Binary sensor template advise

Configuration
1

Hello all,

I have created a binary sensor template, I will use this one for a wasmachine automation.
I found this template on the internet.

It works but I wonder if I can set a “on” value and a “off” value.

For now it’s above 25w and below 25w!, Let’s say I want a higher watt number for on, and a lower number for off, that in combination with the delay_on and delay_off… I can make it more accurate and switch faster.

Is this possible?

‘’’
binary_sensor:
- platform: template
sensors:
dryer_status:
friendly_name: “Dryer”
entity_id: sensor.power_dryer
delay_on:
minutes: 2
delay_off:
minutes: 6
value_template: >-
{{ states(‘sensor.power_dryer’)|float > 25 }}
icon_template: mdi:tumble-dryer
‘’’

2

Formatting was close but you used the wrong tick marks. You need these ones: ```

And yes you can include some hysteresis in your switching levels by using the threshold binary sensor instead of the template binary sensor:

binary_sensor:
  - platform: threshold
    name: "Dryer"
    entity_id: sensor.power_dryer
    upper: 25
    hysteresis: 5

This will switch on above 30W and switch off below 20W.

EDIT: Unfortunately it does not support a delay on/off which I just noticed you need too.

So you could adjust your binary sensor template to this instead:

value_template: >-
  {% if states('sensor.power_dryer')|float > 30 %}
    {{ true }}
  {% elif states('sensor.power_dryer')|float < 20 %}
    {{ false }}
  {% else %}
    {{ is_state('binary_sensor.dryer', 'on') }}
  {% endif %}

The else statement keeps the binary sensor in it’s last state if not above or below the thresholds (converts on/off binary sensor state to true/false respectively as required by the template).

1 Like
3

Thx for you’re feedback, I will try it when I’m home.

Does this mean that I have to adjust my automation based on this template, trigger from ‘on’ to ‘true’?

4

No.

Binary sensors always have the state 'on' or 'off' you can continue to trigger on that no problem.

The template in a template binary sensor just expects a true or false result and converts that to the state 'on' or 'off'.

You did this with your original template, {{ states('sensor.power_dryer')|float > 25 }} the statement is either true (when above 25) or false (when below 25). The binary sensor converts this template result to 'on' or 'off'.

5

The other option is to use the threshold binary sensor (easier than templates) and just include a for: statement in your trigger, e.g.

binary_sensor:
  - platform: threshold
    name: "Dryer"
    entity_id: sensor.power_dryer
    upper: 25
    hysteresis: 5

automations:

trigger:
  platform: state
  entity_id: binary_sensor.dryer
  to: 'on'
  for:
    minutes: 2
...

and

trigger:
  platform: state
  entity_id: binary_sensor.dryer
  to: 'off'
  for:
    minutes: 6
...