Advanced Features Guide¶

Explore advanced capabilities of the Hitachi CSNet Home integration.

Overview¶

Beyond basic climate control, the integration provides several advanced features:

🔇 Silent Mode - Reduce outdoor unit noise
🌀 Fan Speed Control - Control fan coil speeds (system dependent)
🌡️ OTC (Outdoor Temperature Compensation) - Monitor automatic temperature adjustments
📊 Extended Attributes - Access detailed system information
⚙️ Dynamic Temperature Limits - Automatic range adjustment based on mode
🔔 Advanced Alarm System - Comprehensive fault monitoring

Silent Mode¶

What is Silent Mode?¶

Silent mode reduces the noise level of the outdoor unit by limiting compressor and fan speeds. Ideal for nighttime operation or noise-sensitive environments.

Availability: Non-fan coil systems only (standard heat pumps)

How It Works¶

When silent mode is enabled: - Outdoor unit operates at reduced capacity - Fan speeds are limited - Compressor speed is constrained - May take longer to reach target temperature - Energy efficiency may be slightly reduced

Using Silent Mode¶

Silent mode is controlled through the climate entity's fan_mode attribute.

Fan Modes (non-fan coil systems): - auto - Normal operation - on - Silent mode enabled

Via UI¶

Open climate entity
Click Fan button
Toggle between Auto and On

[PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot showing fan mode toggle]

Via Service Call¶

# Enable silent mode
service: climate.set_fan_mode
target:
  entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
data:
  fan_mode: "on"

# Disable silent mode (normal operation)
service: climate.set_fan_mode
target:
  entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
data:
  fan_mode: auto

Automation Examples¶

Automatic Night Silent Mode¶

automation:
  - alias: "Enable Silent Mode at Night"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "22:00:00"
    action:
      - service: climate.set_fan_mode
        target:
          entity_id: all
        data:
          fan_mode: "on"

  - alias: "Disable Silent Mode in Morning"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "07:00:00"
    action:
      - service: climate.set_fan_mode
        target:
          entity_id: all
        data:
          fan_mode: auto

Silent Mode When Home¶

automation:
  - alias: "Silent Mode When Someone Home"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.someone_home
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: climate.set_fan_mode
        target:
          entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
        data:
          fan_mode: "on"

Monitoring Silent Mode¶

Check current silent mode status:

# In templates or automations
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'silent_mode') }}
# Returns: 0 (off) or 1 (on)

# Or check fan_mode
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'fan_mode') }}
# Returns: 'auto' or 'on'

Tips for Silent Mode¶

✅ Use silent mode when: - Sleeping (nighttime) - Working from home (daytime quiet needed) - Outdoor unit near windows or neighbors - Noise sensitivity is priority

❌ Avoid silent mode when: - Quick heating/cooling needed - Extreme outdoor temperatures - Maximum efficiency required - Rapid temperature recovery needed

Fan Speed Control (Fan Coil Systems)¶

What is Fan Coil Control?¶

Some Hitachi systems support fan coil units with controllable fan speeds. These systems can adjust indoor fan speed independently from the heat pump.

Availability: Fan coil compatible systems only

Checking Compatibility¶

Check if your system supports fan coil control:

{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'is_fan_coil_compatible') }}
# Returns: true or false

Or check sensor:

sensor.system_controller_fan_coil_compatible
# State: on or off

Fan Speed Options¶

Fan coil systems have four speed settings:

Speed	Description	When to Use
Off (0)	Fan off	Not recommended during heating/cooling
Low (1)	Quiet operation	Sleeping, quiet activities
Medium (2)	Balanced	Normal operation
Auto (3)	Automatic control	Let system decide based on demand

Using Fan Speed Control¶

Via Service Call¶

service: climate.set_fan_mode
target:
  entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
data:
  fan_mode: medium  # or: off, low, medium, auto

Fan Control Availability¶

Fan control availability depends on: - Current HVAC mode (Heat/Cool) - Circuit configuration - System settings

