Multipurpose sensor checks time, triggers light?

SmartApps & Automations Automation Ideas
1

I have a dog walker coming to the house several times a day to watch my dog on a long weekend. I want to set up a temporary routine that would:

  1. After 8:30pm, if the front door opens, turn on a light.
  2. 30 minutes after that event, turn it off.

I have an Outlet for the light and Multipurpose sensor for the front door. How could I make this work. I also have IFTTT if that helps.

John

2

If you are OK with that light always turning off 30 minutes after it was turned on during this long weekend, then it’s easy.

Use the official smart lighting app to set a “power allowance” on that light so that it always turns itself off after 30 minutes.

IMG_2748.PNG1536Ă—2048 142 KB

Then you create a second smart lighting rule to turn the light on when the door opens during the desired timeframe.

That should be all you need. :sunglasses:

If you want it to only turn off after 30 minutes if it was turned on because of the door opening, but to stay on if it was turned on in some other fashion, see the how to article in the community – created wiki on creating a virtual timer:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_create_a_virtual_timer_for_a_light

That same article also explains how to use the power allowance feature if you aren’t familiar with that, just look at step two in the how to.

When you get home again, either remove those rules or change them to only run in a mode that you aren’t using.

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3

Ah, nicely explained, and it gives me a few ideas for other approaches to this. Thank you JD!

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4

I created two SmartApps. The first works if my Arlo front of the house camera gets a motion trigger after 8:30pm. That forces the light to go on. A second smartapp only allows the light to stay on an hour, well after the the dog sitter should have left for the evening. I’ll test it all tonight on myself.

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