Random Hive Target Temp Changes

[harrynrobinson]

I'm sorry to come here but I've exhausted all other ideas, searches and chatGPT threads. I use the Hive SLR1 through Z2MQTT with this very help integration. However, I'm really struggling with the Hive thermostat changing the target temperature at random times, all by itself. No automations, no heating programs and for some unknown reason it will change the target temperature to 20oC. See here for example:

At 4.30pm it switched the target temperature to 20oC, all by itself. Please can anyone help me understand this mysterious behavior?

I always leave the setting to Heat mode and just use temperature to control when it's on or off (above or below the current temperature).

My wife is quickly loosing patience with my excuses that I'm "still configuring it".

[andrew-codechimp]

That's very strange, I take it this is happening regularly rather than a one off. Here's a few things you can try.

Have a look at the log books for both this integrations climate and also the zigbee2mqtt one and see if that tells you what triggered the change. If nothing showing then it's the device sending an updated value rather than anything within HA.

Delete the hive local thermostat from integrations and see if it still does it with just the mqtt climate.

Look in the logs after you've done that and it's past the usual trigger time, see if anything is erroring because the hive integration climate control is no longer available.

[harrynrobinson]

Thank you for looking at this, I know you're not here to troubleshoot Hive.

My sense is that it's something to do with occupied temperature setpoint. It also feels like the modes in HA - Heat, Auto, Cool - are irrelevant and only set temperature has any effect.

To the logs. In HA logs, the changes to Auto in the screenshot below are unattributed, suggesting they are being triggered by the Hive thermostat:

The Z2MQTT logs are live so it's harder to grab them I think.

I'll try with the integration removed next time I'm home.

[andrew-codechimp]

That's very odd that the auto changes aren't at the same time as the automation/manual setting, that would indicate that the Hive hardware is setting those.
You are setting the modes/temperatures by the climate control exposed by this integration, NOT the one that is exposed via Zigbee2MQTT. This integrations modes should only be listed as Off, Heat & Auto, not cool. You can validate this within developer tools > actions > set hvac mode.

[harrynrobinson]

Yes, Cool was confusing, sorry. It's Auto, Heat and Off are the only modes available. That is the same that is exposed through MQTT. This is the Hive page in Z2MQTT and I'm almost certain something here is causing this:

[andrew-codechimp]

Thanks for clarifying.
I'd not mess with the Z2M exposes screen, setting modes correctly requires sending multiple value changes in the same message (at the same time) which is what this integration does.
I'd suggest removing this integration and seeing whether your hive changes temperature on its own as the next step.

[harrynrobinson]

Ok, I'll try that.

[harrynrobinson]

I'm embarrassed to report that I think the Hive controller (SLT6) was set to schedule mode, and while there were no schedules set, I think is doing something to mess this all up. I've set this to manual and it seems to be behaving now.

Interestingly this was after I removed your Hive App. Is it possible it will work without your layer or what misbehavior should I expect that your Local Thermostat solves?

[andrew-codechimp]

lol, we've all been there but glad you found the issue.
Without using my integration you won't be able to set modes or boosts properly, the zigbee2mqtt documentation gives the messages you need to send manually but this integration does all that for you.
Also interpreting states requires looking at multiple values which this integration does.
So it's basically a convenient wrapper to save doing the hard work yourself.

[harrynrobinson]

Thank you.

The plot thickens. I spotted that setting the HVAC mode to Auto in HA causes the Hive Controller to go into Schedule mode (so it wasn't me by mistake), which then causes problems. Somewhere the controller has a default 20oC setting. Am I on to something?

[andrew-codechimp]

Auto mode within my integration is schedule, I'm restricted to what home assistant allows me to call it.
I'm guessing you have a schedule setup within Hive, maybe that's the factory default.
Automate between heat and off mode or temperatures if you want to avoid the Hive schedule.

[harrynrobinson]

Thanks Andrew - my final suspicion is that the Hive Controller has some native schedules but I'm unable to see them as I don't have the Hive Hub. I'll avoid "auto" in HA and just leave it on heat and use target temp to control on or off, as you suggested.

Thanks again for the integration.

[andrew-codechimp]

You can get at the schedules with the thermostat screen, lots of dial turning/pressing to edit them that way but I've done it like that and only use HA for overriding.

Glad you got it all sorted, it was good to see this issue and I've updated my documentation with some more detailed explanations to help others in future.

[harrynrobinson]

Ah yes, I think it's not possible to see schedules with the Thermostat Mini which I have.

Until next time 😅