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What should an automated window opener know before it opens?
A window contact can report open or closed, but it can’t tell whether opening the window is a good idea for ventilation. Would a room-temperature sensor add enough useful context, or would you also need an outdoor reading and some rule for comparing the two?
I’d also expect the right setup to depend on whether the window is opened by hand or by a motorized opener. For an automated opener, what should happen if the temperature sensor or hub goes offline: stop opening, or keep following a last-known setting? Curious how people separate a simple “window’s open while the AC is running” alert from actual temperature-based ventilation control.
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2 replies
Indoor temperature alone can tell the opener the room is above its target, but not whether opening the window will help. I’d want an outdoor reading too, and only allow opening when the room is warm enough and outside air is cooler. If either reading or the hub drops out, I’d have the opener stop rather than act on stale data. That’s a ventilation decision, not just an alert that the window is open while the AC is running.
A rain lockout is another separate condition for a motorized opener: even if the temperature readings favor ventilation, it should stay closed when rain is detected. Cooler air isn’t much help if the opening lets rain into the room.