When window sensor is unavailable > better thermostat shouldn’t be unavailable too, it should simply ignore the window function

[andreamag00]

I’m currently testing better thermostat and I’ve set a window sensor in better thermostat configuration (I use a sonoff zigbee sensor).

Unfortunately sometimes window sensors can be unavailable (for example when zigbee sensors don’t update for a lot of time, they may appear as unavailable in home assistant).

I’ve realized that when my zigbee window sensor is unavailable, better thermostat entity is unavailable too.

I think that, when the window sensor in unavailable, better thermostat

• better thermostat entity shouldn’t be unavailable too,
• better thermostat should simply ignore the window sensor (as if you didn’t configure any window sensor at all)

What do you think? According to me a single window sensor shouldn’t block all climate control!

Pd: better thermostat is wonderful and has an enormous potential! Great job!

[wtom]

Hmm, yes. Currently the unknown state is handled as "window open".

Could you confirm with the log entries, if that's the case? Because then i would change it.

[andreamag00]

Yes of course! I'll share with you my data, but first of all thank you very much for your wonderful integration!

SUGGESTION

When window sensor is unavailable, I think that better thermostat should handle the window as closed, so that better thermostat can heat normally (as if you didn't set any window sensor)

Furthermore I think that in most cases, when a window sensor in unavailable (especially zigbee window sensors), it happens because the window has been closed for many hours, so that HA - not receiving inputs from that sensor for a lot of time - can think that the sensor is unavailable.
Normally, as soon as I open my window, the zigbee sensor sends his message to home assistant and the sensor goes back to available + window opened.
This configuration for better thermostat (window sensor unavailable = window closed or ignore window sensor) would be perfect for people (like me) whose zigbee window sensors can be misinterpreted as unavailable when the window is closed for many hours: better thermostat can ignore the window sensor unavailable and it works perfectly (as if you haven't configured any window sensor at all).

From your last message I read that probably you are planning to code better thermostat in the opposite way: when a window sensor is unavailable, better thermostat handles it as "window open".
Are you sure this is correct?
I think that this means that whenever a window sensor is unavailable, better thermostat stops heating.
With this configuration, everybody that has some window sensors not so reliable or misinterpreted by home assistant as "unavailable" when the window is closed for many hours, will avoid the "window open" function, in order to avoid that heating stops every time the window sensor has some problem or is misinterpreted as "unavailable" by home assistant.

Maybe it could be a good idea to add an additional option into the configuration of better thermostat - as you can see in the following image - in the last page of better thermostat configuration, so that every user can select / unselect the correct expected behaviour in their home:

MY CONFIGURATION

I've configured a better thermostat integration named "riscaldamento bagno" (entity climate.riscaldamento_bagno_better_thermostat)

In the following image you can see my configuration of "riscaldamento bagno" (climate.riscaldamento_bagno_better_thermostat) and as you can see I have set a window sensor "sensore finestra bagno" (entity "binary_sensor.sonoff_finestra_bagno_aperto_chiuso")

PROBLEM: WHEN WINDOW SENSOR IN UNAVAILABLE > BETTER THERMOSTAT IS UNAVAILABLE TOO

Yesterday at 16:42 my window sensor became unavailable (in italian "non disponibile"), as you can see in the following image:

In parallel, better thermostat entity named "riscaldamento bagno" ("climate.riscaldamento_bagno_better_thermostat") became (and is still) unavailable (in italian "non disponibile"), as you can see in the following image:

And when I try to add to my UI a better thermostat card with "riscaldamento bagno" ("climate.riscaldamento_bagno_better_thermostat") it tells me that the entity is unavailable (in italian "non disponibile"), as you can see in the following image:

Here I import the diagnostic of "riscaldamento bagno":

config_entry-better_thermostat-86a7dac91b5409f135c5ca10bbb6b907.json.txt

TEST -> I OPEN THE WINDOW > BOTH WINDOW SENSOR AND BETTER THERMOSTAT BECOME AVAILABLE AGAIN

Now I try to open and close my window, so that the window sensor becomes available again (open and closed).
As you can see in the following screen record, as soon as I open my window, my window sensor becomes available again and "open" (on the right of the screen you can see my window sensor switching from "unavailable" [in italian "non disponibile"] to "open" [in italian "aperto"]; this also confirms that the sensor wasn't really unavailable: home assistant thought the sensor was unavailable because the window remained closed for all the day and so home assistant didn't received for many hours any update from the sensor).
After a few seconds better thermostat automatically becomes available again (on the left of the screen you can see that better thermostat "riscaldamento bagno" [entity "climate.riscaldamento_bagno_better_thermostat"], after very few seconds, switches from "unavailable" [in italiano "non disponibile] to perfectly working).

screen.record.mp4

I tried to be as detailed as I can, since you're doing a wonderful job!

Thank you for your work!!