Help turning on/off a switch depending on the outside temperature | Home Assistant | Page 1

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 5:38 PM

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Hi all,

My girlfriend likes her bed heated when it's cold outside. But not too long and repetition is needed. So: I want to make an automation that checks the outside temperature. If it's below 2C the heating should turn on. But only between midnight and 6am. But only for 15 minutes and then 45 off (so 15 minutes per hour). Then repeat.

So, I created the automation in the next message.

Result (yes, it was below 2C last night): it turned on at 2:47 and didn't turn off... I think the error is somewhere in the repeat, but I can't find out what I did wrong?

rough cedarBOT Nov 20, 2025, 5:51 PM

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@onyx hawk To format your text as code, enter three backticks on the first line, press Enter for a new line, paste your code, press Enter again for another new line, and lastly three more backticks.
```yaml
example: here
```
Don't forget you can edit your post rather than repeatedly posting the same thing.

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 6:04 PM

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description: ""
triggers:
  - trigger: numeric_state
    entity_id:
      - weather.forecast_home
    attribute: temperature
    below: 2
conditions:
  - condition: time
    after: "00:00:00"
    before: "06:00:00"
    weekday:
      - sun
      - mon
      - tue
      - wed
      - thu
      - fri
      - sat
actions:
  - action: switch.toggle
    metadata: {}
    data: {}
    target:
      entity_id: switch.tz3000_kdi2o9m6_ts011f_switch
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 15
      seconds: 0
      milliseconds: 0
  - action: switch.turn_off
    metadata: {}
    data: {}
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 45
      seconds: 0
      milliseconds: 0
  - repeat:
      until:
        - condition: time
          after: "00:00:00"
          before: "06:00:00"
          weekday:
            - sun
            - mon
            - tue
            - wed
            - thu
            - fri
            - sat
      sequence: []
mode: single

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:15 PM

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onyx hawk ```alias: Bed astrid 15-45 description: "" triggers: - trigger: numeric_state ...

I suggest you use switch turn on instead of toggle for the turning on

also your switch turn off action does not have a target entity so its not doing anything

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:17 PM

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onyx hawk ```alias: Bed astrid 15-45 description: "" triggers: - trigger: numeric_state ...

furthermore your actions need to be inside the repeat in order for them to repat

#

currently it looks like its:

toggling switch
wait 15 mins
turn off NOTHING
wait for 45 mins
repeat DOING NOTHING until time condition fails

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:21 PM

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But the trigger is already flawed. You mixed up trigger (when you want it to happen) and condition (what need to be true). So trigger is at 0:00 and the condition is that is is < 2, then start repeating

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But, I'm not a fan of long running automations. You know all the possible moments you want to act. Just trigger then.

alias: Bed astrid 15-45
description: ""
triggers:
  - trigger: time_pattern
    minutes: "0"
    hours: "*"
    id: turn on
  - trigger: time_pattern
    minutes: "45"
    hours: "*"
    id: Turn off
conditions:
  - condition: time
    after: "00:00:00"
    before: "06:00:00"
actions:
  - choose:
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id:
              - turn on
          - condition: numeric_state
            entity_id: weather.forecast_home
            below: 2
        sequence:
          - action: switch.turn_on
            metadata: {}
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: switch.tz3000_kdi2o9m6_ts011f_switch
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id:
              - Turn off
        sequence:
          - action: switch.turn_off
            metadata: {}
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: switch.tz3000_kdi2o9m6_ts011f_switch
mode: single

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:35 PM

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or perhaps something like this:

description: ""
mode: single
triggers:
  - trigger: time_pattern
    hours: /1
    id: top_of_hour
  - trigger: time_pattern
    hours: /1
    minutes: "15"
    id: 15_after_hour
conditions:
  - condition: time
    before: "06:16:00"
actions:
  - choose:
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id:
              - top_of_hour
          - condition: numeric_state
            entity_id: weather.forecast_home
            attribute: temperature
            below: 2
        sequence:
          - action: switch.turn_on
            metadata: {}
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: switch.tz3000_kdi2o9m6_ts011f_switch
      - conditions:
          - condition: trigger
            id:
              - 15_after_hour
        sequence:
          - action: switch.turn_off
            metadata: {}
            data: {}
            target:
              entity_id: switch.tz3000_kdi2o9m6_ts011f_switch

would check temp at hours 0->6 and switch on if below 2
then at quarter past hours 00:15 -> 06:15 it will switch off (if its already off it will do nothing)

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don't worry @onyx hawk, between myself and @unborn garden and I am sure we can keep your girlfriends bed warm...

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Joke was too easy to miss out on... 🙂

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:39 PM

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😋

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:39 PM

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delicate cape I suggest you use switch turn on instead of toggle for the turning on also your...

Both very valid points, the 2nd one is one of those errors that make you feel stupid hahaha

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:40 PM

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But seems like @delicate cape was thinking alone the same lines as I did 😅

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:41 PM

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delicate cape don't worry <@666014286841380872>, between myself and <@580131845174198292> and ...

I'm both happy with your help and laughing about your comment hahaha

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:43 PM

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as mentioned above, in general "long running" automations are not recommended. getting it to trigger when an action is needed is a better option.

