Add sensor to water meter?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Add sensor to water meter?

TommySharp

135 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 14

ID Verified

#233488 18-Apr-2018 10:38

Looks like Watercare have installed me a nice new water meter and it looks like it has a pulse output which I should be able to connect this to....

http://www.johnsonvalves.co.uk/shop/t110-pulse-probe/

Anyone done this to be able to get water usage showing up in their home automation system?

I've already done it with my power meter which has a light that "pulses" on the front. I have a sensor and ESP8266 that counts the pulses and converts this to energy usage. I then serve that up in my OpenHAB system.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1998877 18-Apr-2018 18:54

Bit of a sideways answer, but I just got a known-to-work pulse-counting meter off ebay and used that rather than trying to connect up whatever Watercare may have installed. I'm using it with a Fluksometer, which also does power and, if I had it, gas.

TommySharp

135 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 14

ID Verified

#1998957 18-Apr-2018 20:27

Thanks, do you have a link or anything? If I were to add my own meter I'd probably add 2 so I can also track the amount of water going through the Rheem hot water gas heater.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1999650 20-Apr-2018 02:20

TommySharp:
Thanks, do you have a link or anything? If I were to add my own meter I'd probably add 2 so I can also track the amount of water going through the Rheem hot water gas heater.

It was some years ago and I can't remember the exact seller, I just found one on eBay from a seller in Germany and fitted it into the house water main, something like this.

Aredwood

3885 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1749

#1999661 20-Apr-2018 08:03

Have you tried simply placing a reed switch on the side of the Watercare meter to see if you can get a pulse output that way?

That official reed switch that you linked to is mainly for use in remote reading systems. As it can be fixed in place with a tamper evident seal. As removing the reed switch in such systems allows people to steal water.

I'm assuming that you don't intend your home automation system to be used for say billing tenants for water use.