Modes v2.6

Modes are a simplified way to manage the state of your Hubitat Elevation™ system, typically time of day, physical presence, or both, changing how the system reacts during that mode. As an example, you might use Evening mode to set lights in your home to a warm color temperature and a lower level in the evening hours, and also adjust your thermostat to a specific level. It is common to also combine an Away mode that will be activated and deactivated automatically by presence sensors, together with a mode that is triggered by time of day. For example, when someone returns to an empty home, the system can perform actions based on the mode you have specified to be active for a particular time of day, and when their presence is again detected.

Hubitat Elevation™ Mode Manger is a simple way to configure these modes to be used with Rule Machine® automations and other apps. Modes can be created, renamed and deleted in the Location and Modes page of the Hubitat Web Interface. The system has four default modes: Day, Evening, Night and Away. Once your modes are set up, you can configure them using the built-in Mode Manager app. Using Mode Manager, modes can be set based on sunset/sunrise or a specific time of day, by a combination of sunrise/sunset and a specific time (where the earlier of two times is used), by days of the week, by presence sensors, with buttons, or with switches.

Installing the Mode Manager app

1. From the Hubitat Web Interface select Apps
   
2. Choose the Mode Manager from the list of Hubitat Elevation™ Built-In Apps
   

Set a mode based on time of day

1. Load/Open the Mode Manager app in your Hubitat Elevation™ Web Interface. At the top of the page next to the Mode Manager title, the current mode can be confirmed.
2. If you want your modes to be different on different days of the week (for example you want Day mode to start later on Saturday mornings than weekday mornings), then toggle the option for "Allow mode settings based on days of the week?"
   
3. Select "Set modes based on time of day (does not apply when mode is Away)" - Note: As stated, modes will not activate by time of day if the current mode is Away.
   
4. The first drop-down menu allows you to choose between setting the mode at a specific time, or the earlier of two times. This second option is convenient if, for example, you want to have Evening mode start at the earlier of two times, Sunset or 7:00pm, whichever will occur first on that particular day of the year. If you do not want to set a mode by time, choose No selection.
   
5. Next you will set the times to use. You can choose a specific time or sunrise or sunset. Sunrise/sunset times may be offset by entering a +/- number into the field.
6. When you have made your selection, press Done.
   
7. If you selected the "Allow mode settings based on days of the week?" option, use the drop-down menu to select the days for which you want this time setting to apply. When you do that, an additional "Set Day mode based on:" field will appear. Follow steps 2-6 until you have set all of the times and applicable days you want for this mode.
   
8. If you chose the Earlier of two times option, then you will select a earlier time and an "other time" for the mode change to occur. Whichever time event occurs first, will be the trigger that will cause the mode to change. In this example, the mode will change to Evening at 6:00 PM unless, Sunset occurs before 6:00 PM, as would occur in the Autumn months. Notice that an offset of -30 minutes has also been set. So if Sunset occurred at 5:58 PM on a particular day, instead of changing modes right at Sunset, the change would be delayed by 30 minutes, and would instead occur in the Evening at 5:28 PM.
   
9. Follow this same process for any additional modes you want set by time. Choose the No selection option for any modes you don’t want set by time.
10. If there are certain modes you don't what to activate with time changes, you should select them in the Select modes to ignore time changes drop-down menu at the bottom of the window.
11. When you have finished setting up all of your modes, select Done.

Set mode based on days of the week

If you want a mode to trigger on a specific day of the week (for example you might have a weekend mode that you want to trigger on Saturday and Sunday) you can set that here.

1. Start by enabling the "Allow mode settings based on days of the week?" option.
   
2. Press Set mode based on days of the week
3. Use the drop-down list below the mode(s) you want to configure, and then select the days you want your mode to be active. Leave blank, any modes you don’t want triggered by days of the week.
   

NOTE: If you are also setting modes based on time of day, be sure to configure them with the "Allow mode settings based on days of the week?" option enabled, but leave any days you want to set by days of week blank. If you configured both time and days of the week in this section, the time settings will override your other daily mode settings.

Set mode based on presence

Before you can set a mode based on presence, you will need to set up and configure some type of presence sensor. You can set any mode based on presence, but the most common is Away mode. The Away mode acts differently than other modes, in that it overrides any other mode when you are away from home, so they will be inactive, regardless of time or day of the week changes. However, when you arrive home, you will want your home to change to whatever mode it is supposed to be in at that time. As you'll see in the following example, the option "Use time settings for Return from Away?" will change your hub to the correct mode for the time of day you have returned home.

If you have multiple people in your home, you will probably want each of them to have a device that acts as a presence sensor. That way you can configure Away mode to activate whenever all of the presence sensors are gone, and Return from Away mode to activate when someone returns and their presence sensor is once again detected.

1. Choose Set modes based on presence
   
2. Select if you want to use time settings for Return from Away (you probably do). A box will appear for you to select which presence sensors you would like to trigger the Return from Away mode.
   

3. Select which presence sensors you would like to activate Away mode. You can also restrict the time of day a presence sensor will activate Away mode. For example, you may have a regularly occurring period during the day where no one is home, but you want the house to remain in its current mode so that the thermostat does not change due your hub entering Away mode.
   
4. Next select which mode(s) you would like triggered, by which presence sensors, and if the change should occur when everyone has left, or when someone first arrives home. Note: Select the minimum number of sensors you want to trigger the mode (For example, you would only want to trigger Away mode when all presence sensors are not active).
   
5. Follow these same steps for any other modes you want set by presence sensors. Leave any other modes blank.
6. If there are certain modes you don't what to activate with changes in presence, you should select them in the Select modes to ignore presence changes drop-down menu at the bottom of the window.
7. When your modes are set, select Done.

Set Modes with Buttons

Button device are a popular way to set modes that may not fall on a regular schedule, especially a night. Many people set a button by their bed that they can press when they are ready to sleep so the house will change to Night mode.

1. Choose Set modes with buttons.
   
2. Each mode you have will be represented by a box. If want to use a button to trigger Return from Away mode, enable the "Use time settings for Return from Away?" option. A box will appear for you to select which button should trigger Return from Away mode. When the selected button is pressed, your hub will switch into whatever mode it would have been in based on your Set modes based on time of day setting.
   
3. Select the modes you would like to trigger, and then select which buttons you would like to trigger them.
4. Select the button number, and if it should be pushed or held to trigger the mode.
   
5. Follow steps 3-4 for any additional modes you want set with buttons, leaving all other modes blank.
6. When you are finish setting your modes to be controlled with buttons, select Done.

Set modes with switches

You may also change modes with switches. For example, this could be a light that you turn off in your bedroom before you go to sleep, and you would like it to serve as the trigger that activates Night mode. Another possible use might be a type of presence device that is not recognized in your Hubitat Elevation™ hub as a presence device, but is recognized as a switch.

1. Press Set modes with switches.
   
2. Choose if you want to have a switch activate Return From Away mode when a switch is ON, or when a Switch is OFF.
   
3. Next, you may also wish to choose if you want a switch turning ON, or a switch turning OFF to set Away mode.
   
4. Leave out any modes you don't want controlled by switches.
5. When you are finished setting your modes, select Done.