I recently faced a challenge with my bathroom humidity monitoring system and wanted to share my journey and solution. The goal was to ensure that the dehumidifier runs until the humidity levels are adequately reduced, rather than stopping after a fixed time. Here’s how I tackled it:
The Setup
I use a binary sensor to detect if the humidity in my bathroom is significantly higher (10% higher) than the rest of the house. This sensor, along with another for rapid humidity changes, feeds into the Blackshome/sensor_light blueprint. This blueprint triggers a 20-minute timer to run the dehumidifier. However, the issue arose when the bathroom remained excessively humid, and the sensor couldn’t reset the timer, causing the dehumidifier to turn off prematurely.
The Problem
The Blackshome/sensor_light blueprint relies on state changes to reset the timer. Since my template sensor didn’t provide a resettable state, it only triggered once. This meant the dehumidifier wouldn’t run long enough if the humidity was persistently high.
The Solution
After some research and experimentation, I created an automation to reassert the binary sensor every 5 minutes. This ensures that as long as the humidity condition is met, the sensor remains ‘on,’ allowing the timer to reset and the dehumidifier to continue running. Here’s a simplified version of the automation:
markdown
- alias: ‘Humidity Monitor Automation’
mode: restart
trigger:- platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.ensuite_higher_humidity
to: ‘on’
for: ‘00:05:00’
action: - repeat:
while: ‘{{ is_state(‘binary_sensor.ensuite_higher_humidity’, ‘on’) }}’
sequence:
- service: homeassistant.turn_off
entity_id: binary_sensor.ensuite_higher_humidity
- delay: ‘00:05:00’
- platform: state
The Outcome
This setup has been working perfectly for me. The dehumidifier now runs as long as needed, ensuring the bathroom stays dry without manual intervention. It’s a simple yet effective solution that leverages existing tools within Home Assistant.
Tips for Others
- Experiment with Automations: Don’t hesitate to test different automation flows. Tools like the Blackshome blueprint are versatile and can be adapted to various needs.
- Regular Monitoring: Keep an eye on your humidity levels and adjust your automation thresholds as needed. This ensures optimal performance and prevents unnecessary energy use.
- Community Resources: If you’re stuck, the Home Assistant community forums are invaluable. Someone else might have faced a similar issue and shared their solution.
I hope this helps anyone looking to improve their humidity monitoring and dehumidifier automation setup! 
