Better Thermostat Unavailability with Window Sensors

[viprapp]

Issue Report: Better Thermostat Unavailability with Window Sensors

📝 Description

Problem Overview: When a window sensor connected to the Better Thermostat is marked as offline or unavailable, the entire thermostat system becomes non-operational. This presents a significant issue since window sensors, typically powered by batteries, may occasionally lose connectivity.

Why It Matters:

• Reliability: The thermostat becomes completely unusable in scenarios where a window sensor goes offline.
• Functionality: This dependency on the window sensor's status undermines the usability of the Better Thermostat system in environments where window sensors are crucial for energy efficiency.

🔄 Steps to Reproduce

To encounter this issue, follow these steps:

1. Integration Setup: Add a new thermostat via the Better Thermostat integration in Home Assistant.
2. Sensor Configuration: Configure the thermostat to utilize a window sensor.
3. Sensor Status: Observe the behavior when the window sensor goes offline.

Expected Behavior

🟢 Operational Thermostat: Despite the window sensor's status, the thermostat should remain functional and fully available within Home Assistant.

Actual Behavior

🔴 Total Unavailability: The thermostat, along with all its entities, becomes unavailable when the connected window sensor goes offline.

📊 Versions

• Better Thermostat: v1.5.0
• Home Assistant: 2024.4.2 (Docker installation)
• Hardware Affected:
  • 2x Sonoff TRVZB (Firmware: 1.1.5)
  • 2x IKEA PARASOLL Door/Window Sensor (Firmware: 1.0.19)
• Software: Z2M 1.36.1-1

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For further assistance or to report similar issues, please reach out to the Better Thermostat support team or consult the Home Assistant Community. 🛠️

[viprapp]

Workaround

For anyone else that has this problem.

• Use a template sensor that always returns a valid state as a workaround.

{% set entities = [states('binary_sensor.sensor1'), states('binary_sensor.sensor2')] %}
{% if entities | select('equalto', 'off') | list | count == entities | count %}
  off
{% else %}
  on
{% endif %}

This will set the contact sensor state to "open" if any of the sensors are open or unavailable.
Per design this will also combine multiple sensors to one. Simply remove one sensor from the set to get the functionality for one sensor only.