Suspend Device Automation

[tome10]

I have an event that turns a ceiling fan on when the AC is running. I sit under this fan, and sometimes I don't want the fan on. I'll turn the fan off via HSTouch, but in a few minutes the system turns the fan back on. How do you suspend this event?

[Uncle Michael]

I have an event that turns a ceiling fan on when the AC is running. I sit under this fan, and sometimes I don't want the fan on. I'll turn the fan off via HSTouch, but in a few minutes the system turns the fan back on. How do you suspend this event?

The way I'd do it is with a virtual device. Add a condition to the event that the virtual device is on. Then turn the device off to suspend the event.

[tome10]

So I add an event that turns the VD off when I manually turn the fan off on my HSTouch screeen. I would then wait an hour and have the VD switched back on automatically to resume it's operations?

[simplextech]

So I add an event that turns the VD off when I manually turn the fan off on my HSTouch screeen. I would then wait an hour and have the VD switched back on automatically to resume it's operations?

Add a VD as a condition to the Fan Event.

If VD is ON don't turn on the fan.

Then you can flip the VD on/off from HStouch and the event will run but the condition won't be met and the fan will stay off (if that's what you want) until you flip the VD back.

You could use a VD or some other item... I use the FireTV activity to disable the motion sensor that controls the lights. So when it's "Movie Time" the lights dim and the motion sensor is disabled to prevent the lights from coming back on. Then when the harmony activity switches to something other than Watch FireTV the motion sensor is active and lights will come on.

[randy]

As others said a virtual device used as a condition in the event would be an answer. You can control the virtual device from HSTouch and/or have an event that enables it again after a specific period of time.

Another simple solution would be to only allow the On event to run if the fan has been Off for a period of time. For example add the condition

AND IF The fan has been off for at least 6o minutes

This would allow you to shut it off for an hour, then it would return to automatic operation.

[chrisfraser05]

I use the same principle for lots of devices, I have a full page of inhibit/overrides on my tablet.

The events for all automated sequences, from auto lighting in rooms, heating even opening the windows have a VD (one VD for each room, one for special functions like HVAC or Windows).

The event has its trigger as normal, but also a condition to see if the VD is enabled, if the VD is not enabled the event will not perform its actions.


This allows me to suspend rooms under conditions I decide, such as when decorating if we have the motion sensor removed from the room or something, we can stop the lights in that room working automatically etc.