Commercial 2 wires rain sensor converted to smart sensor with Shelly d/w

Share your Projects!
1

Hi this is my first post in this section.
I’d like to share my idea to convert a commercial rain sensor, like Hunter, orbit, toro, etc… into a smart rain sensor using a little hack to Shelly d/w magnetic sensor.

Sorry for my english, my tutorial is in italian but very simple to understand thanks to images.

Link to my italian version: Sensore di pioggia commerciale + Shelly door sensor + MQTT + Home Assistant - Domotica DIY

Here material used:

Final result:

immagine
immagine1200×900 546 KB

Step 1:

Put your sensor at position, not too fair to your wifi signal router

immagine
immagine1200×900 513 KB

Step 2

Put your IP67 box closer to sensor rain

immagine
immagine640×853 235 KB

Step 3:

Open your Shelly door/window sensor and solder 2 little wires to this 2 points:

immagine
immagine1200×650 160 KB
immagine
immagine1200×900 245 KB
immagine
immagine1200×900 475 KB

Step 4:

Insert 2 CR123A battery and try if LED response to contact:

Step 5:

Connect Shelly inside your IP67 box:

immagine
immagine800×856 372 KB

Step 6:

Now you can connect sensor to your Home Assistant like this, and use it for your automation:

binary_sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "shellies/shellydw-xxxxxx/sensor/state"
    name: "Shelly Door/Window Sensor"
    payload_on: 'open'
    payload_off: 'close'
    qos: 0
    device_class: moisture

Full italian guide Sensore di pioggia commerciale + Shelly door sensor + MQTT + Home Assistant - Domotica DIY

1 Like
2

Wouldn’t moisture be a better device class than door?

3

Commercial rain sensor were projected for this job… i’ll prefer using this one for my project (i was this sensor on my original Hunter ECO system and in this way I can reuse it) instead a 1$ cheap made in china sensor…

4

I think you misunderstand me. I mean change to this:

binary_sensor:
  - platform: mqtt
    state_topic: "shellies/shellydw-xxxxxx/sensor/state"
    name: "Shelly Door/Window Sensor"
    payload_on: 'open'
    payload_off: 'close'
    qos: 0
    device_class: moisture ### <---better device class choice ###
5

ops sorry. you are right! Edited now. thanks

1 Like
6

It’s an interesting sensor. I had not seen that sort of expanding disc sensor before. Unfortunately it’s lowest setting appears to be 1/8’’ (3mm). I find that 1mm is enough for me to stop my watering schedule.

7

Hey there, that really looks interesting. Do you get only Open and close feedback or does this show some kind of waterlevel as well? And would it possibly work with xiaomi sensors as well?

8

The Shelly door sensor has other binary_sensor like vibration, lux, battery … you can see full list on my italian guide (but i think they are useless for rain sensor project (apart battery))

Yes I have made the same guide also for xiaomi aqara sensor using zigbee here: https://www.domoticadiy.it/2020/04/sensore-di-pioggia-commerciale-zigbee2mqtt-home-assistant/

1 Like
9

The sensor is a voltage free contact that is triggered by discs that expand as they absorb water. This particular one can be set (mechanically) to trip at varying levels, 1/8", 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" or 1" of rainfall. So no, there is no water level as such but the binary output can be set to trigger at an adjustable level.

1 Like
10

Hello, in the New version of shelly door window 2, the pcb board is different, what points have to weld??

gpio
gpio1366×830 124 KB

11

IMG_0735
IMG_07351366×830 120 KB

1 Like
12

Thanks. Next week project.

13

Hi. Anyone using this can say how long the battery last? Thanks!