

Suggested Reading:
More about Feature Requests.

13

OP, when you say device type, I’m assuming you actually mean device class, right?

Even if you could change the device class (and you can, as pointed out already, through customisation), the integration won’t be able to understand it. So, even if the entities are now valve.*, the integration will only understand cover.* services.

So, what I think you are actually asking for is for HA to be a kind of proxy, either acting like the “switch as light” integration (call it “cover as valve”, for example) or having a template valve integration (like we have template cover and all of that).

1 Like