Window cleaner

Other Devices & Integrations Garage & Window Covering Control
#1

I want to open and close my blinds and sunscreen with parameters of my own weatherstation.
But once every month on saturday a man comes cleaning the windows on my first and second floor.
When he is standing on his ladder I don’t want to lower my blinds and my sunscreen (and he agrees I think).
What possible solution is there to prevent this from happening.
And to make it more complex: he is not there every month but almost every month.
And it could be week 1, 2 3 or 4.

#2

Hi,

I added a flag to run it in the automatic or manual mode and defined a two scenes to change the flag. So when they come for cleaning, set it to manual, and return it to automatic when they are done.

Cheers Rene

#3

thanks for the answer Rene but that is just a part of the solution.
What if he comes to clean the windows and I am not at home (e.g. vacation)
He doesn’t announce his coming.

#4

Well, it sounds you have a challenge then ;). As it sounds as a near random event scheduling is not an option. You would need some kind of sensor, but I would not really know one to use. Maybe a push button connected to a Z-Wave switch that disables automatic control for an hour and you tell him to press before he starts?

Good luck, Rene

#5

PLEG and Google Calendar plugin, maybe?

#6

I guess a calendar is not an option as I don know exactly how late and what date he comes.
Because of that I was also thinking of a switch he has to push.
So something like this:

  • if blinds and/or sunscreen are down and the switch is turned on then blinds and sunscreen open and disabled for one hour or so.
  • if blinds and/or sunscreen are up and the switch is turned on then they are disabled for one hour or so.

But then: what switch to install outside?
And: do I have to invest an amount of money in this almost theoretical case?

Because: who is legal responsible if he comes in my garden without notice (consensus) and something is happening?

#7

If you have ANY Z-wave switch outside with instant status, you could use PLEG to suppress your automatic blinds with PLEG.

Just have the window cleaner click the switch on & off some set number of times before starting to work. You could then prevent the blinds from operating for some number of hours after that switch sequence happens.

For example… if the outside switch is turned on, off, on, and off within 5 seconds, use a scene to bypass the PLEG. Then re-arm the PLEG three hours later. There are a number of ways to do it, provided you have an input accessible by the worker.

#8

Another thought. If he/she is the same person each time they come, and they have a smart phone. You could set them up with a static IP address for your access point. Then use ping sensor and PLEG so that when their phone is responding to a ping, the window covers stay open. Noting that you’ll also have to live with them on your wifi.