Help refining my pool pump automations

xbmcnut · January 29, 2020, 3:52am

Hey there,

I’ve just switched power companies and I’m now on two tiers, off-peak 1100-1700 and 2100-0700 Mon to Friday and all weekend. To leverage the cheap power, I want to tweak my automation below so I always get 8 hours of pool pump operation but only between the off-peak hours.

Anyone know how to modify my scripts to check for those time and days?

  - alias: 'Check Pool Pump in Season'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
      - platform: time_pattern
        minutes: '/2'
        # seconds: 00
    condition:
        - condition: time
          after: '11:00:00'
          before: '16:55:00'
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_select.pool_pump
          state: Auto
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_boolean.swimming_season
          state: 'on'

  - alias: 'Pool Pump Off 1700'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
    - platform: time
      at: '17:00:00'
    condition:
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_boolean.swimming_season
          state: 'on'
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_select.pool_pump
          state: Auto
    action:
      service: homeassistant.turn_off
      entity_id: switch.pool_pump

Jon_ctrl · January 29, 2020, 3:56am

i know its a minor curveball but do you have solar?
it’s worth maximising solar export pool pump time as you get to heat the pool for free that way too.

xbmcnut · January 29, 2020, 3:57am

I’d love solar but here in NZ the parts are still too expensive so the repay time is about 20 years!

Jon_ctrl · January 29, 2020, 4:24am

you can have nested conditions with and’s and or’s
so you could have an OR condition containing 2 ANDs
one of the ANDs would be
condition: time (weekday)
condition: day (weekday)
and the other
condition: time (weekend)
condition: day (weekend)

if that makes sense

xbmcnut · January 29, 2020, 4:44am

Thank you, I had looked at that but I was looking for something a bit smarter.

Mon-Friday, I need to start at 1100 but stop at 1700 then restart at 2100 for the last 2hrs of pumping (total 8hrs). However, Saturday and Sunday I can resume normal scheduling and use 0900 - 1700. Looking for a way to weave those on/off statements into one or two automations.

xbmcnut · January 29, 2020, 9:10am

So here’s where I’m going.

###################################
##  Automations
###################################
automation:

  - alias: 'Pool Pump on Test'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
      - platform: time_pattern
        minutes: '/2'
        # seconds: 00
    condition:
      condition: or
      conditions:
        - condition: time
          after: '11:00:00'
          before: '16:55:00'
          weekday:
          - mon
          - tue
          - wed
          - thu
          - fri
        - condition: time
          after: '21:00:00'
          before: '22:55:00'
          weekday:
          - mon
          - tue
          - wed
          - thu
          - fri     
        - condition: time
          after: '09:00:00'
          before: '16:55:00'
          weekday:
          - sat
          - sun               
    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_on
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

  - alias: 'Turn off fake pool pump after 8hrs'
    initial_state: true
    trigger:

    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_off
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

sensor:
  - platform: history_stats
    name: Fake Pool Pump running today
    entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump
    state: 'on'
    type: time
    start: '{{ now().replace(hour=0).replace(minute=0).replace(second=0) }}'
    end: '{{ now() }}'

  - platform: template
    sensors:
      fake_pool_pump_time_on:
        value_template: '{{ states.sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today.attributes.value }}'
        friendly_name: 'Fake Pool Pump Hours Running'

So as I’m tracking the on time of the input_boolean, all I need now is a trigger template that reads the hours/minutes and after 08:00 of on time, I can turn off the device. Anyone help with that template?

Burningstone · January 29, 2020, 9:18am

Couldn’t you just add a “for 8 hours” to your trigger for turning off the pump after 8 hours?
Like this:

- alias: 'Turn off fake pool pump after 8hrs'
  initial_state: true
  trigger:
    platform: state
    entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump
    to: 'on'
    for:
      hours: 8
  action:
    service: input_boolean.turn_off
    entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

This will turn off the input_boolean when it has been on for 8 hours.

xbmcnut · January 29, 2020, 9:34am

No, as that won’t survive Home Assistant restarts or account for any times when I do filter maintenance and turn the pump on and off manually for a few minutes. Needs to track total time on for the day and turn off after a total on time of 8hrs 0 minutes.

xbmcnut · January 31, 2020, 11:37pm

Anyone got any ideas on how I get the pool pump to turn off when anyone of these two sensors counts through 8hrs?

