Automation turns on lights when I get home, can't seem to get it to turn off after

Configuration
1

I have an automation that triggers outdoors light when I get home and the sun has set.

I want them to stay or for 15 minutes or so while I unpack the car.

I got the first automation working thanks to you guys, but this one has me stumped as I’m not sure why the condition is coming up as false even though looking at it through dev tools shows me it is true.

alias: Welcome home "off"
description: Turn off lights 15 minutes after welcome home automation was triggered
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id:
      - automation.welcome_home
condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: switch.lumieres_ext_entree
    state: 'on'
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 15
      seconds: 0
action:
  - type: turn_off
    device_id: 838c487b0380cd5fc80542d5da2ee686
    entity_id: switch.lumieres_ext_entree
    domain: switch
mode: single

Trace log reports this:

entity_id/0

Executed: July 16, 2022, 8:32:32 AM
Result:
result: false
state: 'off'
wanted_state: 'on'

Would this simply have to do with the fact that my lights are not on at the moment the other automation runs, since that is my trigger?

2

I believe your condition is what is causing the issue since the automation is only on during the time it runs.
So either remove condition and add a delay as the first action of 15 minutes.

Or you trigger on the light on for 15 minutes and have condition after sun down.

3

yes.

the trigger happens and it immediately checks the conditions.

the automation won’t wait for the conditions to be true. if they aren’t true when the trigger occurs then the automation stops there.

4

Don’t create a second automation that’s triggered by the activity of a first automation. Just enhance the first automation.

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5

Here’s an example of avoiding the “domino” technique of one automation triggering another.

It’s based on the automation you created in your other topic and simply enhances it with the ability to turn off the lights after 15 minutes.

alias: Control outside lights
description: Turn on when we come home at night and off 15 minutes later
trigger:
  - id: 'on'
    platform: state
    entity_id:
      - device_tracker.iphone_ian_2
      - device_tracker.wok_2
    to: 'home'
  - id: 'off'
    platform: state
    entity_id: switch.lumieres_ext_entree
    from: 'off'
    to: 'on'
    for:
      minutes: 15
condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: sun.sun
    state: below_horizon
action:
  - service: 'switch.turn_{{ trigger.id }}'
    target:
      entity_id: switch.lumieres_ext_entree
mode: single

NOTE

Be advised that any automation that relies on the use of delay, for, wait_template, wait_for_trigger, etc cannot survive a restart of Home Assistant or a reloading of automations. In other words, if Home Assistant is restarted while an automation’s 15-minute delay is counting down, the automation is cancelled and reloaded thereby terminating the delay. Whatever action comes after the delay is never executed.

FWIW, there are programming techniques, employing an input_datetime or a timer, that make time delays immune to restarts/reloads.

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