Check availability in attributes:

fan1_control_available: true
fan2_control_available: false

Automation Examples¶

Auto Speed Based on Temperature Difference¶

automation:
  - alias: "Adjust Fan Speed Based on Temp Difference"
    trigger:
      - platform: template
        value_template: >
          {{ (state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'temperature') | float - 
              state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'current_temperature') | float) | abs > 3 }}
    action:
      - service: climate.set_fan_mode
        target:
          entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
        data:
          fan_mode: medium

Low Speed at Night¶

automation:
  - alias: "Low Fan Speed at Night"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "22:00:00"
    condition:
      - condition: template
        value_template: >
          {{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'is_fan_coil_compatible') }}
    action:
      - service: climate.set_fan_mode
        target:
          entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
        data:
          fan_mode: low

Monitoring Fan Speed¶

Check current fan speeds:

# For Circuit 1
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'fan1_speed') }}
# Returns: 0-3

# For Circuit 2
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'fan2_speed') }}
# Returns: 0-3

Fan Coil vs Silent Mode¶

Important: Fan coil systems use fan speed control INSTEAD of silent mode.

System Type	Control Method	Modes
Standard	Silent mode	auto, on
Fan Coil	Fan speed	off, low, medium, auto

OTC (Outdoor Temperature Compensation)¶

What is OTC?¶

OTC automatically adjusts the water supply temperature based on outdoor temperature to optimize comfort and efficiency.

Purpose: - Maintain consistent indoor temperature - Improve energy efficiency - Reduce cycling - Better comfort in varying weather

How OTC Works¶

As outdoor temperature changes: - Colder outside → Higher water temperature - Warmer outside → Lower water temperature

This prevents overheating/overcooling and improves efficiency.

OTC Types¶

Heating OTC Types¶

None (0) - No compensation, fixed temperature
Points (1) - Temperature based on defined curve points
Gradient (2) - Linear gradient calculation
Fixed (3) - Fixed water temperature

Cooling OTC Types¶

None (0) - No compensation
Points (1) - Point-based curve
Fixed (2) - Fixed temperature

Monitoring OTC Settings¶

Check OTC configuration via sensors:

# For C1 Circuit
sensor.system_controller_otc_heating_type_c1
sensor.system_controller_otc_cooling_type_c1

# For C2 Circuit (if applicable)
sensor.system_controller_otc_heating_type_c2
sensor.system_controller_otc_cooling_type_c2

Or via climate entity attributes:

{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'otc_heating_type') }}
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'otc_heating_type_name') }}

OTC Configuration¶

Note: OTC is configured in CSNet Manager, not through Home Assistant. The integration provides monitoring only.

To configure OTC: 1. Open CSNet Manager app/website 2. Go to system settings 3. Find OTC/curve settings 4. Adjust according to your preference

Dashboard Example¶

Display OTC status:

type: entities
title: OTC Configuration
entities:
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_otc_heating_type_c1
    name: "C1 Heating OTC"
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_otc_cooling_type_c1
    name: "C1 Cooling OTC"
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_otc_heating_type_c2
    name: "C2 Heating OTC"
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_otc_cooling_type_c2
    name: "C2 Cooling OTC"

Understanding OTC Impact¶

Monitor how OTC affects your system:

type: history-graph
title: Temperature Compensation Effect
entities:
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_outdoor_temperature
    name: Outdoor Temp
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_set_water_temperature
    name: Target Water Temp
  - entity: sensor.system_controller_out_water_temperature
    name: Actual Water Temp
hours_to_show: 24

Extended Attributes¶

Accessing Extended Data¶

Climate entities expose numerous attributes beyond basic temperature:

{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'operation_status_text') }}
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'c1_demand') }}
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'alarm_code') }}

Complete Attribute List¶

Operation Information: - operation_status - Numeric status code - operation_status_text - Human-readable status - real_mode - Actual operating mode - hvac_action - Current action (heating/cooling/idle)

Demand Status: - c1_demand - Circuit 1 calling for heat/cool - c2_demand - Circuit 2 calling for heat/cool

System Status: - timer_running - Timer active - doingBoost - Boost mode active (DHW) - silent_mode - Silent mode status

