Intial sensor value recording incorrectly after startup (help with code)

Configuration
1

Hi Guys

So this is the code I’m working with.

  - platform: mqtt
    entity_namespace: Ultrasonic
    state_topic: "Ultrasonic/distance"
    name: "Current Ultrasonic Distance"
    unit_of_measurement: "cm"

  - platform: statistics
    entity_id: sensor.Ultrasonic_Current_Ultrasonic_distance
    name: Ultrasonic Distance
    force_update: true
    sampling_size: 100
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      ultrasonic_distance:
        value_template: '{% if (states.sensor.ultrasonic_distance_mean.state | float == 0) %}0.0{% else %}{{ ((35.0 - states.sensor.ultrasonic_distance_mean.state | float) | float / 15 * 100) | round(1) }}{% endif %}'
        unit_of_measurement: '%'
        friendly_name: 'Water Level'

So Initially I had the float value set to “float >= 35” that gave me an output on my history for the Water Level of 233.33, when I’ve changed it to “float == 0”, now it at least starts at 0 but ideally I’d like it to be delayed by say 30 seconds. An automation doesn’t seem to be the answer and because my coding knowledge is slim I can’t work out what I’d need to write.

2

You only need two float filters in that template, not three.

value_template: '{% if (states.sensor.ultrasonic_distance_mean.state | float == 0) %}0.0{% else %}{{ ((35.0 - states.sensor.ultrasonic_distance_mean.state | float) / 15 * 100) | round(1) }}{% endif %}'

You can’t delay sensors with HA templates. You might be able to do it with a python script or AppDaemon, but I have no idea how.

3

Thanks for the tip :slight_smile:

Mm not sure how to do that unfortunately.

4

Has anyone got some insight on a solution for me?

5

30 seconds after startup perform a homeassistant.update_entity. But in reality this is pointless because the sensor will update with a specific period. Once your system is fine tuned, you’ll never be restarting.

6

Doesn’t that just force the update of that specific entity rather than stop all updates of it. I.e I’ve got it to send out data every 10 seconds. Even if I had to do it every say 60 seconds the mean would still be 0 and then my water level would be calculated on that 0. Only the Current Ultrasonic Distance will be marked as (Unknown).

7

what you want is not possible without writing a custom component.

8

For anyone wondering I did manage to come up with a solution that gives me a nice graph.

The first part of the if statement would be used for any HC-SR04 sensor as it has a 20cm blind, the key was changing the 0.0 to unknown. :slight_smile:

  - platform: template
    sensors:
      ultrasonic_distance3:
        value_template: '{% if (states.sensor.ultrasonic_distance_mean.state | float <= 20) %}unknown{% else %}{{ ((35.0 - states.sensor.ultrasonic_distance_mean.state | float) / 15 * 100) | round(1) }}{% endif %}'
        unit_of_measurement: '%'
        friendly_name: 'Water Level 3'
9

If that was your only problem, what was all the nonsense about delaying the values?

10

I read on another thread that doing that would be a possible solution. It would’ve been another option if I could delay the read by 30 seconds, now it’s no longer a thought though with the above solution.

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