Home Assistant Temperature and Humidity Automation with mmWave and IR Control
Temperature automation is easy to overbuild. A thermostat rule can turn an AC on, but it may still cool an empty room, miss a humid bedroom, or fight a manual override. A better Home Assistant comfort setup combines temperature, humidity, room presence, and local IR control so the room reacts to real conditions instead of a single number.
This guide explains how to build that stack with HomeClaw, eMotion Ultra, eRemote HA, eMotion Pro, and eMotion Air.
Why Temperature Alone Is Not Enough
A room can feel uncomfortable even when the temperature number looks acceptable. Humidity, still air, direct sun, cooking heat, sleeping state, and whether someone is actually in the room all change the correct automation decision. This is why Home Assistant comfort automation should not be a simple schedule.
Presence prevents waste
Room state helps Home Assistant avoid cooling or heating empty rooms aggressively.
Humidity changes comfort
A room at the same temperature can feel very different when humidity rises.
IR keeps old appliances useful
Local IR control lets Home Assistant manage AC, fan, dehumidifier, and purifier remotes.
What eMotion Ultra Adds to Comfort Automation
eMotion Ultra is not only a 60GHz mmWave presence sensor. It also supports a temperature and humidity sensor cable and includes built-in IR capability. That combination is useful because one room device can provide presence context, comfort context, and appliance control for Home Assistant scenes.
In practical terms, eMotion Ultra can help a bedroom, office, or living room answer three questions before sending a command: is someone present, is the comfort range drifting, and should an IR appliance respond locally?
Recommended LinknLink Comfort Stack
| Layer | Device | Comfort role | Best use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private gateway | HomeClaw | Runs Home Assistant logic, helpers, local voice direction, and private AI context. | Local-first comfort automation that should not depend on cloud scenes. |
| Presence + comfort data + IR | eMotion Ultra | Combines 60GHz presence, temperature/humidity cable data, and built-in IR control. | Bedrooms, offices, living rooms, and heat-sensitive rooms. |
| Dedicated IR endpoint | eRemote HA | Sends local IR commands through Home Assistant MQTT. | AC, fan, TV, purifier, heater, and other remote-controlled appliances. |
| Presence + IR room control | eMotion Pro | Pairs room presence with built-in IR for AC, fan, or TV scenes. | Rooms where presence and remote control should share one device. |
| Flexible battery presence | eMotion Air | Adds renter-friendly presence context where cables or outlets are difficult. | Small apartments, pet areas, hallways, and temporary room tests. |
| Visible room control | iSG Display Max | Shows room mode, comfort status, and manual override. | Family rooms and rooms where non-technical users need quick control. |
Home Assistant Helpers to Create
Readable helpers keep the system maintainable. Start with a few clear states instead of building one giant automation that is hard to debug.
| Helper | Type | Purpose | Example decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| comfort_mode | input_select | Normal, sleep, away, guest, pet, or heatwave mode. | Use different thresholds at night or when guests are home. |
| room_presence_stable | binary_sensor / template | Presence remains active long enough to count as occupied. | Do not turn AC off during short still periods. |
| room_temperature | sensor | Tracks temperature from the room comfort source. | Start cooling only after the threshold stays high. |
| room_humidity | sensor | Tracks humidity so comfort logic is not temperature-only. | Use fan or dehumidifier scenes when humidity rises. |
| comfort_override | input_boolean | Allows a person to pause or hold the current comfort scene. | Do not override manual AC changes for a set period. |
Build the Automation Flow
Choose one room first
Start with the room where comfort complaints are most common: bedroom, office, living room, or pet area. Keep the first flow narrow and measurable.
Calibrate comfort readings
Place the temperature and humidity source where people actually experience the room, not behind a hot appliance or next to direct sunlight.
Add stable presence
Require mmWave presence to remain active for a short period before changing climate behavior. This avoids rapid toggling when someone passes through.
Send local IR commands
Use eMotion Ultra, eMotion Pro, or eRemote HA to send AC, fan, purifier, or dehumidifier commands locally through Home Assistant.
Expose manual override
Show comfort mode and override on a dashboard, especially when the automation controls AC or fan behavior that people notice immediately.
Example Comfort Decision Logic
IF comfort_mode is normal AND room_presence_stable is on AND temperature is above target AND humidity is above comfort range THEN: send local IR command to AC or fan hold comfort scene for 20 minutes show active comfort mode on the dashboard IF room is empty for a stable delay AND temperature is within safe range THEN: move AC or fan to eco mode keep pet or sleep exceptions active IF manual override is on THEN: pause automatic IR changes keep monitoring temperature and humidity resume after the override timer ends
Scenario Matrix
| Scenario | Trigger | Best response | Related guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom sleep comfort | Presence active + humidity or temperature drifting. | Use a quieter AC or fan command and extend the empty-room delay. | Sleep mode automation |
| Heatwave protection | Temperature remains high even after cooling starts. | Escalate to stronger cooling, dashboard warning, or human notification. | Heatwave automation guide |
| Pet care comfort | Pet care mode + unsafe temperature range. | Keep a safe comfort range without aggressive empty-room shutdown. | Pet care automation |
| Home office focus | Desk presence + temperature drift. | Adjust AC or fan without changing the whole-home mode. | Focus mode automation |
| Vacation energy saving | No stable presence + away mode. | Use a safe eco range instead of turning everything fully off. | Vacation mode automation |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not rely on temperature alone. Humidity and presence change the correct response.
- Do not turn AC off immediately when a room looks empty. Use a delay and safety range.
- Do not let automations fight manual remote changes. Add an override helper.
- Do not hide comfort state from the family. Put the current mode on a dashboard.
- Do not make heatwave logic the only comfort logic. Keep a normal all-season profile too.
Internal Links for the Full Comfort Stack
Use these related guides when you expand the setup beyond one room:
- Home Assistant AC Automation with IR Blaster and Presence Sensors
- Home Assistant Heatwave Automation Guide with Presence, Temperature and IR Control
- Best Home Assistant Integrations for Local Smart Homes in 2026
- Local Control Smart Home Guide for Home Assistant: Presence, IR and RF
- Presence Sensor Troubleshooting for Home Assistant
- Meet HomeClaw: The Private AI Gateway for Home Assistant
FAQ
Can Home Assistant automate temperature and humidity together?
Yes. Home Assistant can combine temperature, humidity, presence, mode helpers, and local IR commands so a room responds to comfort conditions instead of a fixed schedule.
Why use mmWave presence for comfort automation?
mmWave presence helps Home Assistant know whether a room is still occupied when someone is sitting, sleeping, working, or watching TV. That prevents short still periods from turning into false empty-room decisions.
What does eMotion Ultra include for this setup?
eMotion Ultra includes 60GHz mmWave presence sensing, supports a temperature and humidity sensor cable, and has built-in IR capability for local appliance control.
When should I use eRemote HA instead?
Use eRemote HA when you need a dedicated Home Assistant MQTT IR endpoint for AC, fan, TV, purifier, or other remote-controlled appliances.
Should I publish this as a heatwave-only automation?
No. Keep heatwave rules as one scenario, but maintain a normal comfort profile for everyday temperature, humidity, sleep, pet care, and home office routines.
Safety note: climate automations should preserve manual override and safe temperature limits. Do not let an automation force risky heating, cooling, or appliance states without human review.
Build a Local Comfort Automation Stack
Start with HomeClaw as the local Home Assistant gateway, add eMotion Ultra for 60GHz presence plus temperature/humidity context, and use local IR control for the appliances people already own.