Alarm Information: - alarm_code - Current alarm code (0 = none) - alarm_active - Boolean alarm status - alarm_origin - Where alarm originated - alarm_code_formatted - Formatted for display

Fan Control (if applicable): - is_fan_coil_compatible - System supports fan control - fan1_speed - Circuit 1 fan speed (0-3) - fan2_speed - Circuit 2 fan speed (0-3) - fan1_control_available - C1 fan controllable now - fan2_control_available - C2 fan controllable now

OTC Information: - otc_heating_type - OTC type code - otc_heating_type_name - OTC type description - otc_cooling_type - Cooling OTC code - otc_cooling_type_name - Cooling OTC description

Using Attributes in Automations¶

automation:
  - alias: "Alert When Heating Demand Active"
    trigger:
      - platform: template
        value_template: >
          {{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'c1_demand') == true }}
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          message: "Zone calling for heat"

Custom Sensors from Attributes¶

Create dedicated sensors from attributes:

# configuration.yaml
sensor:
  - platform: template
    sensors:
      living_room_operation_status:
        friendly_name: "Living Room Operation"
        value_template: >
          {{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'operation_status_text') }}

      living_room_c1_demand:
        friendly_name: "C1 Demand Status"
        value_template: >
          {{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'c1_demand') }}

Dynamic Temperature Limits¶

Adaptive Range Control¶

The integration automatically adjusts temperature limits based on: - Current HVAC mode (Heat/Cool) - Zone type (Air/Water circuit) - System configuration from API

How It Works¶

Temperature limits are fetched from CSNet Manager API:

For Air Circuits (Zones 1, 2): - Heating: heatAirMinC1/heatAirMaxC1 (typically 8-55°C) - Cooling: coolAirMinC1/coolAirMaxC1 (typically 18-30°C)

For Water Circuits (Zone 5): - Heating: heatMinC1/heatMaxC1 - Cooling: coolMinC1/coolMaxC1

For DHW (Zone 3): - Min: 30°C (constant) - Max: dhwMax from API (typically 55°C)

Checking Current Limits¶

{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'min_temp') }}
{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'max_temp') }}

Limits change automatically when you switch between Heat and Cool modes.

Benefits¶

✅ Safety: Prevents setting temperatures outside safe ranges
✅ Efficiency: Respects system capabilities
✅ Flexibility: Adapts to your specific configuration
✅ Accuracy: Uses actual limits from your system

Advanced Alarm Monitoring¶

Alarm System Features¶

The integration provides comprehensive alarm monitoring:

Per-Zone Alarms: - alarm_code - Numeric code - alarm_active - Boolean status - alarm_message - Translated description - alarm_code_formatted - Display format - alarm_origin - Component source

System-Wide Alarms: - sensor.alarm_history - Recent alarm log - sensor.total_alarm_count - Active alarm count - sensor.active_alarm_count - Currently active - sensor.alarms_by_origin - Grouped by source

Enhanced Alarm Notifications¶

Create sophisticated alarm handling:

automation:
  - alias: "Smart Alarm Notification"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.remote_living_room_alarm_active
        to: "on"
        for: "00:02:00"  # Wait 2 minutes to avoid transients
    action:
      - variables:
          alarm_code: "{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'alarm_code') }}"
          alarm_origin: "{{ state_attr('climate.remote_living_room', 'alarm_origin') }}"
          alarm_message: "{{ states('sensor.remote_living_room_alarm_message') }}"

      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "Heat Pump Alarm"
          message: >
            Alarm {{ alarm_code }} detected
            Origin: {{ alarm_origin }}
            {{ alarm_message }}
          data:
            priority: high
            tag: hitachi_alarm

      - service: persistent_notification.create
        data:
          title: "System Alarm"
          message: >
            **Alarm Code**: {{ alarm_code }}
            **Origin**: {{ alarm_origin }}
            **Description**: {{ alarm_message }}
            **Time**: {{ now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M') }}
          notification_id: hitachi_alarm_{{ alarm_code }}

