---
okf: "0.1"
type: service
visibility: private
status: active
updated: 2026-07-17
links: []
---

# Gree IR Blaster

ESPHome firmware for a Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) driving a Gree air conditioner
over IR, exposed to Home Assistant via the native ESPHome API (no MQTT, no
Broadlink, no Tuya).

## Hardware

- Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266)
- Grove IR Emitter
- Grove IR Receiver

### Wiring

| Grove module | Pin | Wemos D1 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| IR Emitter | SIG | D5 |
| IR Emitter | VCC | 5V |
| IR Emitter | GND | GND |
| IR Receiver | SIG | D6 |
| IR Receiver | VCC | **3V3** — not 5V, ESP8266 GPIO is not 5V-tolerant |
| IR Receiver | GND | GND |

## Home Assistant / deployment model

HA on piha runs as the `home-assistant:stable` Docker container, not HAOS, so
ESPHome is **not** installed as an add-on. It runs as a one-off container via
`docker compose run --rm` — there is no ESPHome daemon on piha. Compile/flash
is a manual, operator-triggered action; this device is intentionally **not**
registered in `hosts/piha/services.yaml`.

Once flashed, the device advertises itself via mDNS and shows up as a
discoverable ESPHome device in Home Assistant (Settings → Devices & Services
→ Add Integration → ESPHome).

## First flash (USB)

1. Copy `secrets.yaml.example` to `secrets.yaml` and fill in `wifi_ssid`,
   `wifi_password`, `fallback_password`.
2. Wire the board as above and plug it into piha via USB.
3. Run:
   ```
   ./deploy.sh --usb
   ```
   This flashes over `/dev/ttyUSB0`.

## Subsequent flashes (OTA)

Once the device is on WiFi, redeploy without `--usb`:
```
./deploy.sh
```
This runs `docker compose run --rm esphome run gree-ir-blaster.yaml`, which
flashes over the network via the ESPHome OTA protocol.

## Identifying the Gree protocol variant

The `climate: platform: gree` component needs a `model:` matching your AC's
remote protocol. `gree-ir-blaster.yaml` currently ships with `model: yan` as
a starting guess — this is **not verified** and must be confirmed against the
actual remote.

To identify the correct variant:

1. Flash the firmware and let the device boot (WiFi connected).
2. Tail the logs:
   ```
   docker compose run --rm esphome logs gree-ir-blaster.yaml
   ```
3. Point the physical Gree remote at the Grove IR Receiver and press a button
   (e.g. power on, or change temperature). `dump: all` on `remote_receiver`
   causes ESPHome to log the raw/decoded IR data it captured.
4. Compare the decoded output against the known Gree variants supported by
   ESPHome and pick the closest match:
   - `generic`
   - `yan`
   - `yaa`
   - `yac`
   - `yac1fb9`
   - `yx1ff`
   - `yag`
5. Update `model:` in `gree-ir-blaster.yaml` to the matching variant, then
   redeploy (`./deploy.sh`) and verify the AC responds correctly to commands
   sent from Home Assistant (power, mode, temperature, fan speed).

If none of the variants behave correctly, capture the raw IR dumps and check
the ESPHome `gree` component issue tracker / docs for newer variants.
