I want to use a standby or “Away” setting to override the C-Stat 17-ZW scheduled setpoints. Intention is to use a virtual switch to override all scheduled setpoints to set to 8 deg C. I also have a virtual switch to boost heat for two hours. I have tried various examples from PLEG basics manual but the ones l set up are overriden by the next scheduled setpoint . Finally tried hard coding an override just past the C-Stat scheduled time stamps. I also am curious as to why I get invalid code messages for ? in conditions.
The home/away is a common use case but I am having problems with the C-Stat. The thermostat has “setpoint info” called H1, M1 …what are these for, could adjusting these help. I have attached one of my PLEG trial settings.
Conditions are not updated until the associated inputs (Schedules, Properties, Triggers) change.
Also you should set an OFF time on your schedules (set it off with an interval of 1 min)
OR
You need to click repeats for cAway. The reason is that, unless you turn the schedules offf, this condition will ALWAYS be true when tAway is true, but you want the action to fire at each schedule interval even when the condition is currently true.
Sorry,i did not see you use ? in the conditions … So I can’t see what you were trying to do.
Thanks Richard.
I have set intervals to 1 min and repeats. Still issues with the program setpoint changing from my 8 deg to the programmed setpoint 5 deg every five minutes as per attachments. I also have issues with my boost not working, for example cannot understand why Vson = true when VSwitch status =0. Then when I change the VSwitch status =1 I see no change in Vson as it already true?
I still have question on the ? , but will forward the example later (sorry forgot to include on original post)
The 5 deg C is set by the standby function on the C-Stat 17-Zw (see manual attached). My arbitrary choice of 8 deg C is mainly to see if I can remotely change the setpoints. I was having some success and thought I could overcome the 5 minute reset by refiring the 8 deg c just after 5 minutes using a delay on the scene control …but it did not work. I also emailed the thermostat manufacturer and their response is below.
…
Please find the outcome below, unfortunately we are not hopeful in this case as the Vera will not recognise the Cstat as a binary switch device, yet.
They do regularly issue updates however so this might not always be the case and we advise contacting them direct to prompt them.
The below text comes direct from our onsite engineer who tried.
“I have had some success with automating this thermostat using the Vera Z Wave controller. However I am having issues setting up an “Away” switch to remotely turn off all standard setpoints and replace with standby 5deg C.”
This can be achieved in 2 ways either using the schedule command class to override the schedule to ‘OFF’ or by using the holiday mode to set a holiday period for now. As the holiday mode is mapped to the binary switch command the effect of sending a binary switch ‘ON’ (0xff) is to set a holiday period for now, sending a binary switch command for ‘OFF’ (0x00) will cancel the holiday period and start the schedule again.
I don’t know if Vera supports the schedule command class but it should support the Binary switch command ( command class 0x25) as this is minimum functionality required by the zwave alliance.
“The programmed settings overwrite the standby setting. Can you tell me what the “H1 and MA” setpointinfo parameters represent or what function they perform? Or any other way to remotely set a standby value?”
The H1 and MA parameters are defined by Vera, I suspect H1 refers to Heating 1 (enumerated as 1) as this is how the setpoint ‘type’ is defined there is a setpoint type of Moist Air (enumerated as 9).
we don’t use Moist Air however there is an issue with the specification of the thermostat setpoint capability report where different manufactures interpreted the report in different ways. Thisled to a note in the zwave specification saying the way that we interpret it must be used in Version 3 of the command and above.
To set the standby value you need to use the thermostat setpoint set for type Away heating (enumerated as 13), I hope vera give you this type of control over what is transmitted.
Tried this but it keeps cycling from 5 mins on 5 deg C to 5 mins at 8 deg C ( i have tried various delay times). I assume this is because I have set the wakeup time on the thermostat at 300 secs. I can access this time and the poll time on PLEG device properties. One thought I have is reset the device properties to the maximum of 1800 secs on the 8 deg C cycle and 240 secs for the 5 deg C cycle ?. Not ideal but if I can apply this coding to the boost cycle at least i would be able to turn heat on remotely for 30 mins.
Sorry I did not know the thermostat was battery powered and did not respond to commands right away.
Instead of changing the setpoint for 30 minutes … why not just turn AWAY mode off for 30 minutes.
I would be surprised if it could warm things up much more that 3 degress in that time frame (i.e. the 8 degress is not that important).
I may have given you a wrong steer on previous questions with my test 8 deg c scenario. My key objective is to use the boost that I have set at 26 deg c. It is currently set for a test time of 20 mins but in reality I would want it set for say at least 3 hrs to get from 9 deg c to 21 deg c . I had the same issue with it being reset to 5 deg c by the programmed thermostat.
I am now getting the following message>…Program Logic Event Generator[12] : Startup Lua Failed
I see that Vswitch has a State of 0 … is the the reason Lua failed…how do I correct it.? I also cannot understand why !Vswitch will not toggle to true when I select it?
If you are getting the Startup LUA for a PLEG … then it will not be working.
Were there any other information with this ?
If not then I will need to see the log file during a restart to see why it failed:
sorry no other information displayed. I assume you mean the IP address of the vera which in my case is fifty miles away in a friends house that I am installing the kit for. I might try deleting the vswitch and re setting it up?
Apologies I should be more precise. I deleted the condition for the Vson named Vswitch that showed a “0” state on on the status report. After saving the error disappeared.
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