Switch Timed Automation

Configuration
1

This should be a pretty simple automation but for some reason it’s not working as expected. I simply want the switch to turn off automatically 3 hours after it was turned on but it’s not turning off.

When manually toggling the switch it definitely changes state correctly in Dev Tools but the below just does not work. I’ve tried minutes instead of hours but that didn’t work either so can anyone see what’s wrong with the below?

- alias: Charger Auto Off
  id: charger_auto_off
  mode: single
  trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: switch.battery_charger
    to: 'on'
    for:
      hours: 3
  condition: []
  action:
    service: switch.turn_off
    entity_id: switch.battery_charger
2

Does it work if you manually execute the automation? I’d expect the action to be formatted thus:

  action:
    - service: switch.turn_off
      entity_id: switch.battery_charger

I have a similar automation that work fine (extra triggers for HA restart and pump smart plug coming back online):

- alias: Aquarium - pump restart
  description: Restarts the pump after 40 mins off
  id: f142aac8-a937-4796-b5fb-a268d9b73974
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id: switch.aquarium_pump_plug
      to: 'off'
      for:
        minutes: 40
    - platform: homeassistant
      event: start
    - platform: state
      entity_id: binary_sensor.aquarium_pump_status
      to: 'on'
  action:
    - service: switch.turn_on
      entity_id: switch.aquarium_pump_plug
3

That is because that trigger is asking for the switch to be on for 3 hours before it triggers. You need to trigger with the switch but put the timer in under actions, “wait for a time to pass” or add a timer helper and trigger that to then trigger the off after the timer ends.

1 Like
4

That’s generally not good practice. Automations ideally should run as a single, “instant” flow.

I wonder if the switch is going offline / unavailable during that period, messing up the timing? If that is the case, the timer helper suggestion might be the answer.

@c0ntax — can you paste the history chart for that switch?

1 Like
5

Do you mean from a dashboard card history chart?

6

Like this:

image
image805×208 10.8 KB

7

Ok.

xGGbvc
xGGbvc1106×300 18.1 KB

8

Yeah, that’s the problem. It goes what I guess is unavailable or unknown at about 10:10 AM, then twice more after that — which means it’s not staying on for three hours.

Options:

  • the timer helper idea above
  • another automation triggered on the charger going on from off that stores the current time plus three hours in an input_datetime helper — then this automation triggers from that helper in a time trigger
- alias: Charger Auto Off timer set
  id: c8ccd1eb-491b-4405-8722-036c4e5e9474
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id: switch.battery_charger
      from: 'off'
      to: 'on'
  action:
    - service: input_datetime.set_datetime
      target:
        entity_id: input_datetime.charger_auto_off
      data:
        timestamp: "{{ now().timestamp() + 10800 }}"

- alias: Charger Auto Off
  id: charger_auto_off
  trigger:
    - platform: time
      at: input_datetime.charger_auto_off
  # etc
1 Like
9

That’s the problem with waiting for 3 hours anything can happen, that’s what I was trying to suggest. But then it could do the same with wait for a time to pass. Not sure if timer helpers continue to count down if HA restarted, but at least they are independent of the switch or wifi wobbles.

2 Likes
10

Thanks both, for your help.

I’ve created a helper and tested it over 3 minutes and it worked with the below automations:

- alias: Charger Start Timer 
  id: charger_start_timer
  mode: single
  trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: switch.battery_charger
    from: 'off'
    to: 'on'
  condition: []
  action:
    service: timer.start
    entity_id: timer.charger_off_timer
    
- alias: Charger Auto Off 
  id: charger_auto_off
  mode: single
  trigger:
  - platform: event
    event_type: timer.finished
    event_data:
      entity_id: timer.charger_off_timer
  condition: []
  action:
    service: switch.turn_off
    entity_id: switch.battery_charger
1 Like
11

Timers will be restored to their correct state and time on Home Assistant startup and restarts when configured with the restore option. However, automations using the timer.finished event will not trigger if the timer expires when Home Assistant is not running.

1 Like
12

There isn’t anything wrong with that format.

the “-” denotes a list. If there is only one action then there is no need for the “-” and leaving it out is completely valid.

1 Like