Can someone please review my fireplace rule to see if I’m missing anything.
What I want it to do?
If temperature of my weather station is below 50 degrees F turn on the fireplace and turn on the pilot light (set to 1). If less then 50 degrees F turn off the fireplace and turn off the pilot light (set to 0).
Is there anyway to only set the pilot light when the fireplace actually turns on or off so it’s not running that command every time the temp changes by .1?
You could try something like:
Trigger: Temperature <= 50
Actions to Run:
Turn On
Set pilot to 1
Wait for event: temperature > 50
Turn Off
Set pilot to 0
A new trigger cancels any pending "waits." Nothing is stopping it from sending the "on" command again. Normally, this isn't a problem -- turning on a switch that is already on just doesn't have any net effect. Same with setting a variable to a value that is already set to that value.
I still probably wouldn't do exactly this; I might leave a bit of "dead space" in between the two zones. So maybe trigger on temperature <= 50 and wait for temperature > 51 or something.
I'm not sure what the first line in your rule is doing, so maybe there's something I'm missing here...
I can’t control a custom attribute of a device without first setting a variable correct? That’s what that line does. The turning of the fireplace on or off by switch doesn’t control that custom attribute.
The fireplace has an audible beep anytime a command is sent to it which is why I was asking. Proactively rather, I haven’t been in front of it when the temp has changed to know whether it’s reissuing the pilot number change or if it ignores it if uts already set to that number.
The other complications I still have yet to setup are to set a different rule up that when all presence is away it pauses that rule and turns the fireplace off. Then upon return turns the fireplace back on and unpauses the rule.
I still have no way of getting my Generac generator into hubitat. Biggest gripe yet. When my generator runs it steals enough gas for the fireplace to self shut down and turn off (safety feature). But I’m not sure yet if the rule will continue to run and try and turn it back on while the generator is running. So still trying to figure out how to tell if the generator is actively running and providing power to the house. I may have to try and figure out a way to waterproof a vibration sensor.
If you have an auto transfer switch, you should have some dry contacts in there that are closed on utility and open on generator. I have it wired to an Ecolink contact sensor on my 22 kW standby Generac.
It will give you the status of the transfer switch anyway.
You dont need to manually turn on the pilot, that is only needed if you want it running constantly. If you just turn the fireplace on the pilot will automatically come on with it.
Do you have a picture of this you could share? I have an ATS but I also have solar panels as well so I’d be interested to see a picture to compare.
That’s correct but the fireplace company told me that keeping the pilot light on in the winter will keep the fireplace warm when it’s not in use and prevent condensate from forming on the glass panel which will prevent it from catching dust and keep the glass cleaner.
Yes that's correct, I guess I am not understanding your rule then. I thought it looked like you were just setting the pilot on when you turned the fireplace on, then setting it off again when you turn it off?
Your original ask specially said exactly that, which is not necessary.
If you want to keep the pilot on all winter (or when below a certain outside temp) I would make a separate rule for that. Then in your rule to turn the fireplace on automatically if there is a low temp you would not need to change the pilot status at all.
Also keep in mind there is an automatic turn off baked into that fireplace system, I think it is 9 hours. Looks like your rule would re-trigger on every temp change though, so it should tell it to turn back on again if it did turn off and it was still cold.
Good idea on a separate rule for the pilot light. I’ll definitely separate it out.
As far as the 9 hour time out, yes I’m aware of that but I believe that’s if you turn on the fireplace without the thermostat. I have the option set to control the fireplace with the thermostat when the switch turns on. With the thermostat the fireplace turns on/off automatically with the temp in the room which is what I want. What I’m controlling based on outside temp is to turn that switch on/off.
Yeah I think the 9hr limit would still apply but it is unlikely it would run that long continuously in thermostat mode unless you have a window open or something.
Otherwise sounds like a good plan, and making a separate rule for the pilot would be the way go. Instead of triggering on ever temp change you could have it trigger only when it falls below or above a certain temp (I think thats an option in RM anyway). Or you also could have it check the state of the pilot, and if already on and you want it on, then do not send a command, etc...
How would you write the rule to check the state of the pilot and if it’s off turn it on?
I just realized, in your original rule you are just setting a local rule variable of "pilot" to 1 and 0. What is that supposed to be doing? That is not going to be turning the pilot on and off.
Something like this would work. Pretend the Hub Info [dbSize] is the pilot attribute. You have to use Custom Attribute in the expressions to select it.
You just check is the Temp below X value AND is the pilot Off, if true then you turn it on.
Then the reverse in the else-if.
If both of those conditions fail, in the case the temp is below X and the pilot is already on, then the rule would exit and do nothing.
Thanks for the picture. I’ll have to open my ATS up tomorrow or later this week after the snow tomorrow and take a picture and see if it’s the same. Appreciate it.
From my reading, I believe there's the possibility of buying a kit to add another aux contact.
I think its use is probably mostly for alarm systems.
However, since my cable broadband usually drops out with a power outage, like it did a couple of days ago, not that useful for me. Even with the Envisalink. Have to look at some kind of cellular approach, I guess.
I do have the WiFi Generac GenMon system, which also is just about useless in a power outage with no internet available.
Sorry for the digression; I'm kind of in the middle of a post-outage 'analysis', lol.
That is likely due to the gas regulator being too small. Most natural gas generator installations require a high volume regulator. The installer should have tested it.
The generator was installed before the fireplace. They knew I would be installing a fireplace however as I asked them to install a T in the gas line leading up to the generator for the future install. The fireplace company actually told me the generator would steal the gas from the fireplace.
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