Month 4 Box - Smart Home

Lesson 6 - Climate Control

Lesson 6: Climate Control (Temperature & Humidity Automation with Smart Plug)


In this lesson, you’ll teach your smart home how to feel by setting up your Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor. This small but powerful device helps you monitor your room’s environment and respond to it automatically using Home Assistant.


Start by pairing the sensor:


  • Go to Settings > Devices & Services > ZHA > Add Device
  • Put the sensor in pairing mode (usually by pressing a reset button or pulling a battery tab)
  • Once detected, name it (e.g., “Room Climate Sensor”) and assign it to a room like your bedroom or workspace


Next, place the sensor where it can get a reliable reading—avoid vents, heaters, or direct sunlight. After a minute, you’ll see live temperature and humidity values on the sensor’s entity page. These readings update frequently and can be graphed over time to detect patterns (e.g., how your room heats up in the afternoon).


Now let’s automate your comfort:


Automation 1 – Turn on a fan when it gets too hot:


  1. Go to Settings > Automations > + Add Automation
  2. Trigger: Numeric state
  • Sensor = Temperature sensor
  • Condition = Greater than 75°F (or 24°C)
  1. Action: Turn on your fan (plugged into a smart plug)


Automation 2 – Turn the fan off when it cools down:


  1. Trigger: Numeric state
  • Sensor = Temperature sensor
  • Condition = Less than 72°F (or 22°C)
  1. Action: Turn off the smart plug


This setup gives your fan thermostat-like behavior based entirely on your preferences—no extra hardware needed.


Creative Bonus Challenge:


Add humidity awareness to your smart home. If humidity rises above 70%:


  • Flash your RGB bulb yellow as a visual warning
  • Send yourself a notification: “Humidity too high! Consider opening a window or using a dehumidifier.”


To do this, create a new automation using the humidity sensor as a numeric state trigger, then add actions for lighting and notifications.


By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to:


  • Pair and place a Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor
  • Track and graph real-time environmental data
  • Automate devices like fans to respond to room temperature
  • Get alerts and trigger lights when conditions become uncomfortable


Next up: the Zigbee smart button—your one-tap command center for controlling your entire environment. See you there!