SmartThings (Samsung Connect) V3 - Automations Logic & Modes

I installed a new Z-Wave outlet to control a water recirculation pump. I want it to run 5 AM to 11 PM every day when (Mode = Away) OR (Mode = Night) OR (Mode = Home). It should not run when Mode = Vacation.

I first set up a new Automation with Mode checked for Away, Night, and Home. But the Automation did not run this morning. So I’m guessing that Location Mode is using “AND” logic such that if I check Away, Night and Home the logic is (Mode = Away) AND (Mode = Night) AND (Mode = Home).

If this is right, then it seems I need FOUR separate automations, one for each mode:

  1. Mode = Away and Period of Time = 5 AM to 11 PM, then Pump on
  2. Mode = Night and Period of Time = 5 AM to 11 PM, then Pump on
  3. Mode = Night and Period of Time = 5 AM to 11 PM, then Pump on
  4. Mode = Vacation, then Pump off

Is this right? Sure seems complicated for such a simple thing.

Should I do this in webCoRE? I haven’t used webCoRE in a year, so will have to brush up a bit.

Take a look at the Smart Lighting app in the SmartThings new app. It gives you the option to turn an outlet on at a set time only when in selected modes. A 2nd version will need to be created to turn it back off. This should also keep it local.

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If you specify a time period in an Automation, it treats it as a restriction. It doesn’t make the Automation run.

So the automation will execute when the location mode changes to one of ‘away’, ‘night’ or ‘home’ between the hours of 5 am and 11 pm. If the mode doesn’t change, it won’t execute. So does your mode change in the morning?

No, Mode is not changing. I want the pump to turn on according to the schedule 5A to 11P but only if I am in Home, Away or Night.

I do not want the pump to run if Mode is Vacation.

So, is the solution as Nameless suggested?

  • Automation #1 to turn pump ON if Home, Away or Night.
  • Automation #2 to turn pump OFF if Home, Away or Night.

Use smart lighting, my backyard light is your pump. Should turn on and off per your schedule but only in the 3 modes you want.

Just make sure that you issue an off command for the pump in another rule when you enter vacation mode because it won’t turn off with this rule in vacation mode. Make sense?

Click on the rule to see the whole thing

Makes perfect sense. I’ve done exactly this before in other Automations in V2. Don’t know why I didn’t think of this – I guess I got enamored with trying out the new “Automations” tool in V3 and completely forgot about Smart Lighting. I have about 60 automation rules set up in Smart Lighting that I’ve created over the past year and a half. The only thing not there is some rules in webCoRE that randomize some of our lights when we are out for the night or on vacation.

I have a two Scenes, “Vac Mode On” and “Vac Mode Off.” These are very limited - all “Vac Mode On” does is change the mode to Vacation and all “Vac Mode Off” does is change the mode to Home. I just added an action “turn pump on” to the “Vac Mode Off” scene.

This is a lot easier than using three separate Automations (which I had just finished setting up when I saw your response). Thanks!

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Thanks for explaining that a time period in an Automation is treated as a restriction and does not trigger execution.

I switched from Automations to SmartApps/Smart Lighting per @oldcomputerwiz suggestion below.

Actually it was @Nameless who originally suggested smart lighting I was just a little bored and decided to see what the smart lighting rule would look like. :grin:

Glad you have it working. I usually try to use smart lighting first, then automations. Unless it is going to require a lot of virtual switches and rules and then I generally move over to webCore.

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Thanks for your recommendation. It’s working well (I think). I’ll check the log tomorrow morning and see if it went off tonight and back on tomorrow morning.

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@orangebucket @oldcomputerwiz
Thanks for your help - it executed perfectly last night and this morning.

@Nameless - you don’t need a second version because the Smart Lighting app allows you to optionally specify on at a certain time followed by off at a certain time. This is a good application for that feature because the pump runs on a set schedule every day.

I forgot to mention why I automated the pump with a Z-Wave controller. The pump comes with an old-fashioned mechanical timer. Whenever we get a power outage, the timer motor stops running and the pump timing goes out of synch with the clock. We had a 4 hour outage a few weeks back which threw the mechanical timer off and we didn’t have instant hot water in the morning. The water heater is a long ways from our master bath, so it took quite a while to get hot water there. As they say, “First world problems.” This is our first house with a hot water recirculation system and, I must say, it is nice having fast hot water and not throwing all that cold water down the drain while waiting for the hot water to arrive.

The other nice thing about the Z-Wave automation is the recirculation pump will automatically be off when we go on vacation. I always forgot to turn the pump off manually when we left the house or forgot to turn it back on when we got home from a trip.

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