I believe I have thoroughly searched the forum and cannot find anything regarding my question.
I am looking for a way to change a device preference setting from a dashboard tile or Rule Machine. Specifically, I have a Yale Zigbee lock that usually has an auto-lock timeout setting of 3 minutes. There are situations where I would like to temporarily disable this setting. I know I can change the setting in the device preferences but this requires direct access to the UI.
Options I would consider are:
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Rule Machine based on time. The setting would be set to auto-lock at 6pm nightly if not set.
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Press a virtual button to disable auto-lock setting.
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Press a virtual button to set auto-lock to specific timeout value.
Any suggestion on how this can be programmed? Many thanks in advance.
Can it be adjusted in any way via a command at the top of the device edit page? If so you could run a custom command in an RM rule to adjust it.
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I'm not sure I follow . . . but if you mean if the settings are in the Commands section, then the answer is no. The settings I would like to access are in the Preferences section.
I don't have one of these so can't check myself. I guess I'm wondering whether one of the options in the commands section are likely to update the preference you are interested in. Perhaps if you post a screenshot of the commands?
What if you disable this option on the lock and put the 're-lock' logic into RM? Then you can control when and how it re-locks based on mode/contact status/motion/etc that are available in RM.
Attached are screenshots for reference.
The specific setting I would like to programmatically control (Rule or Virtual Switch) is the Auto Lock preference circled in red.
Thanks for looking into this!!!
Thank you. This is certainly an option and one I could consider that the rule would run locally on Hubitat. The use case is actually quite simple. We have a front patio where we occasionally sit and eat lunch. Normally I would want the door to auto-lock after someone has left the house but when we sit outside, I would like to bypass the auto-lock. The Yale app does that but I need the BLE/WiFi module in the lock and I would lose Zigbee connectivity and Hub control.
Another use case is around holidays when family comes over. Frequently guests will use the front door to go to/from their cars or kids play in the front yard. In this scenario, the front door should remain unlocked until we set it to auto-lock again.
I don't think that will be available in Rule Machine, but the way to find out is to build a rule, and you want to look for for this particular item. You don't even need to add a trigger to the rule to see if it is available.
- Select Actions to Run
- Select Actions to Add dropdown menu
- Set Mode, Variables or File, Run Custom Action
- Right side dropdown, (select which action) choose Run Custom Action
- Select capability of action device menu, you probably want "LOCK".
- Select your locks, and you will be presented with everything that can be controlled.
For me, my locks match the "Commands" section of your screenshot, there is nothing that shows up for what is shown in "Preferences", so I don't think that you will find what you need to do this like you wish.
I think doing this a different way, whether it is subscribing to the Remote Access, or whether it means writing a rule to do what the lock does (someone mentioned that upthread) is probably your best option.
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Well, one option, because the source is not available for built-in drivers, would be for you to make a feature request to @mike.maxwell to add an appropriate command/actuator to the driver.
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Have you looked at: [RELEASE] Auto Lock ? It has several options including a switch override for special situations.
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Great suggestion but unfortunately, the available options only include those in the Commands section and none from the Preferences section. Thank you for the guidance. It's appreciated.
I took a quick look and need to explore this further. It looks like it might work. And he also listed the Yale lock as a device he's tested with. Thanks so much! I will report back once I've had a chance to test it out.
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@fischer1049 I use it personally for 4 Yale locks and it works great. I'm also open to suggestions from users. If you come across something that isn't working as expected just let me know and I can update it pretty easily. I've also done pretty extensive testing with the schlage locks. I used to use those before I got the yale locks.
If there is something specific you would like to do just let me know. I also plan on adding device specific functions based on the make and model for some of the more popular models. I just haven't had time lately because of work stuff.
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@lewis.heidrick I only have one Yale lock (Zigbee) currently but so far like it much better than the Schlage ZWave lock it replaced. The Schlage lock batteries didn't even last a month. My understanding is that Zigbee is much more battery friendly.
I will be looking into your app over the coming weekend and next week while I am off work. I suspect it will work based on what I've been reading. Thank you so much for providing this to the community.
I can't really speak on battery life since both seem to be about a year or so for both for me but I have a very robust mesh for both Z-Wave and Zigbee. I have seen cases where misalignment issues can put the locks into a high power mode when the lock doesn't line up perfectly so it can power through the hangs to get the lock locked. This mode drastically reduces the battery life.
The second case I've seen is where there isn't a good beaming repeater nearby. Most zwave plus devices powered by mains are beaming repeaters though so usually don't have to do anything extra depending placement, but if the hub is placed close to the lock then it could be an issue. Zigbee doesn't need a beaming repeater but could benefit from a repeater nearby depending on the signal strength.
Finally, you might want to consider some rechargable batteries that hold 1.5v via a bms such as the Tenavolt batteries. They're a little on the expensive side but I absolutely hate replacing batteries constantly. As the voltage sags on normal batteries all kinds of weird things can happen. These batteries stay constant at 1.5v till they die. The one downside is they just stop working without notice. They are rechargable though and should outlast pretty much any device. I've been using them in my locks and have lasted over a year so far without issue. I haven't even needed to charge them up again after the initial charge. (They come pre-discharged some for shipping safety) I plan on charging them every 12 months or so.
http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Beaming
Thanks for the battery tip. It will be a while before I determine the battery life. My Z-Wave Schlage lock with alkaline batteries lasted less than 4 weeks. I am waiting to see how the Yale Zigbee lock performs. Generally I would prefer to use rechargeable batteries but frankly, Duracell batteries are relative inexpensive and can be disposed of with regular trash while Lithium Ion batteries are considered hazardous material. The Tenavolt batteries are interesting and I will keep an eye on them as a possible replacement.
As for Zigbee repeaters, my Hubitat is about 20 feet from the lock and so far it has not been an issue (as far as I can tell).
