Hi all, i have a strange issue where my mode does not recover from Away.
For my setup, i have modes set by time of day, and two Android phones. The phones work quite well, most of the time, i think mine glitched once but it was because the location services did not run well, even Google Maps needed time to locate me, and then HE did as well.
But, this morning we all left the house and it went to Away. This turns the heating off. Once we came back home after about 1 hour, we did not check and resumed our day. It was hours before we checked why we felt getting really cold. I set the mode to Day, got warm, then in the evening we both left and returned at different times, but the Away/Day/Evening switches were well.
Here are some mode related screenshots of configs:
You need to post the Live Logs (from the Logs page) of what happens when Away and someone returns. For the log filter select Mode Manager and the two presence devices. This will show the relation in time between the presence sensors and what Mode Manager does or doesn't do in response.
08:02 I leave the house (all presence devices together)
08:10 the second device is seen as leaving the hose so the house goes to Away mode. This is noticeable because i have an automation that tells me when the house goes to Away mode on my phone
09:12 both presence devices return, but at least one is needed to go out of Away mode
HOUSE STAYS IN AWAY MODE, seen on the previous screenshots
12:15 one presence device leaves the house, the other one stays
12:38 the presence device returns
HOUSE STAYS IN AWAY MODE, seen on the previous screenshots
15:25 we notice that the house has been in Away mode due to the temp going way down. Manually set the mode to day, heating comes back on. Noticeable by the notification i sent to my device from an automation.
Maybe not relevant to the current issue, but comparing your mode manager screen to mine, I think you should have the "skip" box next to Away checked in the "Set mode at times" section.
Without that checked, the mode should switch out of away at 0600/1800/2330 hours even if you're still away.
Without that checked, the mode should switch out of away at 0600/1800/2330 hours even if you're still away.
I will try it, thanks!
I do want the mode to stay Away for days if i am on vacation though and if i read your message it sounds like: uncheck this checkbox to have the mode change to day/evening/night while on vacation (Away). Will test it.
I guess the way i have it would only change based on time of day and only at those set times.
I want to figure out a way to test this so it is easy to reproduce.
Initial tests failed, but after trying all 4 combinations of the two devices m' states, it now just works. Meaning, once at least one device is home, the mode goes out of Away into the day part mode. If all devices are away, the house is in away mode as well.
Last thing to do is check if i am set on away and the time for evening mode comes, will it go out of away into say evening based on time.
Update:
I moved the evening time to be few minutes after the current time. The mode did not change? And i got something strange in the logs
Shadow mode set to Evening
However, if we are out of the house, it would be exactly what i want, the house stays on Away mode.
Also from the docs:
by default, Skip is selected for Away mode, which prevents time changes from taking the hub out of Away mode based on time alone (other methods, such as presence, buttons, or switches, will still be able to change modes)
I believe shadow mode is the hub's way of tracking what the mode should be when you return from Away mode. So it makes sense that it logged the change to shadow mode while you were in Away mode.
I just checked on my hub, and can duplicate the original issue. If Away mode doesn't have the 'Skip' box checked, the hub will not return from away mode.
The sequence I did to test was:
Uncheck the box
Set two presence sensors to Not Present to cause Mode Manger to switch to Away mode
Set one (then both) presence sensors to Present
The mode didn't change
I re-checked the box in Mode Manager and clicked Update, then toggled the presence sensors again, but it still remained in Away mode. I had to manually switch back to Day mode (with the Skip box checked) and then it started working normally again (going Away when both presence sensors went not present, then going back to Day when the first once arrived).
@bravenel I don't know why anyone would intentionally use Away mode without also using Skip, but it seems like there is a bug in Mode Manager when it's set up that way.
Skip is an option for any mode, and has its uses beyond Away management. I agree, omitting Skip for Away would be a mistake -- one that should be well documented. But, it's not a bug that it behaves the way it does if Skip is not selected.
This is how Mode Manager starts out when first installed:
It is clear now, but that is my point i guess, if you read my post in one go, you can probably understand that this is frustrating from a user perspective.
I do agree that it was my mistake, when i initially learned about mode manager - yes, it was not on my hub by default, so i struggled to use rule machine - i understood Skip means don't manage the Away mode, and i did want that mode managed for me based on presence sensors...
Anyhow, i am glad i asked for help, otherwise i would give up and go back to Rule Machine and reinventing the wheel.
If you can process the above as user feedabck, i strongly suggest to think about UX from the point of view of a novice to home automation and to Hubitat.
I put a lot of effort into thinking "about UX from the point of view of a novice to home automation and to Hubitat". I'd be delighted to make it more user friendly, but what do you suggest?
Reading the Away mode:
"Set Away mode at times - don't set it at a time - just skip this mode altogether."
But, i think Skip does much more, because it does not affect only setting the mode at times, but also how to exit that mode right?
Potential alternatives:
Rename the Skip column to Hold?
It would read as
"Set Away mode at times - don't set it at a time - Hold this mode once entered"
Or to something that makes it clear that if the checkbox is checked and the mode is active it will not transition based on times.
If it fits, maybe rename the column from Skip to Once entered, hold indefinitely?
Then on the next table that sets up presence sensors and how they affect the modes, at the point of setting it up, it is not clear that that table can override the Skip/Hold/etc. checkbox.
Aside from that, in your screenshot i see a box with help text. It is not on my screen.
Final, i know my use case is just one of many many more, so it may not fit all of the use cases.
Perhaps that should read: "Click for Help for Times Table" since it's not obviously a link.
Would changing a word help users who don't bother to read the instructions?
Irrespective, I appreciate the fact that you didn't understand the app. Dealing with Away is intrinsically complex, since modes don't just follow time, but also other things -- like Presence. I don't know how to remove that complexity without removing the functionality. Perhaps a complete redesign/rethink of how this app should work is needed.
I spent hours studying this app to get it right and along the way made the same mistake as boris, and found the problem on my own. I agree Skip could be renamed, but even better would perhaps be a footnote explaining its various nuances and uses. There is no perfect answer here. I do not think a conplete rething is appropriate. Any rethink will likely land you in a similar situation from a different angle.
