Hi Guys,
I am looking for a switch for my Smartthings rules so that I can switch off my Windfree air conditioning completely. So no buttons, really a switch that can be ON or OFF similar to a door sensor OPEN or CLOSE.
I would use the switch as a precondition for a rule and also as a switch to end a running rule.
For example:
If the switch is OFF and the temperature is 25 ° or more, then turn on the air conditioner.
*When the switch turns on, turn off the air conditioner while it is running.
The problem is that my wife is looking for a way to turn off the air conditioning when she is watching TV.
Can you recommend something to me?
Regards Rene
What country are you in? The device selection does vary.
Also do you have a SmartThings/Aeotec hub or are you in a “hub optional” configuration?
Finally…I don’t know about that particular model, but does your air conditioner already have a wall switch? If not, many air conditioners can be damaged if they are frequently cut off mid cycle: they’re just not designed for that.
Depending on the exact model of the air conditioner, there may be some other options, either a device like the Cielo which can act as a remote control for the air conditioner or a robot button pusher like the Switchbot which can physically push the button. Either of these work with the air conditioner’s existing shut off systems so you don’t damage it.
So there are probably some options, but we would need a few more details.
This project should be very doable if you are willing to buy one of the devices that is designed to make an air conditioning unit work with home automation. The device will act like another remote as far as the air conditioning unit is concerned. But it will look like a thermostat to SmartThings.
If you open your SmartThings app, go to add a device, select by device type, and then choose “air conditioning,” you should see a list of brands that already have integrations. In the US, Cielo Breeze is a good brand for this, but I’m not sure which brands are available in Europe. @GSzabados might be able to check.
Meanwhile, take a look at this Cielo Breeze page and see if you see your remote there.
Page 27 bottom, have you set up the AC with SmartThings? The manual suggests that you can do that. Can you control the AC with SmartThings?
What TV do you have? Can you get the status of the TV into SmartThings? If the TV hasn’t got any Smart capabilities, then you will need a metering plug to detect the on state of the TV.
yes, I have integrated a door sensor, a temperature sensor and the air conditioning into Smartthings.
My exact rules are as follows:
Switch off the air conditioning if the patio-door is open for longer than 1 minute - door-sensor (z-wave)
Switch on the air conditioning when the temperature at the temperature sensor (zigbee) is 25 ° or higher
Switch off the air conditioning when the temperature at the temperature sensor (zigbee) is 24 ° or less
But now I still need the option to switch off the air conditioning completely, so that none of my controls start anymore. I thought that it would be easiest if I integrated a switch (zigbee, z-wave) that only turned it on or off, I would include it in the rules as follows:
If switch is off, then air conditioning is off
If the switch is on and the temperature at the temperature sensor is 25 ° or higher, then switch on the air conditioning.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a sensible switch that does this simple task, apparently there are only buttons, but they can’t keep the OFF status for me.
I hope it’s more understandable?
Has the TV any Ethernet/Wifi connection or is it completely dumb? If dumb, then get a cheap metering plug. Check what is the consumption when the TV on and off, and build a rule according that if power usage is above X then the TV is on, and apply your rules, or add a virtual switch which turns on and off according the power usage, and use that as a precondition.
Otherwise regarding the temperature sensor rule, I would not use that, does ACs are inverter powered and they should not be turned on an off. Set the target temperature on the AC to 24 and it will keep it automatically.
OK, now I understand why you bring the TV into play, the only problem is if I sit alone in front of the TV then the air conditioning should already be running
hmm, but then the air conditioning runs all the time
Yeah, I know. The automation cannot make a selection who is watching the TV. But if you have an idea how you can differentiate between yourself and your wife, just let us know. We can advise on many devices and solutions.
Maybe a pressure sensor under the seat where your wife is usually sitting…
Let me point you to a subreddit subject regarding AC and temperature control.
thanks for the linked post, i understand what you mean!
I could set the temperature difference to 2 °, so the system would only switch on every 2 hours if it is really hot outside. Wouldn’t that be so tragic for the inverter?