  - platform: history_stats
    name: Pool Pump running today
    entity_id: sensor.pool_pump_status
    state: 'Active'
    type: time
    start: '{{ now().replace(hour=0).replace(minute=0).replace(second=0) }}'
    end: '{{ now() }}'

  - platform: template
    sensors:
      pool_pump_time_on:
        value_template: '{{ states.sensor.pool_pump_running_today.attributes.value }}'
        friendly_name: 'Pool Pump Hours Running'

The last one counts as hours and minutes (currently 1h 36m) and the first ones counts in decimal (currently 1.61).

xbmcnut · February 1, 2020, 12:21am

OK, here is where I’ve got to which might work?

  - alias: 'Fake Pool Pump Off'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
      - platform: time_pattern
        minutes: '/5'
        # seconds: 00
    condition:
      condition: and
      conditions:
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump
          state: 'on'      
        - condition: template
          value_template: "{{ states('sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today') | float > 8.00 }}"
        - condition: or
          conditions:
            - condition: time
              after: '17:00:00'
              before: '23:15:00'
              weekday:
              - mon
              - tue
              - wed
              - thu
              - fri    
            - condition: time
              after: '17:00:00'
              before: '18:00:00'
              weekday:
              - sat
              - sun    
    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_off
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

I can’t use the sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today as a trigger I believe at there is no state change so I’m checking every 5 minutes around the times when it should have been running for 8hrs (8.00). the problem with that methodology is there is a possibility that the time window could get missed if I accidentally turn the pump off and then its short on hours for the day when it starts up. It will never get a pump off command.

I ideally need a time based trigger that is creating a state change when "{{ states('sensor.pool_pump_running_today') | float > 8.00 }}" reports true. Is that possible? Can I create a sensor to do that?

xbmcnut · February 1, 2020, 12:46am

Shoot! Was actually quite easy!

binary_sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      fake_pool_ran_for_8hrs:
        friendly_name: "Fake Pool Ran for 8hrs"
        value_template: >-
          {{ states('sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today') | float > 8.00 }}

Then use the binary sensor as the trigger.

  - alias: 'Fake Pool Pump Off'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.fake_pool_ran_for_8hrs
        to: 'on'
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump
        state: 'on'   
    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_off
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

jwelter · February 1, 2020, 1:03am

You can move that template from the binary sensor to the trigger if you don’t want that sensor for other uses. This allows you to update it easier as you can reload automations versus restarting for sensor updates.

  - alias: 'Fake Pool Pump Off'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today
        above: 8
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump
        state: 'on'   
    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_off
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

xbmcnut · February 1, 2020, 1:43am

Thank you! Me overthinking everything again!

I’ve added a condition into the start timer to ensure that the pump does not start again within the time window if it’s already been on for 8hrs and we are good to go.

###################################
##  Automations
###################################
automation:

  - alias: 'Pool Pump on Test'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
      - platform: time_pattern
        minutes: '/2'
        # seconds: 00
    condition:
      condition: and
      conditions:
#''and' condition to check all states are true and will only proceed if all are true #
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_select.pool_pump
          state: Auto
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_boolean.swimming_season
          state: 'on'
        - condition: numeric_state
          entity_id: sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today
          below: 8.00
# The 'or' conditions check if 'any' of the stated times are relevant and proceeds if any are #
# Opened the time windows for off-peak hours #
        - condition: or
          conditions:
            - condition: time
              after: '11:00:00'
              before: '16:58:00'
              weekday:
              - mon
              - tue
              - wed
              - thu
              - fri
            - condition: time
              after: '21:00:00'
              before: '22:58:00'
              weekday:
              - mon
              - tue
              - wed
              - thu
              - fri     
            - condition: time
              after: '09:00:00'
              before: '18:58:00'
              weekday:
              - sat
              - sun               
    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_on
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

  - alias: 'Fake Pool Pump Off'
    initial_state: true
    hide_entity: true
    trigger:
    trigger:
      - platform: numeric_state
        entity_id: sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today
        above: 8.00
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump
        state: 'on' 
    action:
      service: input_boolean.turn_off
      entity_id: input_boolean.fake_pool_pump

jwelter · February 1, 2020, 2:19pm

You can probably simplify it a bit more by changing your trigger in the turn on automation.

