HOW TO create your own Low Battery Warning Sensor In Home Assistant - TUTORIAL
TLDRThis tutorial video guides viewers on creating a 'low battery list' in Home Assistant using custom sensor templates. The host explains that displaying all battery levels is unnecessary, and focuses on identifying batteries needing replacement. The video builds upon previous knowledge of setting up custom sensors and recommends watching a prior video for beginners. It demonstrates how to create a helper to set a battery threshold and use it within a custom sensor to list only batteries below a certain charge percentage. The host also addresses potential issues and provides solutions, such as adding a unique ID to the custom sensor for easier management. The tutorial concludes with instructions on integrating the new sensor into a dashboard and emphasizes the benefits of a cleaner, more functional interface.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video tutorial aims to teach viewers how to create a 'low battery list' in Home Assistant, which identifies batteries with low charging values.
- 🔧 It's suggested to watch a previous video on setting up custom sensors using templates for better understanding of the process.
- 📊 The end result is a tutorial dashboard featuring a 'battery threshold helper' that can display a list of batteries below a certain charge percentage.
- 🛠️ Custom sensors are created using templates by editing YAML files in Home Assistant, specifically the 'configuration.yaml' and creating a 'templates.yaml' file.
- 🔎 The process involves retrieving the state of battery entities and filtering them based on device and state classes, as well as checking against a set threshold.
- 📝 A 'for' statement in the template is used to iterate through entities, adding those with low battery values to a list after some string manipulation.
- 📈 The list of low battery devices is then sorted by attribute value and outputted, with care taken to ensure the entity state does not exceed 255 characters.
- 📲 The custom sensor can be added to a dashboard or sent to a phone to notify when a battery's charge value falls below the threshold.
- 🔄 After adding new code to 'templates.yaml', it's necessary to reload the template entities in Home Assistant's developer tools for changes to take effect.
- 🛑 The custom sensor can be made more user-friendly by using conditional cards in the dashboard to only display the list when the battery charge is below the threshold.
- 🆔 To enable editing of the custom sensor's settings, a unique ID must be assigned to it, which can be generated using an online UUID generator.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of creating a low battery list in Home Assistant?
-The main purpose of creating a low battery list is to identify and display only those batteries that have a low charging value, which helps users know which batteries need to be replaced.
Why is it suggested to watch another video before this tutorial?
-It is suggested to watch another video first because it covers the basics of setting up custom sensors using templates in Home Assistant, which is essential knowledge for understanding and following the steps in this tutorial.
What is a 'helper' in the context of this tutorial?
-In this tutorial, a 'helper' refers to an input number in Home Assistant that is used to store variables, such as the battery threshold value.
What is the minimum and maximum value for the battery threshold helper?
-The minimum value for the battery threshold helper is 0, and the maximum value is 100, with a step size of one.
How can you retrieve the state and attributes of a battery in Home Assistant?
-You can retrieve the state and attributes of a battery in Home Assistant by using the developer tools, specifically by going to 'States' and then 'Set State' and examining the details of the battery entity.
What are the requirements for creating custom sensors using templates in Home Assistant?
-To create custom sensors using templates in Home Assistant, you need to edit YAML files, add configurations to your 'configuration.yaml', and create a 'templates.yaml' file.
What add-ons can be installed in Home Assistant to edit YAML files?
-You can install either the 'File Editor' or 'Visual Studio Code Server' add-on in Home Assistant to edit YAML files.
What is the significance of the 'sensor-line' in the 'templates.yaml' file?
-The 'sensor-line' in the 'templates.yaml' file is the starting point for creating sensor templates, where you define the name, icon, and state of the sensor.
How does the custom sensor filter and list low battery devices?
-The custom sensor filters and lists low battery devices by checking if the device class and state class are defined as 'battery' and 'measurement', respectively, and then comparing the state value against the set threshold.
Why is it necessary to truncate the entity state to 255 characters?
-Truncating the entity state to 255 characters is necessary because an entity state in Home Assistant cannot be longer than 255 characters; exceeding this limit would cause errors.
How can you add the low battery list to a Home Assistant dashboard?
-You can add the low battery list to a Home Assistant dashboard by creating a new dashboard or editing an existing one, and then adding cards that display the custom sensor's state and allow for changing the threshold value.
What is a 'conditional card' and how is it used in this tutorial?
-A 'conditional card' is a card in Home Assistant that can be shown or hidden based on certain conditions. In this tutorial, it is used to display the low battery list only when the state of the custom sensor is not 'unavailable'.
Why is it important to assign a unique ID to a custom sensor?
-Assigning a unique ID to a custom sensor is important because it allows the sensor to be recognized and its settings to be modified in the Home Assistant interface.