It is really up to you, how much you want to extort the device. The point of the setpoint is to keep the temperature on that level. If you drive your car, you do not turn on an off the AC, because it keeps on the level what you like. (If you do so, then just please disregard my comments…)
There is no need to set up an extra automation to turn it off. Really, you can track the power usage of the AC in that’s your concern. When it reaches the temperature it just circulates the air to keep the feeling.
In the US, central AC units are running 24/7, but @JDRoberts could tell more how it is really over there.
Otherwise, if I can recall, those Samsung ACs have some filtration system as well, so they do keep the air clean as well. And the model, which I used to have, had a feature called Virus Doctor, which was cleaning with UV light as well.
So, really the point is here, when the AC turns on, after a prolonged off period, it has a huge kick on power usage, and it doesn’t do anything really good to the compressor neither, and the efficiency is not so good at that time neither. It is better to keep it on continuously because it has a built in temperature control. Turn it off when you are not there, or as you set up the door is open. The remote functionality is really for remote shutdown and start. Ie.: Turn off when nobody is in the house/room and you forgot to turn it off. Or before arriving home, turn it on to cool down the room in advance. (During the current heat wave, if temperatures outside 35+, room temperatures can creep up to 40+ or more if windows facing south and no ventilation in the room, and lack of adequate window shading. In those cases a remote start makes a lot of sense when you are heading home from the shop or from work.)
I have central AC in the US that is 2 years old. It does NOT run continuously. The compressor and fan cycle on and off all day to maintain the set temperature. It is controlled by a Honeywell T5 thermostat that has a temperature swing of less than 1 degree F.
It’s not a problem if you turn it off using the controls on the remote or the air conditioning unit itself.
Just cutting the power completely as a wall switch does can cause it to shut off at the wrong time in the compressor cycle and that might damage the unit. This sometimes happens during summer rainstorms if the power goes out when the unit was running.
As @Paul_Oliver mentioned, most air conditioning units in the US do not run continuously unless, as @GSzabados noted, they are also air filtration units. Instead, they are controlled by a thermostat. Just like heating units, they turn on when the room temperature reaches a set point and turn off again at a different set point.
You mentioned you have a remote. Would using the “power off” button of that remote be sufficient for what you are trying to do? If so, it should be easy to come up with a solution. Or is the unit still making other noise even after you have used the “Off” button on the remote?
My point is it doesn’t make any sense to turn off the AC unit (power off by remote or by the SmartThings app, as it supports that as well, what stops the air ventilation and the compressor after some cooling period as I can recall), because the AC unit is fitted with a temperature sensor and with a Thermostat. It has a setpoint, your desired room temperature, and it will keep that temperature by automatically adjusting the cooling and ventilation.
If I understand the original post in this thread, the OP‘s wife doesn’t like the noise from the air conditioner when she’s watching television, even if the room is not yet cooled to the setpoint. So that’s why they want to be able to turn it off separately from the temperature settings.
I know people who turn off the air conditioner if they are taking a telephone call for a similar reason.
Oh, yes, that is not what I meant. I meant the other automation what the OP use, having a separate Temperature sensor to turn on and off the AC.
That’s what doesn’t really make sense for me.
But otherwise, there is a quite mode as well as I can recall when the AC doesn’t work with full blast. But to mention, it is not capable usually in that mode to keep the room temperature down as it would be expected.
(I had one of these Samsung ACs about 8-10 years back, they had a decent level of control, remote and WiFi through the Smart Air Conditioner app, except some features were only available through the remote only. I believe the app one of those which has been merged to SmartThings. )
The Samsung Windfree’s thermostat measures the temperature at a height where we are not present, around 2.2 meters. When it cools down, it is also faster at the target temperature with its integrated thermostat, so it already switches off and I do not have the desired temperature at seat height. This could be compensated for with an offset, but I find an external thermostat much more accurate. Only that is the reason for the external thermostat. It measures the temperature where you are most of the time. That works fine.
If I understand you correctly, then it is not about the indoor unit but about the outdoor unit which is prone to power failure?
I would only use the switch to signal the indoor unit that it should switch off, just as if I were pressing the off button on the device’s remote control. The outdoor unit is still supplied with electricity!
