I am using a Globe smart plug to try to run my A/C automatically based on the outside temperature. All efforts so far have been futile.
I have no experience with Smart Things or any IoT devices, so I’m probably doing something wrong, but this doesn’t seem that difficult.
I have tried setting it to turn on when the temperature is greater than -30 C while we are in the middle of a heat wave and it just refuses to do anything.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
ST Routines work based on the triggers you define in the “If” section of your Routine. Those triggers happen when there is a state change of the trigger value (false->true or true->false). In your case, if the temperature is below 20 and goes to 20 or higher, your Routine will run. If the temperature when you created the Routine was already at 20 or above and has never dipped below that value, then your Routine will never run.
If the temperature when you created the Routine was already at 20 or above and has never dipped below that value, then your Routine will never run.
Okay, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
What ST lacks for a trigger is simply “value changed”. If you really need a Routine to turn it on, you need some other trigger in conjunction with the temperature check. For example:
If Temperature at or above 20 (precondition)
Motion detected in living room
Then Turn on A/C
If you can’t come up with another trigger condition and still want the A/C to come on automatically, I would suggest looking at the 3rd party rules engine sharptool.io which does have a trigger of “value changed” which would work for your use case.
Super helpful, thank you. I will probably just set a schedule to cycle the A/C for now until I get a room sensor.
The other question is whether just providing power is enough to cause the air conditioner to turn on, because with many air conditioners that won’t work. 
Instead, you actually have to give it a specific command to turn on.
(Also, I’m surprised to hear that globe has a smart plug that is spec’d to manage the power draw from an air conditioner, but maybe. It would help to know the model of the smart plug, and the brand and model of the air conditioner. If the plug is not able to handle the power draw, then when the air conditioner turns on the plug may just shut itself off again immediately.)
So just to get this out of the way, I would first check the specifications on both the air conditioner and the smart plug to make sure that they are compatible.
If they are compatible, then try just turning the plug on and off from the device tile and see if that gives you the result you want. If it doesn’t, it won’t matter what your if statements are.
You may have already done all that, but I did just want to mention it. 