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Home Assistant controls heating through a climate entity exposed by a compatible thermostat or HVAC integration. You select an HVAC mode such as Heat or Off and, when supported, a target temperature. The important distinction is that Heat is a selected operating mode, not proof that the heater is running at this instant. To control a heater that is only switched on and off, Home Assistant’s Generic Thermostat creates thermostat behavior in software from one temperature-sensor entity and one heater-switch entity. Automations can then change the mode or target temperature, while the hvac_action attribute and the “Thermostat started heating” trigger reveal when heating is actually active.
What is a climate entity in Home Assistant?
A climate entity is Home Assistant’s common control surface for supported thermostats, heat pumps, air conditioners, and other HVAC equipment. It gives dashboards and automations a consistent place to read the current temperature, set a target, and select an HVAC mode. The entity is an interface, not a guarantee that every device supports the same controls: the underlying device and integration determine which modes, temperature ranges, presets, and other features appear. See the official climate integration documentation for the platform’s capability model.
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A typical climate entity can expose:
- Current temperature: the value reported by the thermostat or its associated sensor.
- Target temperature: the temperature the device is asked to maintain, when the integration supports setpoints.
- HVAC mode: a selected mode such as
heatoroff; other devices may expose additional modes. - HVAC action: what the equipment is doing now, such as actively heating, when the integration reports that detail.
Because capabilities vary, an automation that works with one climate entity may fail or offer fewer choices with another. Always inspect the entity’s available modes and supported features before building a control sequence.
How does Generic Thermostat control a switch-operated heater?
Generic Thermostat is a software thermostat. It wraps a temperature sensor and a toggle switch in a climate entity, then decides when to turn that switch on or off. It is intended for equipment that can be controlled safely by a compatible switch or relay; it is not a physical thermostat and it does not make an unsuitable electrical connection safe.
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The integration requires two entities:
- A temperature sensor entity that reports the room temperature.
- A heater switch entity that can turn the heating equipment on and off.
In heating mode, Generic Thermostat compares the sensor reading with the target temperature. When the measured temperature is sufficiently below the target, it turns the heater switch on; once the required temperature is reached, it turns the switch off. “Sufficiently” is controlled by the tolerance settings rather than by an assumption that every reading must equal the setpoint exactly.
The integration’s documented controls include:
- Cold tolerance: how far below the target the measured temperature may be before heating starts.
- Hot tolerance: how far above or around the target the system can go before heating stops.
- Minimum and maximum cycle durations: limits that prevent rapid switching or enforce a maximum run time.
- Cooldown: a delay that can keep the heater off for a period after a cycle.
- Keep-alive behavior: periodic commands intended to ensure the switch remains in the expected state.
One Generic Thermostat entity controls one switch. If a room has separate independently switched heaters, each control path needs its own appropriate entity and configuration rather than assuming one thermostat can safely coordinate all of them. The integration’s requirements and options are listed in the Generic Thermostat documentation.
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The hardware depends on whether you already own a device that exposes a climate entity or you are building thermostat behavior around a simple switch.
| Approach | Control model | Required hardware | Who provides thermostat logic? | Tuning and capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Existing compatible thermostat or HVAC device | Home Assistant controls the device-provided climate entity. | A thermostat or HVAC product supported by its Home Assistant integration. | The physical device and its integration. | Modes, setpoints, presets, and actions depend on the device’s supported climate features; see Climate. |
| Generic Thermostat | Home Assistant compares a sensor reading with a target and switches a heater. | One temperature-sensor entity plus one toggle switch or relay that controls the heater. | Home Assistant’s Generic Thermostat integration. | Cold and hot tolerances, cycle limits, cooldown, and keep-alive options are available; one entity controls one switch. See Generic Thermostat. |
For a switch-based installation, choose the product categories rather than a particular brand: an indoor temperature sensor that Home Assistant can read, and a compatible heater-control switch or relay with electrical ratings suitable for the equipment. Confirm that the sensor’s integration and radio network are supported in your installation. Confirm the heater’s voltage, current, inrush, and control requirements before connecting any relay. A generic smart plug or relay is not automatically appropriate for a boiler, furnace, radiant system, or high-load heater; installation and wiring questions require the equipment documentation and a qualified electrician.
How do you set up a Generic Thermostat?
Set up the entities first, then create the software thermostat and tune its switching behavior. The exact screens and available fields can vary with your Home Assistant version and the entities provided by your integrations.
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- Confirm the sensor reading. In Home Assistant, open the temperature-sensor entity and verify that it reports a plausible room temperature and updates reliably. A missing, unavailable, or badly placed sensor will produce poor control regardless of the thermostat settings.
- Confirm the heater switch. Operate the switch manually while observing the real equipment. Verify that the switch changes the intended heater state and that the electrical installation is rated and approved for that load.
- Add Generic Thermostat. Add the Generic Thermostat integration and select the temperature sensor and heater switch when prompted. This creates a new climate entity representing the software thermostat.
- Choose the target and tolerances. Set a target temperature and configure cold and hot tolerances. Use the minimum and maximum cycle, cooldown, and keep-alive options when your equipment needs protection from rapid cycling or long uninterrupted runs.
- Test with supervision. Select heating mode, change the target enough to require a cycle, and watch both the climate entity and the physical heater. Confirm that the switch turns on below the configured threshold and turns off when the target condition is met.
