Hello everyone, I wanted to share an exciting project I recently completed that has made my life a bit easier. The idea was to create a custom sensor that helps determine the optimal time to bring in laundry drying outside. This has been a fun challenge and I’m thrilled with how it turned out!
The vision was simple: a sensor that provides a time of day when clothes would no longer dry, or signals “Now” if conditions are no longer optimal. To achieve this, I used a combination of weather data, time of day, and environmental factors like temperature and humidity. I even reached out to ChatGPT to help develop a formula that weighs these factors and triggers alerts when conditions change.
I aimed for a resolution of 10 minutes, with the system re-evaluating every 5 minutes to keep things updated. It’s been fascinating to see how dynamic the system is, adjusting to real-time changes in weather and conditions. I also set up a second sensor for the next day, which checks if there’s enough optimal drying time available.
The setup involved integrating weather data from Home Assistant and creating automations to fetch updates every 5 minutes. I’m now exploring ways to refine the formula further, tweaking weights and thresholds to make it even more accurate.
This project has not only saved me time but also reduced the risk of laundry getting caught in unexpected weather. It’s a great example of how smart home technology can solve everyday problems in creative ways. I’d love to hear if anyone else has similar projects or tips to share!
Best regards,
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