Pet Fountain Automation

This document details the automation for the Dockstream Smart RFID Fountain device.

Overview

The Dockstream Smart RFID Fountain is a smart pet fountain controlled through Home Assistant. A custom automation has been created to toggle the water dispensing mode between constant flow and intermittent flow every 15 minutes. This cycling helps keep the water fresh while reducing energy consumption.

Fountain Configuration

The Dockstream Smart RFID Fountain has the following settings in Home Assistant:

Setting	Entity ID	Value	Description
Water Dispensing Mode	`select.dockstream_smart_rfid_fountain_water_dispensing_mode`	Toggles between modes	Controls how water flows
Water Interval	`number.dockstream_smart_rfid_fountain_water_interval`	10 minutes	Time between water dispensing in intermittent mode
Water Dispensing Duration	`number.dockstream_smart_rfid_fountain_water_dispensing_duration`	15 minutes	How long water flows in intermittent mode
Cleaning Cycle	`number.dockstream_smart_rfid_fountain_cleaning_cycle`	14 days	Reminder interval for cleaning

Available Modes

The fountain supports two water dispensing modes:

Flowing Water (Constant) - Water flows continuously
Intermittent Water (Scheduled) - Water flows according to the interval and duration settings

Automation Details

The fountain cycling automation is defined in /etc/nixos/fountain_automation.yaml:

alias: "Fountain Cycle Mode"
description: "Toggles fountain water mode every 15 minutes between constant and intermittent flow"
trigger:
  - platform: time_pattern
    minutes: "/15"  # Every 15 minutes
condition: []
action:
  - service: select.select_next
    target:
      entity_id: select.dockstream_smart_rfid_fountain_water_dispensing_mode
mode: single
id: fountain_cycle_mode

How It Works

Trigger: The automation runs every 15 minutes based on the time pattern trigger
Action: It uses the select.select_next service to toggle to the next available option
Mode: Set to "single" to prevent multiple executions if triggers overlap

Installation

The automation is included in Home Assistant via the automation manual directive in the Home Assistant configuration:

"automation manual" = "!include_dir_merge_list /etc/hass";

The YAML file needs to be placed in the /etc/hass directory to be loaded.

Testing

To manually test the automation:

In Home Assistant UI, go to Developer Tools > Services
Select automation.trigger as the service

Enter the following service data:

entity_id: automation.fountain_cycle_mode

Click "Call Service" to trigger the automation

Customizing

To adjust the cycling interval:

Edit the YAML file at /etc/nixos/fountain_automation.yaml
Change the minutes value in the trigger section (e.g., from "/15" to "/30" for every 30 minutes)
Save the file
Restart Home Assistant or reload automations

To adjust fountain settings:

In Home Assistant UI, go to Settings > Devices & Services
Find the Dockstream Smart RFID Fountain device
Adjust the water interval or dispensing duration settings

Troubleshooting

If the automation is not working as expected:

Check that the entity ID is correct and the fountain is online
Verify that Home Assistant is including the automation file correctly
Look for errors in the Home Assistant logs related to the automation or the fountain
Try manually controlling the fountain to ensure it responds to commands

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