Rules in Eve allow the automatic triggering of scenes in your home. You may set up rules with location and/or value triggers and assign them to a scene you have already created. Example: When you arrive at your home, the lights in the hallway and the entertainment system automatically switch on. Unlike timers, rules can be restricted by time or value conditions. Using conditions allows you to fine-tune your rules. Please see the examples of using conditions below.
Scenes
Before setting up rules in Eve’s setting “Automation,” you have to have created scenes—for example, a scene called “Entertainment off” that switches off, via Eve Energy connected to an outlet switch, your TV, audio system, Apple TV, and gaming hardware. Another scene could turn lights on or off via Eve Energy or Philips Hue. Another scene could turn your heater, powered by Eve Thermo, on or off, or turn your humidifier, connected with Eve Energy, on or off.
Triggers
The following examples use location triggers for rules for arriving (“Arriving At”) or leaving (“Leaving”) your home. A simple rule without conditions would be this: Once you leave your home, activate the scene “Entertainment Off” or upon arrival, switch on the humidifier, which is connected via Eve Energy.
You create rules and timers on your iOS device and, unlike scenes, they are not synchronized with your other iOS devices. An Apple TV in your home ensures that timers and rules also work if you’re not in range of the HomeKit-based devices, that is, if you are on the road.
Time Conditions
Time conditions, unlike regular timers, are suitable for allowing a rule to trigger a scene only during a certain time period. Time conditions might include prior to or after a specified time or before or after a day event such as sunrise or sunset –for example, a time condition “before 7am” or “after sunset.”
Examples:
When I get home and it is after sunset, activate the scene “Lights On.”
When I leave the house and it is after 8 p.m., activate the scene “Entertainment Off.”
You can specify multiple time conditions for a rule. In these cases, to have a rule trigger the selected scene, all conditions must be met.
Examples:
When I get home and it is after 7 p.m. (condition 1) and before 10 p.m. (condition 2), activate the scene “Entertainment On.”
When I leave the house and it is after sunrise (condition 1) and before sunset (condition 2), activate the scene “All Lights Off.”
What does not work: Say, for example, you want to trigger a scene with a rule that uses the day-event time conditions “after sunset” and “before sunrise,” that is, the time of darkness outside. In this case, the two conditions rule out each other since HomeKit uses the 24-hour clock. At 11 p.m., then, although it is after sunset, it is not before sunrise on the same day. In this case, you would have to set two rules with time conditions.
Value Conditions
Even more interesting than time conditions are value conditions. The values of the Eve devices in your home are available as conditions. The same applies to other HomeKit-capable devices such as Hue bulbs. All Eve devices support this such conditions. The devices’ values come into action here. You may set fixed values (e.g., a certain temperature using Eve Room) and set greater-than or lower-than values. As opposed to triggers, the value does not have to change. Rather, the value is queried from the device and used for the condition. Here, we’ll use location triggers again for our examples and premade scenes, of course. (Note that selecting “Value Condition” will show you accessory values to use as conditions.)
Examples:
When I come home and the temperature in the living room (Eve Room) is below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (less than 65), set the target temperature for Eve Thermo in the living room to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
When I come home and the humidity in the living room (Eve Room) is below 40 percent (less than 40), activate the scene “Humidifier On” (Eve Energy).
You may use more than one value condition in a rule, as in this example:
When I leave the house and the temperature outside (Eve Weather) is warmer than 64 degrees Fahrenheit (greater than 64) and the temperature in the living room (Eve Room) is warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (greater than 70), activate the scene “Heating Off” (Eve Thermo, Mode: Off).
Combining Time and Value Conditions
Besides combining several time conditions or several value conditions in a rule, you can also include both types, as in this last example:
When I leave the house and it is after 10 a.m. and the temperature outside (Eve Weather) is warmer than 64 degrees Fahrenheit (greater than 64) and the temperature in the living room (Eve Room) is warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (greater than 70), activate the scene “Heating Off” (Eve Thermo, Mode: Off).
