Door Sensor how to start


#1

Hey everyone I’m looking for some help in setting up a piston to help remind me the dogs are outside.
Unfortunately I cannot seem to get the starting logic figured out. Here’s what I’d like to do.

If back door sensor is opened, and then closed within 2 minutes Start a timer. If within 15 minutes This doesn’t happen again, do the things loop for another 15 minutes do the things again until It’s open/closed again within 2 minutes.

I cannot seem to get started on this piston. Can someone give me some ideas on how to begin that logic?

thanks!


#2

Wow… A timer, inside a loop, inside a timer, inside a timer…
(with another timer as a condition)

I can’t wait to see how this conversation flows…


#3

What if someone just decides to go outside? How would you know the difference between letting the dogs out and someone just going out for some fresh air?


#4

I can’t provide what you are asking but I can offer you some workarounds.

  • When the dogs are out you can use
    a) A simulated switch that is turned on by echo, google voice command and that triggers a piston.
    b) A simulated switch is turned on via Action Tiles when the dogs are out.
    c) A zwave button is pushed when dogs are out and that triggers a piston.

etc…

but @guxdude is right, what if someone is out for any reason?


#5

It is hard to start to answer because we all draw on our own experiences and situations and project them onto yours. So we may struggle to imagine the open and closing of a door within two minutes always meaning the dogs have gone out or come in, and the opening and closing of the door taking more than two minutes never meaning the dogs have gone out or come in. We can’t imagine there never being an exception that would throw the automation out of sync. It just seems like a situation tailor made for having a physical switch or button next to the door handle.


#6

I have Alexa

“Alexa set a timer for 15 mins”.

If you let them in
“Alexa cancel timer”


#7

The sensor is actually on a dog door, so if someone is going outside using that method…well they are probably pretty intoxicated and I’d still like to check and see if they are alive in 15 minutes.


#8

I love it:)))))


#9

Best. Response. Ever!


#10

LOL.

If it’s on a dog door, could you add an extra magnet and tell which way it swings?


#11

I wonder if you can elaborate a bit as to why you want the two minute check…
Doesn’t the door auto-close due to gravity?


#12

This is pure gold already.