Smart Garage Automation: Lights, Doors, and Nightly Cleanup

General
1

I’ve been working on optimizing my garage automation setup, and I wanted to share some of the rules and automations I’ve developed. This might be helpful for others looking to streamline their garage systems!

The Setup:

  • Garage Doors: Three overhead doors with Econolink tilt sensors.
  • Side Door: A Yale Zigbee lock with a Lowe’s Zigbee open/close sensor.
  • Lights: Controlled by a Zen27 wall switch.

The Goal:

  • Turn lights on when any door opens.
  • Keep lights on for up to 5 minutes after closing (perfect for grabbing groceries or working in the garage).
  • Allow manual override for extended use (like working on my car).
  • Add a failsafe to turn lights off at 1 AM in case I forget.

How It Works:

  1. Basic Automation:

    • Lights turn on when any door opens.
    • Lights turn off 5 minutes after the last door closes, unless overridden.

  2. Manual Override:

    • Double-tapping the Zen27 switch activates a scene that disables the timed-off routine.
    • This is done by setting a global variable (LightsOn) to true, which prevents the automation from turning off the lights.

  3. Nightly Cleanup:

    • At 1 AM, lights are turned off, and LightsOn is reset to false.
    • This ensures lights aren’t left on accidentally.

Why This Works:

  • The use of a global variable makes the system flexible and easy to debug.
  • The failsafe ensures energy efficiency without user intervention.
  • The manual override is simple yet effective for extended use cases.

I’d love to hear if anyone has similar setups or improvements they’ve made to their garage automation! Sharing experiences helps us all learn and refine our systems.