Send Us Your Examples
We hope our examples are helpful as you create your first rules and conditions. Then again, you might already be using rules in your home that you created. If so, we’d really like to hear about them.
I don’t see Air Qality type to use as a value condition. I’d like to turn ventilation (eve energy) on when CO2 level reaches 1500ppm. Is co2-level this type available in v2.0? Will it come in future releases if it is not?
Hi Alex, first of all, Eve Room measures VOC for air quality, see here http://eve.help.elgato.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2089455-eve-room-%E2%80%94-measuring-volatile-organic-compounds-voc-
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is not measured (http://eve.help.elgato.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2233021-eve-room-%E2%80%94-does-it-detect-co2-co%E2%82%82-carbon-dioxide-)
VOC is measured in ppm (parts per million).
Very soon (few days) you’ll be able to use the rule you want for your scenario, stay tuned, please. Best regards, volker
Wait. It if I do not have a trigger? E.g. I simply want to turn on my bedroom light at 7am if it’s before sunrise.
Is there a way to do that? Seems an obvious need?
Hi Michael, unfortunately timers do not allow to use them with a condition, this would be needed to get it running. There will be more options with the upcoming iOS 10, I am sure. Best regards, volker
Does homekit work with if / and / or like statements? I’d like to check whether we are away or a guest is at home. So that I don’t turn of the light while the babysitter is at home 🙂
Hi Wouter! As of today HomeKit does not allow that, sorry. Best regards, volker
Thx! How does homekit treat the statement right now? Is it and / or?
Regard
Hi Wouter! Still no change, and/or are not supported. Best regards, volker
Is it possible to create a rule such that any time an Eve Thermo is demanding heat then an Eve Energy turns on?
Hi Tim! Unfortunately this won’t work. Best regards, volker
Is it possible for Eve Energy to switch off after 1 hour or any preset time? I have been using wemo switch to turn off the phone charger after x amount of time to prevent overcharging. Thinking of switching to eve energy if it can do the same.
Hi Justin! Using the app home you may set up an automation/rule with a scene that is active for 60 minutes. Best regards, volker
I have an Apple TVG4, multiple electric radiators and appliances connected to EVE plugs. To avoid triggering a circuit breaker, I need to automatically turn off a radiator when the washing machine is using more then 1000 Watts. And then turn the radiator back on when the washing machine falls below 1000 Watts. Is this possible? Thanks!
Hi kevis! Sorry, but this is not possible as of today. Best regards, volker
Hi,
With iOS 11 is it possible yet to have an eve energy turn on at sunset, then turn off at sunrise? I can’t seem to make this work!
Thanks!
Hi Matt! Are you using the app Home or Eve? Best regards, volker
Hi,
Honestly – either! I’ve got both Apps and use them for different things. I suppose it’d make sense to see how to do it in the Eve app.
Thanks!
Hi Matt! If you intend to use a timer that uses sunrise/sunset you’d have to go with Home. Best regards, volker
Okay, thank you!
Rules should also be able to trigger other rules. For example when I arrive home activate the rule that heats up a room. Alternately, a condition could be “I am home”
I would like to switch on the electric heater with Eve Energy’s button. Can I have a rule which detects the power on status, and then after time or consumed power switches the heater off?
Thanks
Hi Luc! Unfortunately this is not possible yet with HomeKit. Best regards, volker
Hello Volker, thanks for your swift reply.
When I set scenes, in condition I can select consumption, and even can set a value with a comparison. What can this then be used for?
Thanks
Hi Luc! It depends on your needs. Only if the condition ist met when the trigger fires, the scene is activated. Best regards, volker
Hello Volker,
that would mean that there is no monitoring condition as such, only if at time of trigger the power would be at exact same as the condition. Too bad.
Is there a time when a duration or the power consumption counter would become available? So I can switch off after 1 hour or 1000W consumed?
