Activate timer mode

The Activate timer mode action sets a Watts Vision + thermostat to Timer mode with a target temperature and duration. When the timer expires, the thermostat returns to its previous mode.

Use it when you want a temporary temperature boost, for example, to warm up a bathroom before a shower.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To use this action in an automation or script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. From the search box, search for and select Watts Vision +: Activate timer mode.
6. Select the climate entity you want to control.
7. Set the Temperature and Duration.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as watts.activate_timer_mode. A basic example looks like this:

action: watts.activate_timer_mode
target:
  entity_id: climate.living_room_thermostat
data:
  temperature: 21.5
  duration: 90

This sets the living room thermostat to 21.5°C for 90 minutes, then returns to its previous mode.

Options in YAML

YAML sometimes provides additional options for more complex use cases that are not available through the UI.

Targets of the action

This action requires a target. The target is the object of the action. You can point the action at a single entityAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more], a device, an area, a floor, or a label, and Home Assistant will run the action on every matching watts entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific watts entity, such as watts.living_room.
• Device: every watts entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every watts entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every watts entity on a floor.
• Label: every watts entity that shares a label.

You can also select different target types in one action. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same action to run the action on both of them at once.

Good to know

• When the timer expires, the thermostat automatically returns to its previous mode.
• The maximum duration is 1440 minutes (24 hours).

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Automation: warm up the bathroom before a morning shower

Every weekday morning, boost the bathroom thermostat to a comfortable temperature for 30 minutes.

• Trigger: Time: 06:30 on weekdays
• Action: Watts Vision +: Activate timer mode
  • Target: Bathroom thermostat
  • Temperature: 23
  • Duration: 30

alias: "Morning bathroom warm-up"
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at: "06:30:00"
conditions:
  - condition: time
    weekday:
      - mon
      - tue
      - wed
      - thu
      - fri
actions:
  - action: watts.activate_timer_mode
    target:
      entity_id: climate.bathroom_thermostat
    data:
      temperature: 23
      duration: 30

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.