Hi, I have no clue where to post this question. So I'll start here and maybe an Admin will move it to the correct area.
Ok.
I have an older Washing Machine. I attached a Zooz Z-Wave Plus Power Switch ZEN15 to it.
I created a Basic Rule.
When Washing Machine power has become and stayed below 5.0 for 5 minutes ...
Notify Rick Cell, Sendmail, SendText 'Washer is Done!'
Toggle Washer Switch
The washer switch is a Virtual switch for Alexa. This works when I click it on Alexa notifies washer is done.
The issue is between the Zooz and the Virtual Switch. It seems the Basic Rules is looking for a Power Level and can't find it?
ThIs is the Zooz read out:
Current States
current : 0.000
currentH : 10.512
currentL : 0.000
energy : 9.292
energyDuration : 212.27 Days
power : 0.000
powerH : 4194.304
powerL : 0.000
switch : on
voltage : 121.434
voltageH : 124.408
voltageL : 115.820
I think the Levels don't show is the issue.
Also wish there was a way to Run and Rule so it can be tested.
So under devices go to that device. Have someone turn on the washer and note which attribute changed. Use that particular attribute as your trigger. I'm going to assume it's PowerL but it could be Current. If it doesn't immediately change click the refresh button. Also before anything click the configure button for giggles to make sure driver info is sent to the device.
First, I should say that I have a similar automation set up using Rule Machine. In my case, here is my setup:
Trigger events:Power level of Washing Machine Plug reports >= 30.0
Actions to run:
Wait for event: Power level of Washing Machine Plug <= 20.0
Wait for event: --> elapsed time: 0:01:00
Notify notification device: "The washing machine is done!"
(You will likely need to adjust the wattage and time values to match the behavior of your machine; this works for me.) That being said, it seems like this should be do-able in Basic Rule too, aside from the fact that my rule waits until the power level is high to kick things off instead of just waiting for it to remain low. You can add that to Basic Rule, but it's a bit awkward since it forces you to add some "Do..." action first thing in the rule, even if all you want to do is wait for an event. I figure a couple seconds is probably harmless enough, so this is pretty close to the rule above:
But your rule should work, too, as long as the device doesn't keep sending new power reports when it's below your desired level (it may, depending on your device's reporting settings--and firmware version if one of the reported levels is zero). In that case, you may either never meet the "stays below..." criterion for long enough, or you may get spurious notifications from reports generated when the machine is not, in fact, in use. That's why I wrote my original rule the way I did--tougher to do it here, but not impossible if you don't mind the one oddity. I also used RM since Basic Rule did not yet exist when I wrote this.
That being said, I haven't tested this rule yet--just wrote it for demonstration. I'll keep it around and see what it does the next time I use my washing machine. If your rule doesn't work as expect, I'd turn on the option to enable logging and see if that gives you any clues. You may also want to check that your power meter device is reporting as you (and your rule) expect.
I use a Zen15 on my washing machine and Power is the attribute you should be looking at, which your basic rule does use.
As @bertabcd1234 mentioned, it could be the level you set. My washing runs at around 3 to 4 watts normally when it is idle, but I setup a hubigraph time graph and watched it and it will occasionally spike up to around 6. So I have my threshold set at 10.
Something else that may be an issue you say in your OP that you toggle the virtual switch. You should probably just turn it on and then use the auto off capability of the virtual switch to turn it back off after 1 sec. Toggle means turn on if off and turn off if on. Maybe you realize that but I thought I would mention it.
I created a Virtual Power Plug in order to do testing on the Hubitat-Better Laundry Monitor App.
It's simply a way to test the Rule, by hand entering power/current levels.
I'll also plug the App too:
Monitor the logs for your power plug during at least one cycle. You'll see the levels and interval of reporting. Note especially if multiple end values are sent.
Then use the Virtual Power Plug to mimic the cycle and test your Rule(s).
I've been trying for a couple of years to get this to work. I get frustrated with it and quit then pick it up again. The problem I have is everyone tells we what I need to do, but nobody shows me what to do. Does that make sense? I need someone to walk me step by step on how to set this up. I think most people don't want to deal with it as I have it activating alexa to speak using a Virtual Switch.
As for the Zooz it doesn't show PowerL or CurrentL and I think that switch is looking for that but under load it stays 0.0
I'm not sure what you mean with "what the switch is looking for," but the attributes that end with "L" and "H" are custom attributes that show the lowest and highest values recorded for the corresponding standard attribute (power and current, in your examples). They remain that way until reset, which is available via a custom command on the device page. This whole thing is a bit awkward but I think was put in because Z-Wave certification requires it (although it's been around since before Hubitat was certified, so likely carried over from SmartThings, where most devices also did this).
In any case, the Basic Rule and Rule Machine rules as I wrote them are looking for the standard "power" attribute (which reports the reading at that moment in watts). You could use current instead--it's mathematically convertible to the same--but I disable that (to make the device less chatty, and again it's just the same information) and use power myself because I think better in watts. You can write something in RM that looks for anything you want. Basic Rule would not be able to use the custom attributes, however. If you have added a virtual switch to this mix, then I'm not sure how you have that set up since it doesn't appear to be explained above.
