Changing mode (heat/cool/...) from within Domoticz via MQTT not working

[Raspdomo]

Based on the autodiscovery climate config message Domoticz creates a switch device that offers the choice between heat_cool, off, cool, heat, dry and fan_only - exactly as specified in the config message.

1. First of all I don't understand why "off" is in the list, as there is a separate switch to power the unit on/off ? When the unit is switched off, Domoticz not only marks the power switch as off, but also this switch. As a consequence it is not possible to see in what mode the unit will start when it is powered on.
   So I'd be obliged to have Domoticz set the correct mode each time it switches on the unit ?

2. I also noted that I cannot change the names (heat/cool/...) in my native language - any change is immediately reverted back to the original name by the MQTT autodiscovery process.

3. When I try to switch to another mode (e.g. to heat) I see the following command in MQTT:
   {"mode":"heat"}
   but then the Faikin module reacts with the following error:

{"field":"mode","error":"Value is meant to be one character"}
{"ts":"2025-02-20T11:33:23Z","description":"Value is meant to be one character","prefix":"command","payload":"{\"mode\":\"heat\"}"}

I can see in the status message that the current mode is indeed indicated as one character: "mode":"H" but the config message does not contain the list of "one character" commands.

Am I missing something ?

[revk]

The options are based on what people have asked for, for HA.

The auto config can be turned off, just turn off ha setting. You can then do any manual config.

The MQTT for HA is all in the auto config if you need to know what it is.

There is more than one way to make changes and get status as HA was added later.

[Raspdomo]

Thanks for your reply.
I'll have to work my way around with mosquitto_pub. Shouldn't be an issue.

I have the Faikin module working for about 2 months now without a flaw. So much better than the native HTTP stuff... So thanks for that too !

[Raspdomo]

Got it working with mosquitto_pub.

However I don't understand why there's a difference in behaviour between HTTP and MQTT:

• when switching mode with the HTTP API the Faikin module does just that (which is exactly the same behaviour as the original Daikin HTTP API).
• when switching mode with the MQTT mode = .. command (for a unit that is switched off), the Faikin module first switches the unit on, then switches the mode, and then switches the unit off, all in a matter of a few seconds. This can be observed on the Faikin web interface.

Is there a reason ?

[revk]

On, mode, and off, makes no sense.

What is the exact MQTT you are sending?

Differences because developed over time for different needs. But I don't recognise and on/mode/off sequence.

[Raspdomo]

Starting state: unit switched off, mode = heat: {"protocol":"S21","online":true,"home":20.0,"heat":true,"fanrpm":0,"comp":20,"outside":10.5,"liquid":35.0,"anglev":48,"Wh":5283300,"power":false,"mode":"H","temp":14.0,"demand":40,"fan":"A","swingh":false,"swingv":false,"econo":false,"powerful":false,"comfort":false,"streamer":true,"sensor":false,"quiet":false,"autor":0.0,"autot":0.0,"auto0":"00:00","auto1":"00:00","autop":false}

Action: switching mode to fan only via MQTT: (below command launched from within Domoticz but that's not relevant):
mosquitto_pub -h 192.168.XXX.XXX -t command/FaikinModule/mode -m "F"

Result: unit switched ON and mode changed to FAN.

Action: switching the unit off manually in the Faikin web interface, then switching mode to HEAT via MQTT:
mosquitto_pub -h 192.168.XXX.XXX -t command/FaikinModule/mode -m "H"

Result: unit switched ON and mode changed to HEAT.

I was not able to reproduce the switch off at the end of the sequence (=going back to the initial power off state) that I observed yesterday. I will report it if I see it again.

I have my units automatically switch from heating to cooling mode at the appropriate time of the year, and that mode needs to be visible in the user interface so that I know what mode the unit will start in when it is turned on. Having a mode "off" doesn't seem logical to me at all, the unit is always in a certain mode even when it's off. In the Faikin web interface that's all OK.
Anyway, I was able to develop a workaround on the level of the Domoticz interface to hide the "off mode" from the end user.

However imho the unit switching automatically on when changing the mode is an issue. The Faikin web interface as well as the HTTP API allow to switch the mode without also switching the unit on. I'd like to be able to do exactly that via the MQTT interface. Is that possible in the current implementation ?

[revk]

As far as I know the HA logic considers off to be a mode, hence that logic.

Have you tried other ways of setting mode, rather than using the HA messages, e.g.

command/Faikin and payload {"mode":"C"}

This should work exactly the same as the web UI.

