Node Red flow help - solar/temp pool pump timer

ccaldron · February 10, 2022, 11:02pm

I’m trying to achieve a flow wherein solar generation exceeding 3000 watts triggers a weather temperature check, then starts a specific timer. I need only one payload to get to the timer, otherwise the timer resets and the pump only turns off when solar drops below 3000 watts.

Node settings:

Check solar - 30min interval
Smoothing - averaging last 4 inputs
Deadband - only passing if last input value change greater than 3000

I had hoped the deadband would receive 0 watts throughout the night, then during the ~hour that solar generation goes from 0 to 5000+ watts that it would essentially output 2 times per day, once during morning, and another in evening.

Right now it never triggers a timer. If I remove the deadband or the smoothing, it triggers too many resets of the time. Any advice?

Mikefila · February 11, 2022, 6:19pm

Post your flow and an example of the output from the smooth node. Just post up to get current temp.

ccaldron · February 11, 2022, 11:17pm

Thankyou, hopefully what I’m pasting below is what you’re looking for:

[{"id":"5b285dd39f164660","type":"smooth","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"","property":"payload","action":"mean","count":"4","round":"","mult":"single","reduce":true,"x":340,"y":320,"wires":[["f2dad817582594cc","90c899fea6dff0ac"]]},{"id":"27f14d5cfe99a84f","type":"api-call-service","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"Turn Off Pool Pump","server":"3d13cb11.d5e754","version":3,"debugenabled":false,"service_domain":"switch","service":"turn_off","entityId":"switch.pool_pump_a, switch.pool_pump_b","data":"","dataType":"jsonata","mergecontext":"","mustacheAltTags":false,"outputProperties":[],"queue":"none","x":910,"y":380,"wires":[["c7178e42da14b030"]]},{"id":"f2dad817582594cc","type":"rbe","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"","func":"deadbandEq","gap":"5000","start":"","inout":"in","septopics":false,"property":"payload","topi":"topic","x":500,"y":320,"wires":[["4b34333b802435b0","5af05b9c8327a2a2"]]},{"id":"9fa1c0c46afc1cf1","type":"poll-state","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"Check Solar Generation","server":"3d13cb11.d5e754","version":2,"exposeToHomeAssistant":false,"haConfig":[{"property":"name","value":""},{"property":"icon","value":""}],"updateinterval":"30","updateIntervalType":"num","updateIntervalUnits":"minutes","outputinitially":false,"outputonchanged":false,"entity_id":"sensor.solar_9_1min","state_type":"num","halt_if":"","halt_if_type":"num","halt_if_compare":"is","outputs":1,"x":140,"y":320,"wires":[["5b285dd39f164660"]]},{"id":"4b34333b802435b0","type":"switch","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"Output Watts","property":"payload","propertyType":"msg","rules":[{"t":"gte","v":"3000","vt":"num"},{"t":"lt","v":"3000","vt":"num"}],"checkall":"true","repair":false,"outputs":2,"x":670,"y":320,"wires":[["ac2622eb46557eaa","ff28db877e4a9d69"],["ff28db877e4a9d69","27f14d5cfe99a84f"]]},{"id":"ac2622eb46557eaa","type":"api-current-state","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"Get Current Temp","server":"3d13cb11.d5e754","version":3,"outputs":1,"halt_if":"","halt_if_type":"str","halt_if_compare":"is","entity_id":"sensor.kphx_temperature","state_type":"num","blockInputOverrides":false,"outputProperties":[{"property":"data","propertyType":"msg","value":"","valueType":"entityState"}],"for":0,"forType":"num","forUnits":"minutes","override_topic":false,"state_location":"payload","override_payload":"msg","entity_location":"data","override_data":"msg","x":910,"y":260,"wires":[["17c3d5119577ddbb","403ccd964fc1f7dd"]]},{"id":"90c899fea6dff0ac","type":"debug","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"debug","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":490,"y":280,"wires":[]},{"id":"5af05b9c8327a2a2","type":"debug","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"debug","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":650,"y":280,"wires":[]},{"id":"ff28db877e4a9d69","type":"debug","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"debug","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":870,"y":440,"wires":[]},{"id":"e908bb0c08ca6634","type":"inject","z":"5474a5e4ed2754ef","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"4000","payloadType":"num","x":470,"y":380,"wires":[["4b34333b802435b0"]]},{"id":"3d13cb11.d5e754","type":"server","name":"Home Assistant","addon":true}]```

Mikefila · February 13, 2022, 4:08pm

I surmise the deadband is where your hold up is. I am guessing that the value doesn’t drop instantly to 0 watts, or vice-versa, to get that difference value. It’s measuring against the last value and it never see a span as large as you defined.

I suggest just using 2 event state nodes for the triggers and separate on and off. On triggers at >5000 for x minutes and off <0 for x minutes

ccaldron · February 13, 2022, 5:58pm

Wouldn’t that still result in my timer being triggered again at every polling update above 5000? I’m wanting the pump run until the end of a timer OR stop when solar drops below 5000 watts. Maybe I’m misunderstanding you, but I’ll try a new flow like you’re describing and see what I find. Thank you for helping!

ccaldron · February 13, 2022, 5:59pm

I feel like the Gate node may be the answer if I can figure out how to use it. The message payload/topics thing is confusing to me.

Mikefila · February 13, 2022, 7:25pm

Set the output to on/off, delete other output options

Put them both to a filter node.

ccaldron · February 13, 2022, 8:36pm

Not only is this WORKING perfectly, but you’ve helped me learn a few key things I wasn’t understanding. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me!!

ccaldron · February 13, 2022, 8:40pm

In case anyone else finds this, here was my final solution:

In the near future, I will update this flow to include polling a chlorine sensor (salt water pool), and will either replace the times with chlorination targets, or use the “range” node to map chlorine levels to pump times.

shubness · September 27, 2022, 5:55pm

@ccaldron please post your final flow - I’d love to test