I’m starting to think the answer to this is “no”, but I figured I’d ask in case anyone knows…
How can I configure a thermostat with the Google Assistant service which has an independent item for power vs mode? I have a few of them that work that way. (ie, they can be in “heat” mode and “off”). The configuration seems to map power state with operating mode. (I actually can’t get a number of things working with these – ambient temperature shows up, but the setpoint doesn’t, and I suspect that’s because it doesn’t show it if its “off” and it doesn’t know its “on”)
All Google cares about is that there’s a single string item for the mode. So, use a proxy item for this purpose, with rules that synchronize its state to the power and mode items. I’ve done this to cobble together an openHAB-based thermostat from Z-Wave temperature sensors, a gas fireplace, and a plug-in air conditioner.
You just need to map out the actions that should be taken when your three items (proxy, power, and mode) change states, and build a rule to accomplish that. You can even go further and use the outdoor temperature to determine when the thermostat should turn on.
Thanks, that was my fallback plan. I was hoping maybe I just missed something in Google’s settings so I could avoid another layer of stuff to maintain. I already have higher-level items and rules that handle shifting between oil/baseboard and heatpumps, etc, so it was just another layer of items to do it.
