Hello everyone, I wanted to share my experience integrating my Ring doorbell with a Fibaro switch to control the porch light. Initially, I thought it would be straightforward, but I ran into a few hurdles that made the process both challenging and rewarding. Here’s how I tackled it:
The Goal: Automatically turn on the porch light when motion is detected by the Ring doorbell and keep it on for 5 minutes before turning off. Sounds simple, right?
The Setup: I configured a flow where the Ring doorbell detects motion, triggers the Fibaro switch to turn on the light, and then uses a countdown timer to turn it off after 300 seconds. However, the light would turn on and off immediately, which was frustrating.
The Issue: After some research, I realized the problem was with how the countdown timer was set up. The timer wasn’t starting correctly, causing the light to shut off too soon. I experimented with different configurations and even sought advice from the community.
The Fix: A helpful user suggested adjusting the timer logic. Instead of relying solely on the countdown app, I modified the flow to ensure the timer starts correctly when motion is detected. Here’s the revised flow setup:
- Flow 1: If motion is detected by the Ring doorbell after 7 PM, turn on the Fibaro switch.
- Flow 2: When motion stops, reset the countdown timer to 300 seconds and trigger Flow 3.
- Flow 3: When the countdown timer reaches zero, turn off the Fibaro switch.
The Result: After tweaking the flows and ensuring the timer starts and stops correctly, everything works as intended! The porch light now stays on for exactly 5 minutes after detecting motion, providing ample visibility without wasting energy.
Lessons Learned: This experience taught me the importance of carefully configuring timers and verifying each step of the flow. It also highlighted the value of community support—without the tips from others, I might still be troubleshooting!
If anyone else is working on similar integrations, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to share more details or help troubleshoot any issues you encounter. Happy automating! 