How can you generate a unique ID for a custom sensor?
-You can generate a unique ID for a custom sensor by visiting a website like uuidgenerator.net, creating a unique identifier, and then pasting it into the 'templates.yaml' file.
Outlines
🔋 Creating a Low Battery List with Custom Sensors
The video tutorial focuses on creating a 'low battery list' using Home Assistant's custom sensor templates. The presenter explains that it's unnecessary to display all batteries with their charging values and emphasizes the importance of identifying batteries that need replacement. The tutorial builds on a previous video about setting up custom sensors using templates, which is recommended viewing for those unfamiliar with the process. The end result is demonstrated through a tutorial dashboard featuring a 'battery threshold helper' that filters and displays batteries with charge values below a set threshold. The presenter also acknowledges the assistance received from a community member in refining the custom sensor setup.
🛠️ Setting Up Custom Sensors and Helpers in Home Assistant
This paragraph delves into the technical setup process for custom sensors and helpers in Home Assistant. It guides viewers on creating a helper in the Home Assistant settings under 'Devices & Services', and explains how to name and adjust the helper's value. The presenter also discusses how to retrieve battery state and attributes using Home Assistant's developer tools. The paragraph then transitions into explaining the process of creating custom sensors using YAML files, including editing 'configuration.yaml' and creating a 'templates.yaml' file. The presenter provides a step-by-step guide on writing the necessary code for the custom sensor within the 'template.yaml' file, which involves setting a threshold, querying the Home Assistant database for low battery values, and filtering and sorting the results.
📝 Editing YAML Files and Implementing Custom Sensor Code
The presenter continues with instructions on editing YAML files for custom sensors in Home Assistant. They advise on installing either the 'File Editor' or 'Visual Studio Code Server' add-on for YAML file editing. Using 'Visual Studio Code Server', the video demonstrates how to open and edit 'configuration.yaml' and 'templates.yaml'. The custom sensor code within 'templates.yaml' is explained, which includes setting a threshold based on a helper's value, querying the database for batteries with low charge, and formatting the output to display on a dashboard. The video also addresses potential issues with entity state character limits and provides a solution by truncating the output to 255 characters, appending an ellipsis if necessary.
📊 Adding Custom Sensors to Dashboards and Enhancing Functionality
The final paragraph of the script describes how to add the newly created custom sensor to a Home Assistant dashboard. The presenter shows how to edit a dashboard, add cards for changing the helper's value, and use conditional cards to display the low battery list only when necessary. They introduce the 'Markdown Card' as a versatile tool for displaying custom text and formatting. The video also covers troubleshooting tips, such as ensuring the correct conditional settings are applied to avoid showing empty cards. The presenter guides viewers on how to assign a unique ID to the custom sensor for further customization and management in the Home Assistant interface. The tutorial concludes with a reminder to download the code from the presenter's GitHub page and an invitation for viewers to engage with the content by liking, subscribing, and turning on notifications.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Low Battery List
💡Custom Sensor Templates
💡Home Assistant
💡Battery Threshold
💡Helper
💡State and State Attributes
💡YAML Files
💡Developer Tools
💡Markdown Card
💡Unique ID
Highlights
Introduction to creating a low battery list to identify batteries needing replacement in a Home Assistant system.
Rationale for focusing only on low charging value batteries rather than all batteries.
Recommendation to watch a previous video on setting up custom sensors using templates for better understanding.
Demonstration of a tutorial dashboard with a battery threshold helper for managing battery levels.
Explanation of creating a custom sensor to show a list of batteries with values lower than a set threshold.
Acknowledgment of a community member's contribution to refining the custom sensor setup.
Step-by-step guide on creating a helper in Home Assistant for the battery threshold.
Instruction on retrieving battery state and attributes using Home Assistant's developer tools.
Overview of creating custom sensors with templates by editing YAML files.
Guidance on installing add-ons for editing YAML files in Home Assistant.
Detailed breakdown of the code in the templates.yaml file for the custom low battery sensor.
Clarification on filtering entities based on device and state classes for the custom sensor.
Method to sort the list of low battery devices based on their state attribute value.
Importance of truncating entity state to 255 characters to avoid errors.
Availability of the custom sensor code on GitHub for easy implementation.
Process of reloading the templates.yaml file after adding new code.
How to add the low battery list to a Home Assistant dashboard for easy monitoring.
Use of conditional cards to display information only when the battery value is below the threshold.
Introduction of the markdown card for displaying custom text and formatting in the dashboard.
Solution for assigning a unique ID to the custom sensor for easier management and settings adjustment.
Final demonstration of the low battery list updating on the dashboard based on the threshold.
Encouragement to subscribe and engage with the channel for more Home Assistant tutorials.
Transcripts
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