If you only want runtime of 8 hours a day you can always use the daily window from 21:00 to 7:00

So you could trigger to turn on at 21:00 with your condition on the runtime and the booleans you have.

Then use the turn off automation to turn it off as you are when runtime is over 8 hours.

You could also use an input_number for the 8 hours so your runtime is exposed in the web gui if you want to bump that up over the season (here in MD we run runs longer in the hot season versus cool).

Please be mindful of typos below, not done in a YAML editor.

 trigger:
    - platform: time
      at: "21:05:00"

 condition:
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_select.pool_pump
          state: Auto
        - condition: state
          entity_id: input_boolean.swimming_season
          state: 'on'
        - condition: numeric_state
          entity_id: sensor.fake_pool_pump_running_today
          below: 8.00

 action:
   ....turn on pump.....

Jon_ctrl · February 3, 2020, 1:20am

I created a ‘time to run’ sensor and put a condition in the pump start routine that ‘time to run’ had to be above 0.
the benefit of this approach is an easily displaying how long in a given day the pump has been on.
probably not essential in your exact setup but if you’re triggering the pool pump using solar production its handy to know the trending run-time to avoid random swampiness.

xbmcnut · February 17, 2020, 9:17am

Thanks Jon and apologies for the delayed reply. I have to have specific start and stop times defined so the pool pump operates around the off-peak power rates. It’s all working a treat now with Mon-Fri 6hrs during the day and 2hrs at night and at the weekend, it returns to normal 0900-1700 as all weekend is all off-peak. First power bill using this methodology is the lowest I’ve ever had. Now to tackle the hot water cylinder!!

xbmcnut · November 3, 2020, 5:55am

I’m now wanting to extend this further and tidy it up a bit. I’ve realised I have a sensor called sensor.power_rate that is either peak or offpeak so I could use that to define when the pump starts? That would remove the necessity for all of the time conditions.

But how would I get the pump to start at 0900 everyday but only if the the power rate was offpeak whilst waiting for the power to change to offpeak if it was peak at 0900 (weekdays)? Furthermore, it would need to stop when the rate changed at 1700 to peak and again wait until the rate change back to offpeak at 2100 and then finally finish for the day when sensor.pool_pump_running_today was > 8.00.

Anyone got a clue on how to roll that all together?

exxamalte · November 3, 2020, 3:07pm

I would approach this with an automation using a time_pattern trigger that runs every 5 minutes between 9am and nighttime.
And then you could implement a templated action that distinguishes two cases:

If offpeak and pool_pump_running_today < 8: turn pump on
Else, turn pump off

xbmcnut · November 4, 2020, 5:49am

Thanks, great advice. I’ll see what I can work out.

xbmcnut · November 4, 2020, 8:50pm

Any idea on whether I can combine everything into one service_template inside an action?

{% if is_state('light.shelly_dimmer_kitchen' , 'on') and ('light.shelly_dimmer_lounge' , 'on')%}
    yes 
    {% else %}
    no 
    {% endif %}

I’m testing with two lights I can easily turn on and off to validate the template but in the scenario above, I get a yes with only one light on so the and is not working.

I already have a time pattern trigger so start the automation so I’d continue with this with one condition that it was after 0900 then an action that tests the and condition and either turns on or off the pump.

action:
     - service_template: "{% if is_state('sensor.power_rate' , 'offpeak') and ('sensor.pool_pump_running_today', '<8') %}
        switch.turn_on 
        {% else %}
        switch.turn_off
        {% endif %}"
        entity_id: switch.pool_pump