- Give the entity a clear name. A name that identifies the room and function makes later automations safer, especially when several sensors or switches exist.
Do not treat a successful software test as proof that every wiring arrangement is safe. Generic Thermostat only issues commands to the switch entity you select; it cannot detect an incorrectly wired circuit or an actuator that is unsuitable for the heater.
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Automations act on the climate entity, not directly on the temperature sensor. Home Assistant documents separate actions for setting the HVAC mode and the target temperature. The available values depend on the climate entity’s supported features.
Set only the HVAC mode
Use the climate.set_hvac_mode action when a schedule or event should switch between modes without changing the target. The action is documented at climate.set_hvac_mode.
action:
- action: climate.set_hvac_mode
target:
entity_id: climate.living_room
data:
hvac_mode: heatReplace the example entity ID with the climate entity in your installation and use a mode that entity actually supports. Sending an unsupported mode will not make the underlying device gain that capability.
Set a target temperature
Use climate.set_temperature when an automation should apply a new setpoint. The action can optionally change the HVAC mode as part of the same call; if you omit that optional mode, the action can adjust the target while leaving the existing mode in place. See climate.set_temperature.
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action:
- action: climate.set_temperature
target:
entity_id: climate.living_room
data:
temperature: 19
hvac_mode: heatA target-temperature command is a request to the climate integration. Whether the heater starts immediately still depends on the current sensor reading, the selected mode, the thermostat’s tolerance and cycle rules, and the device’s own operating logic.
Build schedules and event responses
Common automation triggers include a time schedule, a presence change, or another sensor event. Keep the action pointed at the climate entity and make the desired mode explicit when the automation must guarantee heating is enabled. If a device has no heating mode, or exposes a different set of features, design the automation around the modes and actions shown by that entity rather than copying an example unchanged.
How do you tell whether the heater is actually heating?
Look beyond the selected HVAC mode. A climate entity set to Heat is prepared to heat, but it may be idle because the room is already warm, a cycle delay is active, or the equipment has not requested heat. The hvac_action attribute describes the current action when the integration provides it.
Home Assistant’s documented Thermostat started heating trigger watches for the start of active heating. It is therefore suitable for actions that should run when heat actually begins, such as recording a heating cycle or coordinating another device. It does not simply fire whenever someone selects Heat mode. The trigger definition is available at Thermostat started heating.
For diagnosis, inspect these values together:
- HVAC mode: whether heating has been selected or disabled.
- Current temperature and target: whether the room is below the requested setpoint.
- HVAC action: whether the integration reports active heating, idle operation, or another action.
- Heater switch state: whether the physical control entity is on or off.
If those values disagree—for example, the switch is on while the climate entity reports no active action—treat it as an integration, device, or wiring problem rather than assuming that Heat mode alone proves normal operation.
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What are the most common control problems?
The heater never turns on
- Check that the climate entity is in a heating mode rather than Off.
- Confirm that the sensor entity is available and its reading is below the target by more than the configured cold tolerance.
- Check that the selected heater switch is available and can be operated manually.
- Look for a minimum-cycle or cooldown rule that is intentionally delaying a new start.
The heater cycles too frequently
Review the cold and hot tolerances and increase the minimum cycle duration if the equipment needs longer runs. A sensor mounted too close to a heat source can also report a misleadingly high temperature; relocate it only in accordance with the sensor and heating-system requirements.
The room overshoots the target
Overshoot can result from a hot-tolerance setting that allows the heater to continue after the target is reached, from residual heat in the equipment, or from a sensor location that does not represent the occupied part of the room. Adjust the documented tolerance and cycle controls gradually, then observe complete heating cycles rather than judging from a single reading.
An automation reports an invalid mode
Read the climate entity’s supported modes and features. Climate integrations do not expose a universal list of controls, so an action copied from another device may name a mode that this entity cannot accept.
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Home Assistant can standardize commands and coordinate schedules, but it cannot remove the constraints of the underlying equipment. A climate integration may expose only a subset of a thermostat’s functions. Generic Thermostat can make a switch follow a sensor and target, but it does not provide the safety controls, fail-safe behavior, or electrical isolation that a purpose-built heating controller may require.
Use the climate entity’s documented features as the contract for automations, and treat the sensor, switch, network, and heater as separate possible failure points. For mains-voltage or fuel-burning systems, obtain professional advice before changing wiring or relying on an automated relay for unattended operation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the target temperature without turning heating on?
Yes. The temperature-setting action accepts a target temperature and can leave the current HVAC mode unchanged when you do not include an optional mode value. That lets a schedule adjust a setpoint while preserving an existing Off, Heat, or other supported mode.
Why does my climate entity show fewer modes than an example?
Modes are supplied by the underlying device integration, not by a universal Home Assistant menu. A thermostat may expose only the functions its firmware and integration support, so an example using additional modes cannot be assumed to apply to your entity.
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What does an unavailable temperature sensor do to Generic Thermostat?
Generic Thermostat depends on a valid sensor entity for every control decision. If that entity stops providing a usable reading, the thermostat cannot reliably determine whether the room is below its target; restore the sensor integration before trusting automatic switching.
Can one climate entity control several separate heaters?
Generic Thermostat is defined around one heater switch per entity. Separate independently switched heaters therefore need separate control entities or another integration designed to coordinate them; do not assume that one switch command safely represents multiple circuits.
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