'Iboost Max Import Boost Price' variable in Config file keeps randomly/periodically setting back to default value of 1000.0p/kWh

[bengy70]

I use the iBoost functionality and set the 'Iboost Max Import Boost Price' variable in the config file to 10p.
This worked all through the summer with NO issues and this variable remained at 10p.

With the latest version of Predbat 8.32.14 (also possibly with earlier versions over the past few months ?) something has changed either in Predbat functionality that I have not caught up with yet ( if this is the case, I apologise) OR a bug has been introduced that periodically/randomly keeps resetting this variable back to the default of 1000.0p !

I am having trouble pinning down the exact trigger for this occurrence, even after a HA restart or new version of Predbat it is OK, then check next day and it is back to the default of 1000.0p
No other user adjustable variables in the Config file, appear to be changing in this way.

Advice needed as to why this one variable is apparently being changed - is it a change in Predbat functionality (that I have missed) OR a genuine bug ?

[gcoan]

@bengy70 if you want to have any hope of this being investigated you need to supply more information as per the issue template:

• logfile
• evidence of this entity changing value
• debug file
• detailed description of what is going wrong, and when

[bengy70]

gcoan - normally the log/debug files would be a great idea BUT this happens so sporadically that the log file and debug file could both be very long and not necessarily contain ANY relevant information in order to debug the problem.

I can however explain the problem in more detail -
I use iboost to turn on an immersion heater to heat the HW cylinder instead of gas when the import rates are low (comparable to gas tariff) particularly in the summer. The automation is triggered by the iBoost Active signal from Predbat. For the automation to work Iboost enable is set to TRUE and then when the import rate is BELOW the value set in 'Iboost Max Import Boost Price' (set by me at 10p/kWh) the automation runs and the immersion heater heats up the HW cylinder.

The problem occurs when my set value of 10p/kWh keeps being sporadically replaced by the default value of 1000p/kWh - now the automation runs ALL the time unless the import tariff goes above 1000p/kWh - which is very very unlikely !

On a side note - do I recollect correctly that the default was initially set at 100p/kWh (maybe early 2025 ?) not 1000p/kWh - 100p seems sensible as it encompasses the top rate of the Agile tariff, 1000p/kWh just seems way too high in a domestic environment where iboost would be used ?
I would welcome your comments - perhaps there is a valid explanation ( I have missed) for this very high value ?

Hopefully you can see the problem I am having - iboost turning on sporadically due to this problem has only started happening over the last few months, so either something in the Iboost funtionality has changed (that I am not aware of, and this is changing this iboost variable) or this variable is not being restored correctly following one or more Predbat software updates.
This all worked absolutely fine throughout the summer with out any problems at all. As I say all the other variables I have changed in the Config file appear to have 'stuck'.

Hope this all helps - as I say it is not obvious to me at all, when this happens or what event exactly is causing the default value for 'iBoost Max Import Boost Price' to be restored.

[gcoan]

I'm a bit confused by the above

I use the iBoost functionality and set the 'Iboost Max Import Boost Price' variable in the config file to 10p.

the setting I think you are using is input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold which is a HA config entity, not in a file
https://springfall2008.github.io/batpred/customisation/#iboost-energy-rate-filtering

I have checked the code, and the default for this is 1000, same for export threshold, not 100 as it says in the documentation so I will change the code to default to 100.

It sounds like the entity is being reset to its default value sometimes. A history graph showing this entity changing would really help alongwith a predbat log for the time when the entity changes value would really help

[bengy70]

You are right, the exact HA config entity I am using is - input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_filtering BUT in predbat Config it has a label name of 'iboost Max Import Boost Price'. I am just using the label name in my text above. I cannot find a specific Predbat Config file but I am assuming that the Config data must be stored somewhere ?
I will attempt to get a history graph and log if/when this happens - for the last 24 hrs all is fine and the variable has not been reset !

[gcoan]

The control entity is definitely input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold and has the friendly name 'iBoost max import boost price'

https://springfall2008.github.io/batpred/customisation/#iboost-energy-rate-filtering

I have checked the code and there is nothing called input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_filtering so if you have that then its not a Predbat entity, maybe its a helper entity you have created?

Looking at the code, it internally sets self.iboost_rate_threshold to 9999 when Predbat initialises, and Predbat then sets self.iboost_rate_threshold to whatever is set in input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold

I don't see anywhere in the code where predbat updates the threshold, it only ever uses the internal self.iboost_rate_threshold as previously read from input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold

[bengy70]

Sorry, it is a typo by me - it should be (as you say) - input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold
Anyway to help matters I have now set up an HA automation to catch the change when/if it next occurs !

[gcoan]

Sorry, it is a typo by me - it should be (as you say) - input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold

Please pay attention, I wasted quite a bit of time trying to find the entity you were claiming was getting reset, looking at the code, the documentation, writing a detailed reply. Multiply that up by the number of github questions received a day, its lot of time

Await further evidence of when this occurs

thanks

[bengy70]

I can now confirm that the HA variable 'input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold' is being reset from my value of 10p/kWh back to the default of 1000p/kWh following an HA restart.
However it is not deterministic - once I had spotted this, I tried to repeat the problem by carrying out multiple HA restarts.
Of 7 restarts (staggered in time) 4 of them resulted in the problem BUT 3 did not !
Hope this helps for you to move forward on this bug .

[gcoan]

I can now confirm that the HA variable 'input_number.predbat_iboost_rate_threshold' is being reset from my value of 10p/kWh back to the default of 1000p/kWh following an HA restart.

logfile?

history of the sensor with some annotations of when you did restarts?

I'm not being difficult but you are providing little information and assuming we can fix it based on your description of what is happening. There's a detailed set of instructions of what is required in the issue template ....

[bengy70]

predbat.log
I have attached the log file - the restart occurred about 12:24:35 pm today.
I have attached a picture of the history (from Predbat) as I am not sure where the download for this is ?
I do not understand why the history shows 1000p/kWh across the whole day when it was clearly set to 10p/kWh before 12:24 pm today ?
Hope this all helps.
I am assuming that you have a lab environment using Predbat And HA - if so, can you replicate the issue when randomly resetting HA ?