Thanks,
best,
Hi Luc! Unfortunately you can’t, I am sorry. Best regards, volker
I have an ecobee thermostat. I am trying to get the heat on that to go down to 64 degrees and the cool to go to 84 degrees when i have my front door open which i have en el gato door sensor on. I can halfway get this to happen but is there a way to add a timer to the door? for example just opening the door to talk to someone or to go outside i don’t want it to trigger the automation but if the door is open for 5 minutes or so i want it to trigger it. thanks
Hi Carlos! Sorry, but there is no such timer you would need as of today in HomeKit. Best regards, volker
Hi, with condition humidity <= 45% i want to turn on Eve Energy. Somehow it just doesn’t trigger. Any assist?
Hi Maarten! You set the trigger with condition in the app Eve right? Would you mind sending me a screenshot of the rule volker (at) elgato (dot) com. Best regards, volker
Hi. How would a rule look like if I want Hue bulb to USD one scene before 8pm and another scene after, while the trigger is the Hue bulb gets power from the standard wall plugs? The principle is I don’t want to adjust light after it gets power.
I dont seem to get it to work.
Br Daniel
Hi Daniel! Sorry, but I don’t get the rule you want to set up. Could you explain a bit more. Best regards, volker
I want to turn on the heater using eve room and eve energy and is not working.. i created a trigger saying that if temperature is less pr equal than 20 celsius start a scene to turn on the eve energy where the heater is… trigger and conditions are the same? Im not sure how to do it
Hi Mauricio! That’s exactly the way I do it over here. Trigger is Temperature <=20 degrees. This one works for me. Would you mind sending me the trigger/rule (screenshots) volker(at)elgato(dot)com? Best regards, volker
Anyone else having problems with Rules?
I thought I set up a very basic one, but it doesn’t work.
I have the EVE degree and the EVE outlet
I have an AC plugged in to the outlet. I want the AC to turn on when the EVE degree reads 80ºF or higher and to turn off when EVE degree reads 76ºF or lower
I set up a scene for each state – Turn AC on and another for Turn AC off.
I then created the Rules: “It is too hot” and “The room is cooled”
I noticed that something changed recently in the EVE app and I can no longer set conditions to “Any temperature” so I left it blank. The trigger for each is the temperatures listed earlier.. I set the trigger to be =>80ºF and set that as trigger and scene to “Turn AC on”
and <=76ºF and set that trigger to activate scene "Turn AC off"
I have been very frustrated watching the temperature rise and fall and no rule take place. Elgato, there is something up… rules used to work a lot better before the last update. Que passa?
Hi Leo! Let me check this here. Wouild you mind sending me a screenshot of the rule to volker(at)elgato(dot)com? Best regards, volker
I seem to be having the same problem trying to trigger the eve energy to turn on the electric heater by reading the eve degree.
I’ve set a rule for a kitchen light to come on when I arrive home, that works flawlessly but the heater/ temperature combination isn’t working.
Hi Matt! Would you mind sending me a screenshot of the rule you created at volker(at)elgato(dot)com? May be I’ll find out. Thx a bunch, best regards, volker
Hi!
Is it possible i.e. manually turn on an electric heater and that it will turn of 1 hour later?
So not turn on and off on set times, but whenever activated 1 hour later?
Thnx!
Hi Dominique! Use the app Home from Apple and set the scene for 60 minutes. Best regards, volker
I’ve been having great difficulty with getting my Eve Room to trigger events. Basically, I have it in the bathroom, and I want it to turn the extract fan on if either the Air Quality is below good, OR if the Humidity is above 75%. It’s hooked up to Apple HomeKit via an Apple TV 4. The bathroom is a good 15m away from the Living Room, so I am concerned about Bluetooth range, but there are other devices between the Eve Room and the AppleTV, but I can’t find information about Eve products doing a Zigbee-type signal relay. I’ve currently got it set up to trigger colour changes for a lamp in the living room so I can test the operation of the rule before I hack holes in the ceiling in order to install the relays for the fan and so forth. It worked once or twice, but now, since a flurry of updates a week or so ago, it never triggers. It’s like either Apple Home doesn’t understand the rules for trigger conditions or if a data check-in is missed due to poor communications, and it then catches up with a burst of data later, it doesn’t look at the last recorded value crossing the threshold, but the last two data points (which, if it’s been buffering them, won’t have changed much).
