Set binary sensor inside of automation?

Configuration
1

I might not understand how it works, but right now i have a automation and also binary sensors set up as below:

# Washing machine, dryer and dishwasher states
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      utility_room_washing_machine_1_current:
        friendly_name: "Utility Room Washing Machine Status"
        delay_on: "00:05:00"
        value_template: "{{ states('sensor.utility_room_washing_machine_1_current')|float > 6 }}"
        device_class: running
        
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      utility_room_dryer_1_current:
        friendly_name: "Utility Room Dryer Status"
        delay_on: "00:05:00"
        value_template: "{{ states('sensor.utility_room_dryer_1_current')|float > 6 }}"
        device_class: running
        
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      utility_room_dishwasher_1_current:
        friendly_name: "Kitchen Dishwasher Status"
        delay_on: "00:05:00"
        value_template: "{{ states('sensor.kitchen_dishwasher_1_current')|float > 6 }}"
        device_class: running

So i can use that sensor in a conditional card. But i wonder, why not set a sensor to true somewhere in the flow of automation? Wouldn’t that be easier and make more sense. Now it feels like i have to do this up 2 times.

2

Also getting this in my logs, so my template sensors are not completely correct it seems:

* Template warning: 'float' got invalid input 'unavailable' when rendering template '{{ states('sensor.utility_room_washing_machine_1_current')|float > 6 }}' but no default was specified. Currently 'float' will return '0', however this template will fail to render in Home Assistant core 2022.1
3

for your warning you need just to add (0) to float

float(0)

for the rest; I’m not sure what you try to achieve

4

instead of a binary sensor you can use an input_boolean

5

No it would not. Automations are for automating. Sensor definitions are for defining sensors.

6

That still has to be defined in the correct place, not in the middle of an automation.

7

Why not? If i run an automation and i am at say point A, would it not make sense to declare i am at point A ?

That way i would not have to infer anything, i just know because i set the variable at the point when it happened.

8

For that: