HVAC ON/OFF by door and window sensors

SmartApps & Automations Automation Ideas
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I own a beach rental property and want to control the HVAC with the door/window sensors. I want the AC to go to OFF whenever any door or window is open for more than 3 or 5 minutes. Then I want the AC to go to ON when the door or window is closed again…when all sensors are closed.

It seemed pretty simple and I set up an automation to turn the AC ON when ALL sensors were closed. Then, if ANY sensor opened, delay 3 minutes and turn the AC OFF. I thought the first step would override the second step when the door was closed again. It worked sometimes but sometimes would not and the AC would turn OFF but not ON again. I need a very consistent automation so that renters don’t complain that the AC is not working.

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You may want to check out the smartapps from @RBoy

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You can check out these two apps which have that feature built in to monitor multiple door/window sensors and suspend the HVAC and then resume operation when they’re all closed. There are more on the website but these two will probably be the best fit for your needs as they have a closed loop setup i.e. it checks the the HVAC is operating to ensure that commands aren’t lost in cloud/mesh and your renters aren’t left with a AC not working.

[RELEASE] 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat Scheduler (Weekday, Weekend) with Remote Temperature Sensor for each Schedule

[RELEASE] Mode Based Thermostat - Control Multiple Thermostats Temperature / Remote Temperature Sensors when Changing Modes

You can also check out other rental automation apps like Rental Lock Automater which are popular with hosts.

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