Rule Engine 4 - Fireplace rule

Hi All,

I'm trying to achieve the following but i'm struggling in 4.0:

I have success with this:

If there is motion in the lounge when the mode is "Evening" and the Temperature < 20, turn on the Fireplace.

The bit I'm struggling with is how to turn off the fireplace if there has been no motion for 30 mins OR if the temperature is now above 24.

I'm trying to get this all in the same rule.

If mode is Evening
   If there is motion
       cancel delays
       If temperature < 20
           turn on fireplace
       else
           if temperature > 24
              turn off fireplace
           end-if
        end-if
   else
      turn off fireplace after 30 minutes (cancel)
   end-if
end-if

Obviously that's not pastable, so how do I do this? I've got as far as conditional actions and I can't find the ability to do else, but does it need a trigger too? Sorry...

OK, I understand it better now having come back with a fresh head, how does this look?

You need a cancel on your Fireplace off with the delay. If you edit that action, you'll see a switch "Cancel" next to "Delay." Turn that cancel on. If it's not on, the Cancel Delayed Actions won't cancel it. The Cancel switch makes it a cancelable action.

Other than that, looks good to me!

I had problems one time getting a mode restriction to work. But that could have been because of something else. I don't remember the exact circumstance. It might have been RM3. Just keep an eye out on it to make sure it's only running when it's evening. If it doesn't work, you can always add in another IF for that condition.

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There was a guy over on the ST forum who would post this whenever someone posted a question about a fireplace, and I feel oblidged to pick up the tradition because whenever I read this question I wonder if people have really thought it all the way through.

In most instances in the US, it is against fire code to have anything controlling your fireplace that is not "line-of-sight", which means that if it can control your fireplace while you're not in the room, it's a big no-no. In fact, if there is a fire of any kind and you have an un-approved remote for your fireplace, your insurance company can totally revoke your policy and not pay out a dime. So, you could be liable for damages to neighbor's property as well. Plus, it's just really freaking dangerous. Ever wake up in the morning to a light being on and you don't know why? Imagine that was your fireplace and the ignition didn't work and now your house is filled with gas. You wake up, a light goes on and BOOM. So, best advice...unless it's electric and decorative only (a fancy light show) don't control it with your HA system. Not EVERYTHING can be automated.

2 Likes

I stand corrected.

I agree that there is a risk. There is pilot light always on so it's just triggering that. If that pilot light was to go out then I guess there would be gas as it is. The fact that it can only be triggered by motion in front of the fire, gives me a little comfort.

I'll ponder this some more.