Need help with mold_indicator sensor

Configuration
1

Hi.
Before asking here I tried to look everywhere, but probably I’m the only one having troubles with the mold_indicator sensor.
In few day i should receive a xiaomi temperature and humidity sensor.
meanwhile I’m using my AC temperature sensor for indoor temperature, sensor.dark_sky_temperature for outside temperature and sensor.dark_sky_humidity for a “fake” indoor humidity (in reality it’s outdoor).

So the code is:

- platform: mold_indicator
  name: Rischio Muffa Myria
  indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.clima_myria_currtemp
  indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.dark_sky_humidity
  outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.dark_sky_temperature
  calibration_factor: 2.0

I don’t know why, but the mold_indicator created assumes an unknown value:

image

and if i try to represent it with an indicator in lovelace I get error about not numerical entity:

image
image493×816 56.7 KB

As you can see the 3 values requested look ok.
I also tried to convert all to int or all to float, but nothing changes.
I really don’t know what to try…

2

are there errors in your logs and is that the correct calibration factor?

3

I was going to ask the same question. Also, there are a lot of debug messages that this sensor will write to home-assistant.log, so you might try adding the following to your config:

logger:
  default: info
  logs:
    homeassistant.components.mold_indicator: debug

Then restart and check the log for clues. (Either open home-assistant.log directly, or click the LOAD FULL HOME ASSISTANT LOG button on the LOGS tab of the Developer Tools page.)

4

Hi both and thanks for the help.
I tried the default calibration factor, 2.0, and another one, 1.16.
I think it shoud affect the precision of the sensor, but it shouldn’t make the sensor unavailable, or am I wrong?
About log, I did exactly that immediately after petro’s reply.
In log I have now few debug lines indicating temperature and humidity sensor update, and…

…ok, I think that I finally found the problem!
One of my sensor didn’t have unit_of_measurement, so it’s value was unavailable and the mold_sensor got broken.
Now it’s working!!!

Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction.

1 Like
5

Yep, that would do it.

6

You should try to determine the right calibration factor for your house, not assume the default is reasonable. Basically, a factor of 2.0 means that there is half the amount of temperature differential at the “coldest” part of the house (as the docs suggest, typically a window) than at the thermostat. So, given your numbers – 6 outside, 20 inside – a factor of 2 would assume the window is 13 and base its condensation estimate on that temperature.

BTW, I wasn’t really aware of this sensor. I have reasonable sensors for inside & outside temperatures and inside humidity. I might give it a try. :slightly_smiling_face:

7

Same here, I’m planning on integrating it when I get home. I’ll just need to make a few esphome temp sensors.

8

I’ve been using it for a year or so to predict window condensation and turn on a dehumidifier.

I calibrated it with a contact thermometer (k-type thermocouple) on the window but I still had to adjust the calibration factor to account for actual observed condensation and include a condition that no condensation occurs if the outside temperature is above 10 deg. C.

In short, it’s not very accurate but can be made so with trial and error.

1 Like
9

I’d assume the hardest part is finding that low point temp. Maybe just walk around and touch crap with a thermometer?

10

Yeah. It was definitely the windows at my place. They are only single glazed.

Also I am relying on the BoM weather sensor which the observation point for is a few km away. An actual temp/humidity sensor outside my house might make it more accurate.

11

Yes, you are right, and i will calculate the correct factor.
At the moment I was just setting up the sensor.
My humidity sensor should arrive today or next monday, that’s why at the moment I’m using dark_sky outside humidity sensor. It’s useless, but now the sensor works and I will replace it as soon as I’ll have the real sensor, and then I will calculate the correct factor.
BTW my house is really well insulated and I have floor heating, so I don’t expect much difference in temperature around the room, the factor should probably be little more than 1.

12

I’m still taking samples, but I was surprised to find the factor came out around 1.5 - 1.8, and it’s a relatively new, well insulated (to my knowledge) home with very new, good, double-pane windows, and although we have forced air heating, it has a variable speed fan which is on low speed all the time (except, of course, when heating/cooling), with vents under most of the windows.

13

I have been trying to set up more than one of this sensor, i.e. for other rooms.

Can anybody tell is this is possible and how to do so?

For example, proceeding in the same way as setting up template sensors listing those different instances

- platform: mold_indicator
  sensors:
    mold_indicator_kuche:
      indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_kuche_temperature
      indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_kuche_humidity
      outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.calc_aussenbereich_temperature
      calibration_factor: 1.35
    mold_indicator_bad:
      indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_bad_temperature
      indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_bad_humidity
      outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.calc_aussenbereich_temperature
      calibration_factor: 1.35

gives me an error message:

Invalid config for [sensor.mold_indicator]: [sensors] is an invalid option for [sensor.mold_indicator]. Check: sensor.mold_indicator->sensors. (See ?, line ?).
14

Yes you can have more than one. Like this:

- platform: mold_indicator
  name: mold_indicator_kuche
  indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_kuche_temperature
  indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_kuche_humidity
  outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.calc_aussenbereich_temperature
  calibration_factor: 1.35

- platform: mold_indicator
  name: mold_indicator_bad
  indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_bad_temperature
  indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.temperatursensor_bad_humidity
  outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.calc_aussenbereich_temperature
  calibration_factor: 1.35
2 Likes
15

Hello guys,
i also get unavailanle state for my mold_indicators and i don’t know what i’m doing wrong. Any ideas ?

# Mold Indicators
  # Kidsroom Mold Sensor
  - platform: mold_indicator
    name: Kidsroom_mold_indicator
    indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.ble_temperature_kids_room
    indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.ble_humidity_kids_room
    outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.weather_temperature
    calibration_factor: 1.5

  # Bedroom Mold Sensor
  - platform: mold_indicator
    name: Bedroom_mold_indicator
    indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.ble_temperature_bedroom
    indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.ble_humidity_bedroom
    outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.weather_temperature
    calibration_factor: 1.5

  # Livingroom Mold Sensor
  - platform: mold_indicator
    name: Livingroom_mold_indicator
    indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.ble_temperature_living_room
    indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.ble_humidity_living_room
    outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.weather_temperature
    calibration_factor: 1.1  

  # Office Mold Sensor
  - platform: mold_indicator
    name: Office_mold_indicator
    indoor_temp_sensor: sensor.ble_temperature_office
    indoor_humidity_sensor: sensor.ble_humidity_office
    outdoor_temp_sensor: sensor.weather_temperature
    calibration_factor: 1.0

Screenshot_58

EDIT

Sorry, just found it. But, for everyone having this problem. My outside temperature sensor has unit_of_measurement “degrees” instead of “°C” as my other sensors.

16

How did the measurement unit affect this? What did you need to change to make it work?