Hello everyone, I wanted to share my recent success in setting up an automation for my porch lights using Node-RED. After struggling with YAML configurations, I decided to give Node-RED a try, and it turned out to be a great choice!
My goal was to have the porch lights turn on when I arrive home after sunset and turn off automatically after 5 minutes. Initially, I was concerned about the complexity of Node-RED, but the community here was incredibly helpful. I learned how to use the HA sun state to set conditions and integrate timers effectively.
Here’s a brief overview of my setup:
- Trigger: Uses my phone’s location tracker to detect when I’m approaching home.
- Condition: Checks if it’s after sunset to ensure the lights only activate during darker hours.
- Action: Turns on the porch lights and sets a timer to turn them off after 5 minutes.
I also explored using the ‘delay’ node for the automatic shutdown, which simplified the process compared to using a big timer. It’s amazing how customizable Node-RED is; I even added a small delay to ensure the lights stay on long enough for me to enter the house comfortably.
This setup has significantly improved my evening routine. No more fumbling with keys in the dark, and I love the energy efficiency of the automatic shutdown. It’s a small automation, but it makes a big difference!
I’d like to thank everyone in this community for their support and resources. If anyone has questions about Node-RED or similar automations, feel free to reach out! Let’s keep sharing and learning together. 