homeassistant

Multiple waterproof 4k cameras pointed at the inside of your shower from every angle.

Don't forget to use Wifi and no firewall

Made a flowchart for you:

< Do you feel wet? >  
     |  
     +-- yes --> < are you indoors? >  
     |                |  
     |                +-- yes --> < are you wearing pants? >  
     |                |                      |  
     |                |                      +-- yes --> [ you peed yourself ]  
     |                |                      |  
     |                |                      +-- no --> [ you're taking a shower ]  
     |                |  
     |                +-- no --> [ it's raining ]  
     |  
     +-- no --> [ you are not taking a shower ]  

You could use a classic dead man switch: Place several buttons around the whole place - basically everywhere except in the shower. Once you stop pressing any of these buttons for - let's say - 30 seconds you can assume you're taking a shower.

Without trying something similar yet, here are some ideas:

• motion sensor on top of your shower
• trying to detect the vibration of the water flow
• a simple switch that you hit before you get into the shower

If you have a shower cubicle, could you put a door open sensor on it, and assume you're showering if the door is closed? I think it's normal to leave the doir open when not in use. It would probably also work if you had a shower curtain, so long as you always pulled it all the way closed in use.

I would just go with special button, the most straightforward simple solution you have direct control over. Also sometimes you might need to use the shower without mood lights and then system based on humidity or water flow will just be annoyance.

If you use some tools when showering, like brush or spung, you can make a contact sensor into the hook/holder (more work, probably need a custom 3D print), but should also work and you don't need to press anything

I experimented with a humidity sensor in the shower and was surprised how quickly it spiked. It's how I woud do it: Other option would be a leak sensor in the basin but getting it to turn off at the right time would be very hard. You have a lot more control over this with a humidity sensor.

@batshit I tend to use the fact that I'm naked and wet as my cues.

How about a simple on off toggle inside your shower handle? Stupid simple and works anytime the waters turned on.

Are u nekkid, but warm, and wet? You're in the shower.

I bet you can rig up something microphone-based, there's tons of software nowadays for analyzing audio, and you don't need to run the analyzing software on the device with the microphone anyway. Though the analyzing would likely take a little bit longer that you'd want it to.

I'm using just humidity and its working great. I put the sensor away from my sink so it isn't triggered by washing my hands.

This will only consider you showering if humidity goes 9% above the 1hr average humidity:

You need a 'Statistics' Helper, call it "Average Bathroom Humidity" and base it on whatever humidity sensor you have. Make it "average linear" then set Max Age to 1 hour. (leave other options default)

Make this Template Binary Sensor called "Showering":

{{ (states('sensor.bathroom_sensor_humidity')|float - states('sensor.average_bathroom_humidity')|float) > 9 }}

This is a fun question.

I have to assume the absolute ideal would be some sort of water flow detection right in line with the shower head. Likely hard wired. But like I said, that’s an ideal.

I think the other suggestions in the thread are reasonable. The microphone one seems most appealing to me since that could theoretically just occupy an outlet anywhere in the room.

I would use something like this to measure water usage in combination with an presence sensor in the shower stall. Water flowing + someone present in shower stall = someone taking a shower.

If you have a shower door: use a door/window sensor (on the outside). Trigger the mood light if the door was open for only a couple of seconds.

Still more complicated than hitting a switch, tho, IMHO.

Flowmeter on the shower head or down in the supply lines to the tub/shower?

I use a humidity sensor, motion sensor and a helper that shows the change over a period of time. If the humidity raises fast and goes over a certain amount (unique, depending on your room's climate) the bathroom automation changes tracks to hold the light at 100%, turn the extractor fan on, and well, how you stop the automation depends on you. I let it stay on for 15 minutes before waiting for motion. Small tips: Motion sensors typically use IR to see movement. If the room is too steamy it might struggle to see you. Also, it cannot penetrate glass. It must have a line of sight to you.

The best alt I think would be mmwave presence sensors, but they're pricy and require a wired connection.

Crossposted from showerthoughts

Not sure if you have access to the pipes leading to the shower, but the droplet does what you're looking to do.

https://hydrificwater.com/

OK, assuming your switch is also smart

Option 1: long-press/double function turns on both light and fan, that triggers an "I am going to shower" 5 minute delay where a humidity sensor senses when it is over and keeps the fan on until humidity is stabilized with the rest of the house.

Option 2: get a smart flow meter instead of a smart valve. Then you have useful statistics for shower water usage in addition to an instantaneous status. This has the side effect of the mood lighting turning on "late"

Option 3: get one or make an esphome + LD2410S on battery or plugged in close by, nobody goes in the shower for more than like 10 seconds without showering

Option 4: Time of Flight sensor outside of the shower pointing in to tell when the door/curtain is closed. If the ToF sensor is (for example) between 1.1m and 1.2m, the door/curtain is closed

@batshit Don't you notice getting wet? ;)

Seriously though, couldn't you use a water leak sensor for this? Just make sure if it has a speaker to disconnect that, unless you like a loud beeping found when you shower.

Vibration sensor that detects when water starts flowing through the shower head

@batshit I use a derivative of a humidity sensor, it works well enough and is really simple to set up.

I would go for a simple humidity sensor. You just need to do a bit of data collection first to get a baseline of "what taking a shower usually looks like" and then based on that create the automation.

The only problem with that is that depending on how accurate you want it to be, you may have to wait a while to take a few measurements until it triggers the automation.

For something like mood lights I would just use a ZigBee switch if I'm being honest though.

Motion sensor or light switch.

There are so many variables at play here.