Hey everyone, I’m excited to share a project I’ve been working on to automate my bathroom lights using a humidity sensor. I’ve got teenagers in the house, so the bathroom lights tend to stay on longer than necessary, especially during showers. I wanted a smarter way to manage this without completely relying on motion sensors, which can be a bit intrusive.
Here’s what I did: I set up a humidity sensor alongside the existing motion sensor. The idea is simple—when the humidity level exceeds a certain threshold (I chose 65%), the motion sensor pauses, allowing the lights to stay on without interruption. This way, my kids can have their privacy during their extended showers, and the lights won’t turn off unexpectedly.
I used a YAML setup to define the automation. The motion sensor triggers the lights, but there’s a condition based on the humidity sensor. If the humidity is too high, the motion sensor effectively gets paused. After 10 minutes of no movement, the lights turn off automatically. I also added a notification to let me know when the lights are turned off, which helps with monitoring energy usage.
The setup has been working great so far! It’s a small tweak, but it makes a big difference in terms of convenience and energy efficiency. I’d love to hear if anyone else has tried something similar or has tips on improving this further. Let’s keep the ideas flowing and make our smart homes even smarter!