Remote start of washing machine

[haaino]

Hi,

Summer is coming and my solar panels start working again.

I would like to start the washing machine when the solar power is at its highest.

Is it possible to ...

1. Start the program of the washing machine remotely?
2. Set the correct program and start the washing machine?

Any help is appreciated. I've got a wwd660 setup and working in HA.

[aturri]

Hi,
I've implemented an automation that is able to start the machine when the cost of the energy is most convenient. Maybe you could do something similar.

The automation is triggered when pressing the "Start/Stop" button and when the price of energy changes:

trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_status
    to: waiting_to_start
    from: programmed
  - platform: state
    entity_id: sensor.current_energy_cost

Automation is executed if all of the following conditions match:

• SmartStart feature is enabled on the machine (it can be activated in machine settings)
• MobileStart is off
• I have a boolean input to disable this feature from frontend of HA
• The "start at" sensor is not unknown (so machine has been programmed with delayed start)
• Current cost of energy is <= a threshold exposed by a template sensor

condition:
  - condition: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.wahing_machine_smart_start
    state: "on"
  - condition: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.wahing_machine_mobile_start
    state: "off"
  - condition: state
    entity_id: input_boolean.wahing_machine_enable_smart_start
    state: "on"
  - condition: not
    conditions:
      - condition: state
        state: unknown
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_start_at
  - condition: template
    value_template: >-
      {{ states('sensor.current_energy_cost') <= states('sensor.template_washing_machine_energy_price_threshold') }}

Action does the following:

• if the machine is off, it turns it on (probably this happens only on machines with M Touch display) and wait for the button to become unavailable
• press the start button

action:
  - if:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: sensor.washing_machine_status
        state: "off"
    then:
      - service: switch.turn_on
        data: {}
        target:
          entity_id: switch.washing_machine_power_on
      - delay:
          hours: 0
          minutes: 0
          seconds: 20
          milliseconds: 0
  - if:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: button.washing_machine_start
        state: unavailable
    then:
      - delay:
          hours: 0
          minutes: 0
          seconds: 20
          milliseconds: 0
  - service: button.press
    data: {}
    target:
      entity_id: button.washing_machine_start

For calculating the value of sensor.template_washing_machine_energy_price_threshold, I have a template like this (under the assumption that I have sensors exposing the energy price for each hour range, such as sensor.energy_hour_0, sensor.energy_hour_1, etc.):

- unique_id: washing_machine
  sensor:
    - name: Washing Machine Energy Price Threshold
      unique_id: energy_price_threshold
      icon: mdi:currency-eur
      state: >
        {% set state_start_hour = states('sensor.washing_machine_start_at') %}
        {% if state_start_hour != 'unknown' and state_start_hour != 'unavailable' %}
        {% set start_hour = strptime(state_start_hour, '%H:%M').hour %}
        {% set cur_hour = now().hour %}
        {% set min_price = namespace(value=states('sensor.energy_hour_' + (cur_hour | string))) %}
        {% if start_hour > cur_hour %}
        {% for i in range(cur_hour,start_hour + 1) %}
        {% set i_price = states('sensor.energy_price_hour_' + (i | string)) %}
        {% if i_price < min_price.value %}
        {% set min_price.value = i_price %}
        {% endif %}
        {% endfor %}
        {% elif start_hour < cur_hour %}
        {% for i in range(cur_hour,24) %}
        {% set i_price = states('sensor.energy_price_hour_' + (i | string)) %}
        {% if i_price < min_price.value %}
        {% set min_price = i_price %}
        {% endif %}
        {% endfor %}
        {% for i in range(0,start_hour + 1) %}
        {% set i_price = states('sensor.energy_price_hour_' + (i | string)) %}
        {% if i_price < min_price.value %}
        {% set min_price.value = i_price %}
        {% endif %}
        {% endfor %}
        {% endif %}{{ min_price.value }}{% else %}unknown{% endif %}

You could do something similar with sensors reporting the forecast of solar energy production instead of energy price.

[haaino]

Thank you very much. This helps! You have put me on the right track.

Next step for me is to find out how to activate the SmartStart feature of my washine machine :-)

[aturri]

SmartStart is optional. You can do without, I've added it so I am able to use also the normal delayed start if I'm not interested in this automation.

