Understanding automations with time delays and how to control them

Configuration
12

I figured it out! It now works perfectly and I don’t need a second event to turn off the filter. It’s all done in this one event:

  1. Press the button to start the 30 minute timer and turn on the air filter.
  2. If I change my mind, press the button to turn the filter off and cancel the timer.
  3. After 30 minutes the air filter turns off automatically.

So here’s some new things I learned here:

  1. The event part of the trigger (when the timer finishes) can be given a “trigger_id”.
  2. In the action → choose section I can look for this trigger_id and act upon it (turn off the filter).
  3. I also learned that in the action → choose options, the first one matches starting at the beginning.

For #3 - I had that option last (trigger_id matches from the event) and it didn’t work, most likely because one of the other options could also match. Once I moved it first everything works perfectly!

Note the two triggers to start this automation, either a button press or the timer finishes.

Here’s the final automation:

alias: 'Master bedroom: Air filter 30 minutes (timer)'
description: ''
trigger:
  - device_id: b251a3bee8687b95b2fff6d7
    domain: deconz
    platform: device
    type: remote_button_short_press
    subtype: turn_on
  - platform: event
    event_type: timer.finished
    event_data:
      entity_id: timer.mbr_air_filter
    id: timer_complete
condition: []
action:
  - choose:
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id: timer_complete
        sequence:
          - type: turn_off
            device_id: d8117da0fbe2652aa5d5c7
            entity_id: switch.mbr_air_filter_on_off
            domain: switch
      - conditions:
          - condition: state
            entity_id: timer.mbr_air_filter
            state: idle
        sequence:
          - type: turn_on
            device_id: d8117da0fbe2652aa5d5c7
            entity_id: switch.mbr_air_filter_on_off
            domain: switch
          - service: timer.start
            data:
              duration: '00:30:00'
            target:
              entity_id: timer.mbr_air_filter
      - conditions:
          - condition: state
            entity_id: timer.mbr_air_filter
            state: active
        sequence:
          - type: turn_off
            device_id: d8117da0fbe2652aa5d5c7d
            entity_id: switch.mbr_air_filter_on_off
            domain: switch
          - service: timer.cancel
            target:
              entity_id: timer.mbr_air_filter
    default: []
mode: single
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