So there is an open pull request right now to add cloud support. If you want to try it now there is a hacs integration out there. For some people (myself included) at times the local integration stops working.
The working theory is that the IOT module prioritizes cloud traffic over local at times.
A future enhancement may be to auto switch from local to cloud if local goes down. I want to keep as much traffic local as possible - however even I had to switch mine to cloud mode today
The other issue with home assistant is that they want changes done in very small chunks. So we need to wait for cloud before I can get other enhancements made.
I’m planning to nix the flame switch in the future and just have a flame height with 0 being off and 5 being max height.
Happy to look at the other changes one at a time. I think I still didn’t implement the sleep timer yet either.
Thanks @jeeftor. I am already using the HACS integration. I much prefer local traffic…but begrudgingly I will switch to cloud mode to workaround the WiFi module’s shortcommings.
My requests were actually to see if you could address the noted 3 things via a HACS update? . I’d rather use local mode, attempt to automatically detect an error and issue a soft reset to recover programatically.
With regards to removing the flame switch, I actually prefer it the way it is. The fireplace remembers the flame height of when it was on last. So turning it on, allows it to automatically recall flame height (it always goes to 5 first, then down adjusts - presumably to ensure it lights properly). By using the slider to turn it off, it requires that a specific flame height be specified to turn it back on? That would essentially remove the ability to remember the previous setting. I may have the minority opinion on this one…and it’s not a huge deal for me either way. I do feel that the ergonomics of the light and the fan are more impactful than that of the slider vs switch.
Just some info based on my experiences…
I started with HA and provided some details I received from Intellifire to jeeftor to help him create this integration. I worked with intellifire a lot, they sent me new wifi module and a new updated ECM module this was last October. I since switched from HA to Hubitat and am using that integration which is based on jeeftor’s code. It’s all local control. I have not had one issue this year so far. Now I have the IP address fixed for the module via my router and I modified the polling in the habitat code when on to 10 minutes and off to 3 hours. I use it a least twice a day and have an automation that once it’s on to set the fan to the low speed, flame to high and turn the lights on. Then after 20 minutes it sets the flame down one. I have not touched my remote or the intellifire app this year. “Siri turn on the fireplace” or “Siri turn off the fireplace” I created a virtual device in Hubitat that passed to to HomeKit to allow Siri control.
FYI I deleted all and installed 0.35 and I have each entity for each device in triplicate (I have 3 fireplaces). So under each entity there are 3 “flames” for example. Local control really doesn’t work for me so I’m only using cloud.
I’ve been messing with the backing library left and right… so … makes sense somethings might be off…
I’ve been trying to update things so it will basically at startup →
do a scan to see if you have local control and/or cloud control - and then if you’ve selected an option not available it will auto-switch for you. Very likely something got funky in the process…
But 3 flames per 1 fireplace is most interesting… Will you send me a DM … and maybe you can share your credentials privately with me so I can do a pull and find the issue.
Actually never mind … something else might be going on … wonder if its the options flow. I’m showing I have 2 fireplaces this morning…
I have an idea as well what it could be:
Once I can figure out why I have 2 fireplaces… then we can talk
Yes it recognizes each separately and by their unique ID. It also recognizes each IP correctly and initially controls each fireplace. But there are triplicate controls for each entity and the connection gets lost with each fireplace pretty easily. See attached.
Latest version working well for me! I have only been using cloud control. Am getting consistent control with obvious delays sometimes reading status correctly. Am curious if you can enable timer function that the remote has? I can set up an automation in HA of course. Do you plan on moving this over to core? Thanks again!
Called HHT. Went through the first “gauntlet” and finally got to talk to someone name “Ty”. If I’m honest he wasn’t all that familiar with the system.
We got the thing back online after about 45 minutes on the phone. He (allegedly) pushed a software update to the wifi module that is purported to help the problem.
He did say that another update is scheduled for April 1st. H’mm April Fools day?
Once all that was done, I had to completely redo the setup in HA.
Now everything works as prescribed. Until it doesn’t.
@doobes What version of firmware did he push? I’m curious to compare to my own version?
fwiw, I plugged my ECU into a smart plug and wrote a script to reset the whole system anytime my fireplace becomes unresponsive via WiFi. It roughly works like this:
ECU off
Delay 5
ECU on
Delay 10
Reload the config entry for the intellifire integration
Delay 2
Turn on the flame
Delay 10
Set the flame to my preferred default (killing power loses prior settings)
Delay 3
Set the LEDs to my preferred brightness
Delay 3
Set the blower to my preferred level
I’ve only had to use it a couple of times - but it works great.
You guys might want to pull down the hacs version. I’ve got the ability to switch between cloud and local control. Also, there’s a sensor in there that will tell you how long the last read/poll was so if it’s on local control and it hasn’t read successfully for five hours, he probably need to reset your ECM.
I’m at at least 2 to 3 pull requests away for moving this functionality into core, and probably the more of the view that use hacs the lower my core usage will be which would make it slower but whatever
Thanks @jeeftor - I am indeed on the hacs version. I am using the cloud version as it appears to be consistently stable whereas the local version hiccups occasionally. Even still, with the hacs version set to cloud mode, I’ve had to reset my ECM twice in the past few months…which I expect is due to wifi module having issues (not your code )