[reiniertc]

That's exactely what I'm looking for, perfect!
1 issue: Smartstart is enabled, remote control disabled, a program is set on the machine, but...
the "start" button in HA is greyed out. It's there, but never available. Any tips on that issue?

[aturri]

Have you pressed the physical Start/Stop on machine?
You have to delay start, press physical Start/Stop button and then the one on HA becomes blue

[reiniertc]

In my case, only the STOP button in HA turns blue and the Start button in HA remains grey.
Scenario's that I tested:

• smartgrid-setting on, remote control on, delayed start, press start to start the delayed program and wait
• smartgrig setting on, remotecontrrol off, delayed start, press start to start the delayed program and wait
• smartgrid setting of, remote control on, delayed start, press start to start the delayed program and wait
• smartgrid setting off, remote control off, delayed start, press start to start the delayed program and wait

[aturri]

Remote control must be on.
I've tried and the start button became available after 1 minute. Other times it wasn't so slow.
Can you try again? Otherwise download and share diagnostic data from device page, so we can have a look at it.

[aturri]

Just to clarify:

• remote control is the feature that enables controlling device remotely
• mobile start allows to remotely select a program
• smart start is the "smart" version of delayed start, where machine waits for the signal to start if energy cost is convenient or energy is "more green"

[reiniertc]

Yes! it works!!
I was just too impatient: after about 1.5 minutes the start button came available in HA :-)
Thanks alot!

[haaino]

Also a big thanks from my side! I just managed to start my washing machine using HA!

[palengh]

I just love your take on this, @aturri
Unfortunatelly I cannot find a way to make the button (button.washing_machine_start) available or active.
Trimmy found Smart Grid must be anabled (https://community.home-assistant.io/t/miele-device-buttons-unavailable/551379/4), but I cannot find where to enable the Smart Grid option on the machine or in the miele@home app. I have even reset my dishwasher to see if the SmartGrid setting only appeared during initital setup.

Any sugegstions how to move foreward is very much appreciated :-)

BTW: I did manage to start my DW through the automation in HA last night, but only when I set a fake start time in the app ahead of time. I have not found a way (if possible) to set start time from HA

[palengh]

I managed to get it all running when setting av pre-scheduled start time, by SmartStart or StartAt.

[rudizl]

At least on my washing machine SmartGrid is visible only when Miele@home is activated. Check your manual for more info.

[palengh]

Miele@home is indeed activated and working. Still there is no menu for setting SmartGrid in the Miele app or on the machine itself.

[astrandb]

There is no way to set smartGrid in the Miele API. So it is just read-only.

[palengh]

@astrandb I was referring to the Miele app or the dishwasher (DW) itself. Cannot find the menu to set/enable Smart Grid, not even after Factory reset of the DW. Could the Smart Grid setting be depending of region/country? So I gueess I am stuck getting the brilliant automation of @aturri above to work. I figured a work around; setting a fake start time e.g. at 4 in the morning, then I will be able to start the DW programmatically in Home Assistant. Other ideas?

[palengh]

@aturri; you have already written a lot here, and we appreciate that a lot. Still; could you not down your way of preparing the DW for an automated smart start on the physical DW itself, and also jut down all settings (SmartStart, etc.) that apply?

[aturri]

Hi @palengh,
the step of using SmartGrid feature is optional, it's just to have a way to disable automated start from machine side if I just want delayed start.
Enabling SmartGrid functions depends on the appliance type, not all models support it.

I don't have dishwasher, but only washer and tumble dryer.
For washer and tumble dryer I'm just selecting the program and delay start (machine shows SmartStart/SmartEnd if SmartGrid function is enabled, otherwise it shows just the normal delayed start/end time). Then I press the Start/Stop button and after a while the buttons on HA become available. I'm assuming that a dishwasher works in the same way...

[flecmart]

Hey there,

thanks to @aturri I implemented a successful remote start of my miele washing machine when I have solar overproduction. However, I have the weird problem, that whenever I start the program/machine from this integrations start button, the machine won't spin in the end and the clothes come out very wet.

When I do a normal program start on the machine or a delayed start and don't press start on the integration everything works as expected. 5 out of 5 tries resulted in that behavior. Anyone experienced anything similiar or has any hints what I could try?

Thanks