[Raspdomo]

Great - that does what I expect: changing mode without turning the unit on. THANKS !

I've also done some more testing:

Starting state: unit switched ON, heating mode.
Action: change to Fan mode in the Faikin web interface
Result: the change gets reflected in Domoticz via MQTT => OK

Starting state: unit switched OFF, heating mode.
Action: change to Fan mode in the Faikin web interface
Result: the change does not get reflected in Domoticz via MQTT => must be due to the "off" mode hiding the real mode. HA logic... Considering that the unit is off it doesn't matter that much, but it's weird.
Action: turn the unit ON in the Faikin web interface
Result: the ON state gets reflected in Domoticz via MQTT and now also the Fan mode is getting communicated to Domoticz => now it's OK (and now it matters).

As far as I'm concerned this topic can be closed. Thanks again for your reactivity and for all the effort you put into this !

[revk]

There are other status messages than those used by HA, which report mode regardless of on/off, use them maybe!

[Raspdomo]

I'll have a look into that !
Much of a learning process for me (MQTT is also relatively new to me).

[tunnus-1]

There are other status messages than those used by HA, which report mode regardless of on/off, use them maybe!

I've tried to find this in MQTT messages, but when powered off, mode shows "off" in state topic, so where to look?

[revk]

Well, on my Guest a/c, it sends this...

Faikin/GuestAC {"protocol":"S21","ts":"2025-04-07T06:18:00Z","env":[21.56,21.58,21.58],"target":[16.00,32.00],"online":true,"control":false,"home":21.50,"heat":false,"fanrpm":0,"comp":[19,21,23],"outside":3.50,"liquid":22.50,"anglev":71582783,"Wh":3758400,"power":false,"mode":"C","temp":18.00,"demand":100,"fan":"A","swingh":true,"swingv":false,"econo":false,"powerful":false,"comfort":false,"sensor":true,"quiet":false}

And as you can see, even though "power":false it has "mode":"C" (cool).

Is that not obvious?

[tunnus-1]

Well, on my Guest a/c, it sends this...

Faikin/GuestAC {"protocol":"S21","ts":"2025-04-07T06:18:00Z","env":[21.56,21.58,21.58],"target":[16.00,32.00],"online":true,"control":false,"home":21.50,"heat":false,"fanrpm":0,"comp":[19,21,23],"outside":3.50,"liquid":22.50,"anglev":71582783,"Wh":3758400,"power":false,"mode":"C","temp":18.00,"demand":100,"fan":"A","swingh":true,"swingv":false,"econo":false,"powerful":false,"comfort":false,"sensor":true,"quiet":false}

And as you can see, even though "power":false it has "mode":"C" (cool).

Is that not obvious?

Now that I know it's obvious 😄 I was looking only at state topic, and had overlooked this Faikin topic.

[Raspdomo]

Just getting back to the command
{"mode":"heat"}
causing an error (see above).

In Faikin.c lines 1540-1541 I find
if (!strcmp (suffix, "heat")) jo_string (s, "mode", "H");

Any reason why that conversion doesn't seem to take place ?

[revk]

That is just command/Faikin/heat

[Raspdomo]

If besides "H", "C", "D", "F", ... mode commands the Faikin module would also accept "heat", "cool", "heat_cool", ... then the MQTT auto discovery would work out of the box for Domoticz too (be it with the english labels - but that's cosmetic).

Same for the fan (accepting "auto", "quit", "low", ... as well as "A", "Q", "1"..."5").
And maybe also for swing (I haven't been working on that one yet).

I don't need such changes for myself as I have elaborated a workaround that allows me to have the labels on the user interface in my native language (and I also get rid of the "off" mode), but it would lead to a fully working Faikin MQTT integration in Domoticz. So maybe something to put on the Faikin development backlog - up to you.

[revk]

I'll have to look in to it.

[Raspdomo]

topic: command/FaikinModule/fan message: A
does the same thing as
topic: command/FaikinModule message: {"fan":"A"}

Great.

But
topic: command/FaikinModule/swing message: H
works, whilst
topic: command/FaikinModule message: {"swing":"H"}
doesn't work >>> why not make this similar to the fan handling ? It would be really handsome...

[revk]

It is historical.

The underlying settings can be set in one way. The way HA wants to do things is different (like off being a mode). And some shortcuts were also added in places.

HA was added way later than the underlying settings and values that link directly to the air-con.

[Raspdomo]

Thought so...
Not an issue for me - the module works great and it's fantastic that it offers MQTT !