Alarm History Dashboard¶

type: vertical-stack
cards:
  - type: entities
    title: Current Alarms
    entities:
      - sensor.total_alarm_count
      - sensor.active_alarm_count

  - type: markdown
    title: Recent Alarm History
    content: >
      {% set alarms = state_attr('sensor.alarm_history', 'recent_alarms') %}
      {% if alarms %}
      {% for alarm in alarms[:5] %}
      - **{{ alarm.code }}**: {{ alarm.description }}
        *{{ alarm.timestamp }}*
      {% endfor %}
      {% else %}
      No recent alarms
      {% endif %}

Alarm Statistics¶

Track alarm patterns:

sensor:
  - platform: history_stats
    name: "Alarms Today"
    entity_id: sensor.total_alarm_count
    state: "on"
    type: count
    start: "{{ now().replace(hour=0, minute=0, second=0) }}"
    end: "{{ now() }}"

Deleting Alarms¶

The integration provides a service to delete resolved alarms from CSNet Manager.

Via Service Call¶

# Delete a specific alarm by ID
service: csnet_home.delete_alarm
data:
  alarm_id: 138670

To find alarm IDs, check the Alarm History sensor's attributes (recent_alarms list contains the id field).

Auto-Delete on Notification Dismiss¶

When an alarm notification is dismissed in Home Assistant, you can automatically delete it from CSNet Manager.

Note: Due to file locking issues in some environments, it's recommended to add this automation manually to your automations.yaml file rather than using the UI.

# Add to your automations.yaml file
- id: delete_csnet_alarm_on_dismiss
  alias: "Delete CSNet alarm when notification is dismissed"
  description: "Delete CSNet alarm when notification is dismissed"
  mode: single
  triggers:
    - trigger: persistent_notification
      update_type:
        - removed
  conditions:
    - condition: template
      value_template: "{{ 'csnet_home_inst_alarm_' in trigger.notification.notification_id }}"
  actions:
    - action: csnet_home.delete_alarm
      data:
        alarm_id: "{{ trigger.notification.notification_id.split('_')[-1] | int }}"

How it works: 1. The integration creates persistent notifications with ID csnet_home_inst_alarm_{alarm_id} 2. When the notification is dismissed (update_type: removed), this automation triggers 3. It extracts the alarm_id from the notification_id 4. Calls the delete_alarm service to remove it from CSNet Manager

Performance Optimization¶

Scan Interval Tuning¶

Balance responsiveness vs API load:

# In configuration
# Default: 60 seconds

# More responsive (minimum recommended):
scan_interval: 30

# Less API calls:
scan_interval: 120

# Minimal updates:
scan_interval: 300

Recommendations: - Active monitoring: 30-60 seconds - Normal use: 60-90 seconds
- Background: 120-180 seconds - Vacation: 300+ seconds

Conditional Updates¶

Update more frequently when heating:

automation:
  - alias: "Faster Updates When Heating"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
        attribute: hvac_action
        to: "heating"
    action:
      - service: csnet_home.set_scan_interval
        data:
          scan_interval: 30

  - alias: "Normal Updates When Idle"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: climate.remote_living_room
        attribute: hvac_action
        to: "idle"
        for: "00:05:00"
    action:
      - service: csnet_home.set_scan_interval
        data:
          scan_interval: 120

Best Practices¶

✅ DO¶

Monitor system health via extended attributes
Use silent mode appropriately (nighttime)
Check OTC configuration for your climate
Set up alarm notifications for important issues
Tune scan_interval based on needs
Leverage extended attributes in automations

❌ DON'T¶

Don't use silent mode when maximum heating needed
Don't ignore alarms - they indicate real issues
Don't modify OTC without understanding impact
Don't set scan_interval < 30 seconds
Don't rely solely on one monitoring method

Next Steps¶

Explore related documentation: - Multi-Zone Configuration - Managing multiple circuits - Sensors Reference - Complete sensor list - Climate Control - Climate entity control with automation examples - Troubleshooting - Issue resolution

← Back to Sensors | Next: Multi-Zone Config →