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:44 PM

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I'm not good at Yaml, so I'm trying to replicate what you're saying in the visual editor...

#

description: ""
triggers:
  - trigger: numeric_state
    entity_id:
      - weather.forecast_home
    attribute: temperature
    below: 2
conditions: []
actions:
  - repeat:
      until:
        - condition: time
          after: "00:00:00"
          before: "06:00:00"
          weekday:
            - sun
            - mon
            - tue
            - wed
            - thu
            - fri
            - sat
      sequence:
        - type: turn_on
          device_id: 885655371789e71e4e6612024b949d35
          entity_id: e21544eabea77139190a81a6c4e1e161
          domain: switch
        - delay:
            hours: 0
            minutes: 15
            seconds: 0
            milliseconds: 0
        - action: switch.turn_off
          metadata: {}
          data: {}
          target:
            entity_id: switch.tz3000_kdi2o9m6_ts011f_switch
        - delay:
            hours: 0
            minutes: 45
            seconds: 0
            milliseconds: 0
mode: single

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so it'll only run when it's below 2C and I moved the action inside the repeat

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:46 PM

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you can switch back and forth between yaml and visual. so can switch to yaml and paste then switch back to visual

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:46 PM

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I never knew!

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I've now installed Michael's version

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I would have never thought of doing it that way, but it's exactly what I was looking for

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I just don't see where it says midnight

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or does it automatically start at 0h00?

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:49 PM

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at midnight it will trigger because its an hour and then check thats its before 0616 which 0000 is

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:49 PM

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aaaahhh

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:50 PM

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it will trigger every hour but only do something before 0616

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:50 PM

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I get it now

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:50 PM

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onyx hawk I'm not good at Yaml, so I'm trying to replicate what you're saying in the visua...

I made it visual as well 😄

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:50 PM

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I've changed it to 4 degrees, since it'll be 3 degrees this night 😉

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Thank you both, let's see if she's happy tomorrow morning! hahaha

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:51 PM

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delicate cape at midnight it will trigger because its an hour and then check thats its before ...

this can just be 6:00, as now it if effectivly doing it till 7:00

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:52 PM

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once you get the ideal of how to use the tools and learn some ways to approach things then automations get easier

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:52 PM

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unborn garden this can just be 6:00, as now it if effectivly doing it till 7:00

i set it to 0616 to ensure it triggers at 0615 to turn off

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:52 PM

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The bad thing is, that I've been a user for like 4 years, but here it was just too much at the same time 🙂

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:53 PM

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And tip for the time condition, leaving weekday blank is the same as adding them all 😄

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:53 PM

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unborn garden And tip for the time condition, leaving weekday blank is the same as adding them...

Maybe a Dutch thing... but weekday is Mon-Fri here. That's why I decided to not take a chance and select all 🙂

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:53 PM

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I imagine my setup can be cleaned up a bit but it was quick and dirty. and removed some ambiguity

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:53 PM

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delicate cape i set it to 0616 to ensure it triggers at 0615 to turn off

But that makes the range longer then requested. If you set it to 6:00 it will alread not turn on at 6

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:54 PM

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unborn garden But that makes the range longer then requested. If you set it to 6:00 it will al...

yeah I took executive decision that 0600 was a trigger too 😛

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but technically you are correct

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:55 PM

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onyx hawk Maybe a Dutch thing... but weekday is Mon-Fri here. That's why I decided to not ...

No it's not 😉 Don´t confuse working day (werkdag) with weekday (dag van de week)

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:55 PM

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Weekdag...

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that's the one I was doubting about 🙂

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But of course you're absolutely right

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:56 PM

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now you just need to detect switch on failure and send you an alert to commence emergency 15 minute warm up cuddle.

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:56 PM

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Hahahahahahaha

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:56 PM

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but yeah, just to save work you can leave it blank 🙂

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hehe

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:57 PM

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I had already created two buttons on the Streamdeck next to her bed (used to control the lights) that turned on the heating for 15 or 60 minutes. But I wanted a good automation

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:58 PM

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these kind of simple but extremely useful automations are really the core of a smart home 🙂

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 7:58 PM

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But just my two cents, I think I would switch to a 5min on and 15min off scheme. That would reduce the hourly inferno

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:59 PM

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Yeah, we'll have to finetune it. It's a first step. I'll hear it when she's unhappy for sure 😉

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At least I can now easily change it

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 7:59 PM

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or add a bed temp sensor and do it on demand...

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 7:59 PM

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I have a busy weekend, please don't put things in my head hahaha

delicate cape Nov 20, 2025, 8:00 PM

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there is a million ways to make it more complicated 😛

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 8:00 PM

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I'm sure and I wish you good luck with that. It's been difficult enough for me hahaha

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 8:01 PM

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hehe, here it turns on for 10 minutes before we enter bed if it's cold and we enter the bathroom after 21:00 😅

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 8:01 PM

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I don't have a heating, my g/f (latina) can't live without it...

onyx hawk Nov 20, 2025, 8:02 PM

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unborn garden hehe, here it turns on for 10 minutes before we enter bed if it's cold and we en...

Awesome automation, I must say.

unborn garden Nov 20, 2025, 8:03 PM

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We have a single one but across at the foot end. Just to take the edge off

#Help turning on/off a switch depending on the outside temperature