Bosch Washer-Dryer Remote Start problem - reported to Bosch but is it true for everyone?

[ando2040]

Hi, great integration. I installed it in the hope that it will help me get to the bottom of a problem but unfortunately the API is more restricted than the Home Connect App has access to. However it does allow me to graphically show the issue and ask if anyone else has it!

According to the manual, and Bosch themselves, Remote Start should stay active for 24 hours unless:

• Start/pause pressed
• Appliance switched off or power lost (even if power restored)
• door opened (both safety regulations - child or animal could have got inside)

Unfortunately, when the program reaches 100%, Remote Start disengages. This is not supposed to happen but I can prove it does:

Note that I accidentally left the door open the night before and never got around to going back to the machine - at least it proves the chart works and remote start stays on!

My use case is an overnight wash in Silent - 800 spin (sadly, Silent is only a sensor in the integration/API, I can't set it here).
I then want to start a 1400 spin when I wake up.
I don't want to visit the machine - I shouldn't have to because remote start is enabled!

So, please could some people with a washer press remote start, run a wash - it doesn't need to be started remotely - and run this chart (you will need to substitute your sensor names obviously) to prove that remote start works properly on their washer or is the same as mine? Ideally add the model in the chart title (mine is wdu8h541gb) and post a screenshot? Thanks!

type: custom:apexcharts-card
header:
  show: true
  title: Bosch Serie8 Washer-Dryer (wdu8h541gb)
  show_states: true
  colorize_states: true
series:
  - entity: binary_sensor.bosch_wdu8h541gb_xxxxxxx_bsh_common_status_doorstate
    transform: 'return x === "on" ? 100 : 0;'
    name: DoorState
    type: area
    color: red
    opacity: 0.2
    stroke_width: 0
    curve: stepline
    show:
      legend_value: false
      in_header: false
      name_in_header: false
      datalabels: false
  - entity: >-
      binary_sensor.bosch_wdu8h541gb_yyyyyyy_bsh_common_status_remotecontrolstartallowed
    transform: 'return x === "on" ? 100 : 0;'
    name: RemoteControlStartAllowed
    type: area
    color: grey
    opacity: 0.2
    stroke_width: 0
    curve: stepline
    show:
      legend_value: false
      in_header: false
      name_in_header: false
      datalabels: false
  - entity: sensor.bosch_wdu8h541gb_zzzzzzzzz_bsh_common_option_programprogress
    name: ProgramProgress
    type: area
    color: blue
    opacity: 0.2
    stroke_width: 0
    curve: stepline
    show:
      legend_value: false
      in_header: false
      name_in_header: false
      datalabels: false
yaxis:
  - min: 0
    max: 100
    show: false

EDIT: if you haven't got ApexCharts-Card, you won't regret installing it: https://github.com/RomRider/apexcharts-card

I will send any screenshots I receive to Bosch, as they've known about this for a month now but haven't given me an update.

[ekutner]

My experience has been that once a wash cycle ends the machine enters a limited state in which almost nothing works until you open the door. In the API states it will show a "Finished" status. Only once you open the door the state changes to "Ready" and then you can start another cycle, which will require enabling remote start again. Are you saying the app allows you to just trigger another cycle after one finishes without opening the door in between?

[ando2040]

What I'm saying is that either

1. the manual is wrong - I think this is most likely but Bosch support are defending the manual as correct!
2. remote start is pointless because you have to visit the machine to complete the next action - you could have simply set a delay and it would have had the same effect.

Unfortunately your experience is backing up 2) but if they continue defending the manual, we might get it fixed!

Please do run the chart and post your screenshot with model number so I can prove to them it's not just me.

[ekutner]

I think they are misreading their own manual. I believe that the documentation refers to limitations on how long it will stay engaged if you don't use it to start a program remotely. The only real use I could ever find for the remote start feature is to let a program start based on dynamic power pricing, where that is applicable, so basically, you don't just set a timer but wait for the price of power to go down to a specific value and only then start it.

[ando2040]

I don't think the manual can be misread - it's too short, it can only be missing the "program completed" condition. Here is a screenshot.

If they tell me the manual is wrong I will ask for a refund, as this was my only reason for buying the expensive serie8 (as you say, there's very little real use for remote start otherwise - the English word is "a gimmick", assuming you are German, "eine Spielerei!")

[ando2040]

"The only real use I could ever find for the remote start feature is to let a program start based on dynamic power pricing..."

Really interestingly (sllightly off topic alert!), Home Connect claim that they can use IFTTT to do exactly this. https://www.home-connect.com/global/works-with/connected-devices-services/ifttt

Unfortunately that doesn't work either! It's how I got into Home Assistant because IFTTT would have been easier. Two reasons:

1. The ElectricityMaps integration for Great Britain just fires at 2030 every evening regardless of actual carbon intensity. So no better than a timer. I also tried Octopus Agile on IFTTT which was broken altogether (though they may have fixed it now)
2. I connected Home Connect to IFTTT and it doesn't offer any devices! "no options available" see screenshot

But, thanks again for your integration which worked first time, even though I was disappointed with the function Home Connect keep on their private API - for instance they can tell me the machine is dealing with a high foam condition and extending the program - but that's apparently not exposed on the public API. I was hoping that other reasons the wash duration is being lengthened could be captured (like imbalanced load, which tends to require a second spin but the app doesn't alert you) - however sadly not.

So all I can conclude is that Home Connect is unfinished, poorly coded, or "eine Spielerei!"

[ando2040]

I've done two programs today (both Eco) - one was shortened massively near the beginning, the second was shortened slightly then extended again near the end. I'd like to know why but the public API doesn't tell me. Still, this is interesting and I might be able to write an automation to alert me....

[ando2040]

The extension near the end probably was an unbalanced load, because the contents were wetter than normal! So I was alerted and didn't remove anything - just stuck my hand in, confirmed wet and then set a new program. So, if I manage an automation on a change in program length during spin I'll post it. Sadly, due to this silly undocumented remote start issue, I can't automatically start a new spin...

[ekutner]

🤷‍♂️ good luck