How to use a datetime helper in an automation that needs the date and time

Configuration
1

Hi,
I am still learning my way round HA, but loving its capability.

I want to be able to set a date and time in the future to automate an action (inhibiting the hot water heater when away on holiday).

I have created a datetime helper, which collects the date and time fine.

The problem is how to include the date in an automation. I can use the ‘time’ condition in the automation UI, but that just looks at the time component of the datetime helper, and doesnt check whether the date has passed. I cant see how to get the date checked a a condition. Does it need to be done in YAML, or do I need to use a template?

I have dug around in the documentation and other questions on this forum, and havent found an answer.

Thanks for your help
Jon

2

Can’t you have the datetime as the trigger?

3

From what you have described, you could use two Input datetime helpers (start & end) and then create a Template binary sensor:

template:
  - binary_sensor:
      - name: "On Vacation"
        state: >
          {{ states('input_datetime.vacation_start') | as_datetime | as_local <= now() 
          < states('input_datetime.vacation_end') | as_datetime | as_local }}

This will give you a sensor called binary_sensor.on_vacation that will have a state of “on” when the current time and date is between your start and end datetimes, otherwise it will be “off”. Then, in you automation(s), you add a State condition:

condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.on_vacation
    state: 'off'

EDIT: Corrected typo in template

1 Like
4

Drew, hi,
Thanks. I think this will do what I’m looking for. Really useful.
Cheers
Jon

5

Im trying to use this code above but get a TemplateSyntaxError: Encountered unknown tag ‘states’.
My code

template:
  - binary_sensor:
      - name: "Its Easter"
        state: >
          {% states('input_datetime.easter_start') | as_datetime | as_local <= now() 
          < states('input_datetime.easter_end') | as_datetime | as_local %}

I also don’t understand why when using this in automations it only pulls the time and not the date from he input_datetime entity

Screenshot (1)
Screenshot (1)1920×1080 163 KB

ui automation code

alias: turn holiday switches on and off
description: ""
trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: input_datetime.easter_start
    id: easter starts
  - platform: time
    at: input_datetime.easter_end
    id: easter ends
  - platform: state
    entity_id:
      - input_select.house_mode
    to: Home
condition: []
action:
  - if:
      - condition: and
        conditions:
          - condition: time
            after: input_datetime.easter_start
            before: input_datetime.easter_end
    then:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        data: {}
        target:
          entity_id: switch.easter
    else:
      - if:
          - condition: and
            conditions:
              - condition: not
                conditions:
                  - condition: time
                    after: input_datetime.easter_start
                    before: input_datetime.easter_end
        then:
          - service: switch.turn_off
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: switch.easter
mode: single
6

There’s a typo in the posted Solution.

In the template, replace:

{% with {{

%} with }}

1 Like
7

Awesome I will try that, thank you!

8

I am trying to do similar to this. I cannot get it to work, I am using various calculations and it feels like input_datetime (only using time element) is not a properly formatted time? athough the developer tools show it as 08:39:09 for example…

binary_sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      actual_charging_window_active:
        friendly_name: "Actual Charging Window Active"
        value_template: >
          {{ states('input_datetime.charge_window_start') | as_datetime | as_local <= now() 
          and now() <= states('input_datetime.charge_window_end') | as_datetime | as_local }}

      calculated_charging_window_active:
        friendly_name: "Calculated Charging Window Active"
        value_template: >
          {{ states('sensor.calculated_charge_start_time') | as_datetime | as_local <= now() 
          and now() <= states('input_datetime.charge_window_end') | as_datetime | as_local }}

I’ve tried various ways of doing this then hit a brick wall with errors like TypeError: ‘<=’ not supported between instances of ‘str’ and ‘datetime.datetime’

9

I think I got it working…

What a strange arrangement with the time

  charge_window_active:
    friendly_name: "Charge Window Active"
    value_template: >-
      {{ now().time() >= strptime(states('input_datetime.charge_window_start'), '%H:%M:%S').time() and 
        now().time() <= strptime(states('input_datetime.charge_window_end'), '%H:%M:%S').time() }}

  calc_charge_window_active:
    friendly_name: "Calc Charge Window Active"
    value_template: >-
      {{ now().time() >= strptime(states('sensor.calculated_charge_start_time'), '%H:%M:%S').time() and 
        now().time() <= strptime(states('input_datetime.charge_window_end'), '%H:%M:%S').time() }}