Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience with customizing the Vera dashboard to display the actual state of my Honeywell TH8320ZW thermostat. I’ve been using Vera for a while now, and while it’s a fantastic system, I always felt something was missing in the thermostat display.
For those who might not know, the Honeywell thermostat provides a ‘ModeState’ variable that indicates whether it’s in cooling, heating, or idle mode. However, this information wasn’t visible on the Vera dashboard by default, which was a bit frustrating for me. I wanted a quick glance at the current state without having to dig into the advanced settings.
After some research and experimentation, I found a workaround using a virtual multi-switch. This allowed me to map the thermostat’s state to individual switches on the dashboard. For example, if the thermostat is cooling, one switch lights up, and if it’s heating, another does. This visual representation makes it incredibly easy to see what’s happening at a glance.
Here’s a quick overview of how I set it up:
- Identify the Thermostat ID: Locate the ID of your thermostat in Vera’s device list.
- Create a Virtual Multi-Switch: Add a virtual multi-switch device in Vera’s device section.
- Use Luup Code: Write a simple Luup script to monitor the ‘ModeState’ variable and update the multi-switch accordingly.
I’ve been using this setup for a few weeks now, and it’s been a game-changer. It’s not just about functionality; it’s also about peace of mind. Knowing exactly what my thermostat is doing without any hassle is incredibly satisfying.
If anyone has questions or needs help setting this up, feel free to reach out! I’d be happy to share more details or troubleshoot any issues you might encounter.
Happy automating! 