The rule above is the same as the one I wrote and shared above, BTW (I think we shared ideas in another thread for this). As for how to create it, you have to create rules using the GUI-based editor in Rule Machine--just like you do for Basic Rule or any Hubitat app. The interface is just a bit different, with Basic Rule arguably being simpler (but a bit less powerful).
If under load the Zen15 shows 0 on Power then you have a defective plug. PowerH/L or CurrentH/L is just max min levels that have been recorded. You can reset those values. Power is what should be changing while the washing machine is running.
[edit] Just looked back at your OP and it shows PowerH at 4100 that means at some point your washer pulled 4100watts. So it would seem to be working.
Not exactly. You've been here a more than a year so I think that means you don't need 'left-turn right-turn' directions on clicking through RM or basic Rules. Thus I'm going to assume you mean how-to on how to get the values that get used within a Rule.
Here's my method...
I went to the Device Details for my Laundry plug.. Dryer in this example... and then the Events button at the top and grabbed all of the Events shown.. a hundred of them. I pasted that into a favorite text editor and sorted them. Then I selected only the POWER section and discarded everything else. Then I sorted again, this time on the date. So now I had this:
Name Value Unit Description Text Source Type Date
power 212.210 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 212.210 W DEVICE 2021-07-04 07:18:46.992 PM PDT
power 208.335 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 208.335 W DEVICE 2021-07-04 07:22:12.304 PM PDT
power 214.365 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 214.365 W DEVICE 2021-07-04 07:27:12.315 PM PDT
power 87.269 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 87.269 W DEVICE 2021-07-04 07:32:06.041 PM PDT
power 7.641 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 7.641 W DEVICE 2021-07-04 07:32:07.033 PM PDT
power 0.000 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 0.000 W DEVICE 2021-07-04 07:32:09.041 PM PDT
power 7.329 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 7.329 W DEVICE 2021-07-05 01:22:46.286 PM PDT
power 1.704 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 1.704 W DEVICE 2021-07-05 01:22:47.285 PM PDT
power 0.000 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 0.000 W DEVICE 2021-07-05 01:22:48.287 PM PDT
power 8.069 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 8.069 W DEVICE 2021-07-05 12:08:34.201 PM PDT
power 0.000 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 0.000 W DEVICE 2021-07-05 12:08:35.199 PM PDT
power 7.502 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 7.502 W DEVICE 2021-07-06 10:08:10.730 AM PDT
power 0.000 W LaundryRoomDryer power is 0.000 W DEVICE 2021-07-06 10:08:11.722 AM PDT
You can see that the power leaps to well over 150 watts when the cycle initiates. (It's a Gas dryer.) 15 to 20 min later, it drops to under 80 watts. There are various "Open door to get one piece of clothing instead of unloading everything and putting it away." AKA Kids
That set the values I use in BLM, but would have used in a Rule if I hadn't discovered BLM. I don't care about anything except Power is above 100 watts and Power is below 80 watts. I could easily choose above 200 watts and less than 15 watts but I saw no reason to be that tight to the actuals.
I also use the Zen15 on my washer and agree with @terminal3. You should be looking at power. This value is in Watts and for me is about 1.5 when idle. In my rules I check for >2 for On and <2 for Finished/Off.
Something is off with the values in your original post. Your power values don't appear to be reporting correctly and may be breaking your rules. You might want to look at the Zen15 in the Devices list and click Reset for the Current, Energy, Power & Voltage values.
You show powerH as 4194.304 Watts and currentH as 10.512 Amps. Current is Watts/Volts. This is a 120V device. 4194.304/120 = 34.95 Amps, not the 10.5 shown. I doubt your washer hit 35 Amps. Mine is rated at 12 Amps max on the info plate.
My Zen15 also showed a very large powerH one time and I reset it and have never seen it that high again.
I guess I've had my a$$ handed to me. 2 years trying to do this and I can't get this to work. Think it's time to just give up. I have no clue what to do or even how to get this to work it's really got confusing for me.
That rule you posted earlier should work. Just remove the one line I marked through.
As soon as your power reaches 300 it should trigger. The screenshot you posted shows it at 456.597 with a high of 907.192.
It should then wait for the power to drop below 4. This may be your issue as you have no timeout and if your washer never drops below 4 it will continue to wait. My washer sits at slightly below 4 watts when idle perhaps yours is a bit higher. You could add a timeout of say an hour and if it eventually continues then you know you need to raise that a bit.
Once the wait for low power proceeds it should wait 3 minutes and then toggle your switch
Since you are using waits it should just start all over every time your power reaches 300.
I click on Virtual Washer switch and it works Alexa announces Washer is Done.. So something is not working. I did the run actions button and nothing happened.
If your rule doesn't work as expect, I'd turn on the option to enable logging and see if that gives you any clues. You may also want to check that your power meter device is reporting as you (and your rule) expect.
You can write something in RM that looks for anything you want. Basic Rule would not be able to use the custom attributes, however. If you have added a virtual switch to this mix, then I'm not sure how you have that set up since it doesn't appear to be explained above.
I don't care about anything except Power is above 100 watts and Power is below 80 watts. I could easily choose above 200 watts and less than 15 watts but I saw no reason to be that tight to the actuals.
