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Thread: Alexa and Evohome

  1. #1
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    Default Alexa and Evohome

    Alexa is all paired up and working correctly; I know you can use it to do basic commands.

    Is there anyway to get Alexa to boost a zone for a period of time, say Bathroom to 25oc for X amount of minutes?

    Or can you do something through IFTTT?

    Want to set up a routine ideally so Alexa will do so many things at once.

  2. #2
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    I have mine set up with Alexa,I just say Alexa set bathroom to 21 degrees,for example,it works.Never tried to set it for a time period,should work but not sure.

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    The Alexa integration can only set a basic override - eg until the next scheduled set point. You can't set a custom end time, nor cancel the override. (You can only override it back to the original temperature, but it still counts as an override for things like optimal start or optimal stop)

    To do a custom timed override you'll need something else. I don't think the IFFFT integration can do overrides with specific end times either.

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    Automated Home Legend philchillbill's Avatar
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    The Alexa.ThermostatController Interface supports a schedule object with an 'until' or 'for' appended to the command. See https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/d...ontroller.html. I don't use the Resideo skill for TCC as I have my own Alexa skill that controls Evohome via a HGI-80 and I support this possibility because it's trivial to do so. I can also cancel this timed override with 'Alexa, resume thermostat schedule' which is also supported by the Interface.

    Are you sure Resideo don't support this? Their docs are (of course) lacking, but maybe the command is there nevertheless. Try "Set livingroom to 20 deg for an hour" and see if it tells you it's supported.

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    Quote Originally Posted by philchillbill View Post
    The Alexa.ThermostatController Interface supports a schedule object with an 'until' or 'for' appended to the command. See https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/d...ontroller.html. I don't use the Resideo skill for TCC as I have my own Alexa skill that controls Evohome via a HGI-80 and I support this possibility because it's trivial to do so. I can also cancel this timed override with 'Alexa, resume thermostat schedule' which is also supported by the Interface.

    Are you sure Resideo don't support this? Their docs are (of course) lacking, but maybe the command is there nevertheless. Try "Set livingroom to 20 deg for an hour" and see if it tells you it's supported.
    I've tried that, unfortunately it doesn't support it. Back to the drawing board.

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    Automated Home Legend philchillbill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mtmcgavock
    I've tried that, unfortunately it doesn't support it. Back to the drawing board.
    Bummer. I find that because I have the capability here and because it is instant (the HGI-80 does not have to wait for the TCC cloud to update things) I use it a lot.

    I was planning on releasing a custom skill for Evohome that would add many voice commands not supported by Resideo but am still waiting for an API key which I have all but given up on. What I could do instead is release a full-capability Smart Home skill that would rely on Domoticz controlling Evohome rather than doing this itself. I use a HGI-80 with Domoticz myself but it should also work with the web method or any of the homebrew RF solutions.

    This would support timed overrrides/boosts, setting all system modes, and even scenes: 'Alexa, activate bedtime' where you could define in the description field of a Domoticz scene what zones/setpoints that translates to. In other words, in the description field you add something like "bedroom1 20.5; bedroom2 20.0; bathroom 22.0; 15 mins." This is not actually performed by Domoticz, but the Domoticz UI is 'hijacked' so that during discovery, the name of the scene and those settings are loaded by the skill. The skill then sends a sequence of separate Evohome commands to Domoticz when you activate that scene by voice and these commands correspond with those settings. You could also have commands to e.g. lower or raise all zones by X deg for a certain duration. In the Smart Home paradigm, the possibilities are more limited than in the custom paradigm but the Alexa.ModeController and Alexa.ToggleController are quite flexible. I already have concepts like 'occupied' and 'vacant' as voice mappings to boost/lower zone temps for an hour so as not to always have to say "for an hour" or "for 60 minutes".

    Is this worth the effort? In other words, are most of the nerds on this forum also Domoticz users and Alexa owners? I already have a proven account-linking setup that's live with my published MediaServer skill that could be extended for this skill so I have all the pieces of the jigsaw and would just have to assemble it for a greater public.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtmcgavock View Post
    Alexa is all paired up and working correctly; I know you can use it to do basic commands.

    Is there anyway to get Alexa to boost a zone for a period of time, say Bathroom to 25oc for X amount of minutes?

    Or can you do something through IFTTT?

    Want to set up a routine ideally so Alexa will do so many things at once.
    You could use the Alexa routines to set the zone temperature, wait for the set period, and then set it back to another configured temperature. The drawback being the temperatures are fixed, so there is no "resume" to the schedule or back to the previous set point.

    Screenshot_20200915-223151_Amazon Alexa.jpg

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    Quote Originally Posted by philchillbill View Post
    Is this worth the effort?
    Big time! I'd certainly use it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lorrainem77 View Post
    You could use the Alexa routines to set the zone temperature, wait for the set period, and then set it back to another configured temperature. The drawback being the temperatures are fixed, so there is no "resume" to the schedule or back to the previous set point.

    Screenshot_20200915-223151_Amazon Alexa.jpg
    That looks like not a bad easy solution. I shall give it a try

    Just need them smart blinds now.....

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by philchillbill View Post
    I was planning on releasing a custom skill for Evohome that would add many voice commands not supported by Resideo but am still waiting for an API key which I have all but given up on. What I could do instead is release a full-capability Smart Home skill that would rely on Domoticz controlling Evohome rather than doing this itself. I use a HGI-80 with Domoticz myself but it should also work with the web method or any of the homebrew RF solutions.
    Just a note, the Web API method in Domoticz is near to being broken and as I've given up supporting the Domoticz port of my (old version) library it's just a matter of time before it will completely seize.

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