Automation Troubles

Configuration
1

Hello.

I would like some help with my automation for turning on a group of lights. I copied the sample automation form the docs section at the Home Assistant website and changed it as necessary for my setup. The problem I am having is that the automation just isn’t working :frowning:. Specifically I was waiting for the lights to come on an hour before sunset but that time came and went and nothing happened. I have verified that group.all_devices (One of the Triggers) is working and is showing “home” and if I manually trigger the automation the lights I defined come on. Here is the automation.

  • alias: ‘Lights On In Evening When We Get Home’
    trigger:
    • platform: sun
      event: sunset
      offset: ‘-01:00:00’
    • platform: state
      entity_id: group.all_devices
      to: ‘home’
      condition:
    • condition: state
      entity_id: group.all_devices
      state: ‘home’
    • condition: time
      after: ‘17:00:00’
      before: ‘23:00:00’
      action:
      service: homeassistant.turn_on
      entity_id: group.homelights

Thanks Riley.

2

Please apply proper formatting to your piece of code.

3

I would suggest making the trigger only be about the device going to a state of ‘home’ and put the sunset offset into the conditions. for example I have this automation to turn on my lounge room LIFX bulb when either my wife or my phone comes home (specifically keeping those two devices in a separate group).

alias: Turn on lounge light when we come home 
  trigger:
    platform: state    
    entity_id: group.parentsp 
    from: 'not_home'
    to: 'home'
  condition:
    condition: and
    conditions:
    - condition: sun
      after: sunset
      after_offset: "-00:30:00"
    - condition: time
      before: "21:00:00"
    - condition: state 
      entity_id: input_boolean.lighting_by_presence
      state: 'on'    
  action:    
    service: scene.turn_on
    entity_id: scene.welcome_home
4

You can then also write another automation if you’re already home that simply turns on the light(s) at a certain time.

#Turn on lounge light before sunset   
- alias: Turn on lounge light before sunset 
  trigger:
    platform: sun
    event: sunset
    offset: "-00:25:00"
  condition:
    condition: and
    conditions:
    - condition: state
      entity_id: group.parentsp
      state: home
    - condition: state 
      entity_id: input_boolean.lighting_by_presence 
      state: 'on'
  action:
    service: scene.turn_on
    entity_id: scene.welcome_home
5

Thank you very much I will apply your suggestions to my HA and will report back if everything works ok.

Riley.

6

It works fantastic.

Thanks.

7

Good to hear