Door sensor send email when open 5 minutes

[MRD10607]

I have a door sensor (z-wave) that I have on my front door and want to get a text message from my HS3 system (via email) if the door has been open for a set amount of time (5 minutes for example).

I tried to control a timer but it got in a loop and sent text messages every second until I rebooted the system.

I already have the following setup to only notify me when the door is opened and then pause for a specific amount of time before sending another notice.



Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Micah

[Wade]

You could use:

IF door has been open for exactly 5 minutes
THEN send email

For multiple emails you would need an event for each time period. This way you can vary the time period.


Or to send multiple emails at a regular interval, you could use:

event 1
IF door opens
THEN start timer

event 2
IF door closes
THEN stop timer

event 3
IF timer becomes 5 minutes
THEN send email
THEN restart timer

I have a similar situation where I use a combination of these concepts such that I get notifications at increasing intervals up to a point and then at regular intervals thereafter.

[alexbk66]

Here's how I do that. In my case I want to sound a notification if my heater is ON and any of doors / windows are open for more than 10 seconds.

And instead of email I use Pushover plugin to send instant push.
And I'm using AKGoogleCalendar plugin to show this in my Google Calendar

If you need any explanation, feel free to ask

[alexbk66]

event 1
IF door opens
THEN start timer

event 2
IF door closes
THEN stop timer

event 3
IF timer becomes 5 minutes
THEN send email
THEN restart timer

It doesn't have to be that complex, you don't need any timers, just use available trigger options! KISS!

[alexbk66]

And BTW you didn't need to reboot, you could just disable the event:

[drparker151]

I use the same exact kind of event that alexbk66 shows.

If door sensor open for at least 15 minutes, speak to a couple of google devices and send a pushover message. don't rerun for 5 minutes.

[Wade]

It doesn't have to be that complex, you don't need any timers, just use available trigger options! KISS!

I try to avoid events that put continuous processing load on the server. Your method is definitely simpler but would evaluate continuously (every second?) until the door is closed. My approach is a holdover from my days with Vera and its anemic hardware and may be a non-issue with HS3, but it can't hurt either IMO.

[alexbk66]

I try to avoid events that put continuous processing load on the server. Your method is definitely simpler but would evaluate continuously (every second?) until the door is closed.

No, I set "Can't re-run for 10 seconds" - so HS will set the timer internally for 10 seconds.

[Uncle Michael]

I try to avoid events that put continuous processing load on the server. Your method is definitely simpler but would evaluate continuously (every second?) until the door is closed.

I have seen no evidence that an event that does not run generates measurable overhead. The event engine appears to be very efficient in the way it handles conditions.

[Wade]

No, I set "Can't re-run for 10 seconds" - so HS will set the timer internally for 10 seconds.

Hmmm. Would seem the trigger is still evaluated every second but the event doesn't fire due to the 10 second limit--which is effectively just another condition. But based on Mike's comment above, it's likely an academic discussion.

edit: On further thought the running timer may add as much processing load as evaluating the trigger for all I know.

[alexbk66]

On further thought the running timer may add as much processing load as evaluating the trigger for all I know.

Evaluating a trigger even every second (as part of existing event system) is nothing, it takes a couple of cpu commands, just a few nanoseconds. On the other hand, creating another timer uses an extra thread which creates extra overhead.

[Guest]

that's the logic i use. it has it's pro/cons

[alexbk66]

Using AKSmartDevice plugin you can simply set the lights countdown timer to 5 minutes, add motion sensors as triggers - then every motion detected will restart the countdown timer. And if there's no motion - after 5 minutes lights will switch off.

https://youtu.be/mmyrx8kXnWY?t=149

[Guest]

Thanks . But i can do this with events.


And I use some more complicated ( conditional) events for other things.

ex: if MPc-be is set to play.
Then, it will trigger other event action if conditions are true ( three time) : So, another event will close the lights in kitchen if nobody is in there since x time. another event for the bathroom, another for the hallway etc.



I don't feel the need to buy a plugin for this when the event engine can do it. And more important, it is really easy to manager all the logic in one place VS, 70% of the logic on the event engine , 20 % on a plugin , 10 % on another plugin.

[alexbk66]

I don't feel the need to buy a plugin for this when the event engine can do it.

I don't like HS event system, that's why I created AKSmartDevice plugin. What I don't like using HS events - if you replace one device - you need to go through your events and find where your device is used and replace it. And if something isn't working - you need to troubleshoot all these events...

In SmartDevice plugin all device settings (i.e. triggers, actions, countdown timers) are on the device config page for the device itself. And there's a log as well for this particular device only.

In programming history HS events are similar to old days "Structured programming paradigm" - when external code controls your object state with lots ifs/else/then. And your object doesn't know what's happening to it and why.

AKSmartDevice approach is similar to contemporary "Object Oriented paradigm" - when object behavior is encapsulated inside the object itself, so the object knows how to behave in different situations, and it can track its state changes.

it is really easy to manager all the logic in one place VS, 70% of the logic on the event engine , 20 % on a plugin , 10 % on another plugin.

I'm trying to move as much as possible functionality inside the plugin, to minimize use of HS events.