It’s worse when it comes to turning things off again – I want it to trigger an off event if BOTH AQ and Humidity are below the threshold values, but that’s really tricky to set up as a single rule in Eve. It seems to be related to it requiring a change to trigger, the rule is never re-evaluated if the trigger hasn’t changed but the additional condition has (e.g. humidity as the trigger has dropped below the threshold, but the AQ is still below threshold for a further 15 minutes after the humidity settled to the fresh air value).
Hi TRT! If I were you I#d delete the rules and then create them new. It seems to work though. You can only use a trigger plus a condition to get it turned off. This can be done in Eve. Best regards, volker
Is it possible to use my location as a condition? I would like to set up an automotion triggered by time, conditional on whether I am at home. For example turn on the towel radiator every morning at a certain time, except when I am away from home.
Hi Bill! When using the app Home from Apple you can set Timer that is only executed when you are away from home. Best regards, volker
What would happen if I want a rule to happen 3x a day? Should I create 3 rules or putting 3 conditions in 1 rule will treat it as OR
Hi Rangerek! depends on the rules you want to run. If it is a tome based trigger I would go for three Rules. Let me know, best regards, volker
Hello. Similar to what others have said, I am not getting events to fire when they’re based on Temperature (Eve Home) triggers. I created my rule in the Eve app and that successfully generated an automation in the HomeKit app, but it seems like only triggers that HomeKit supports natively fire correctly. I am not using Eve Thermo; does that make a difference? Simpler automations based on native HomeKit triggers (geofencing for example) fire my heating system events correctly.
Hi Chris! Eve, and all other 3rd party HomeKit-apps (Home.app is the only privileged one) are only clients using the HomeKit framework and its (public) capabilities. Rules are nothing Eve “runs”, Eve only is the user interface to set them up and hand them over to HomeKit. Rules are executed by a daemon process on iOS/tvOS that’s way outside of our reach. What you should avoid doing is to open or edit an automation in Home that you created in Eve or vice versa. I have temperature based triggers running here, had to set them up in Eve cause Home does not support it.. Best, volker
Hi,
hi,
Hi, After today’s EVE update on my iPhone 11 pro max, some of my rules did not work and some others could not be selected.
So I made a new one. It involves trigger time, soil humidity from a homebridge sensor and a scene that enables the watering schedule (Eve Aqua). After trying to save I always get following error:
“Your Home Hub (Apple TV, Home Pod, iPad) is not compatible. Please run software update.”
Is this a bug? Has this to do with Homebridge (Apple not supporting unlicensed devices) or am I doing something wrong?
The scene that enables/disables the EVE Aqua works when operated manually.
Thanks!
Hello X. Lemke! I have not seen this error ever. If you are running an Apple TV 4/4K, HomePod or iPad as a home hub, make sure it is running iOS 13 / tvOS 13. I don’t think it has to do with HomeBridge. We will have Eve 4.0.1 (it’s at Apple for approval) cause some users had the 4.0 unexpected shut down when editing rules. But this is another story. Best regards, volker
P.S.: I’ll talk to a colleague who is using HomeBridge as well 😉
Hi. Is there any way to receive a push notification when Eve Degree reach a specified temperature value?
Hello Valentin! HomeKit does not support notifications for temperature or humidity (yet), so there is nor way unfortunately. Best regards, volker
Hi, I am trying to make the following work unsuccessfully:
– Create an automation that turns on a dehumidifier when the humidity level is above 65% and turn off when it reaches 50%. I have made this work ok.
– What I am trying to also achieve is that it only turns On between 10:30 and 23:30. I have added this as a Time Condition but it does not work – it keeps turning on and off between 10:30 and 23:30.
Can someone help?
Thanks
Hello Pedro! Time conditions sometimes are not easy to make work. Have you set the first condition to After 10:30 and the second to Before 23:30? Best regards, volker