Ive been poking around the forum and have a few ideas already, but wanted to post here to see if anyone has any better ideas. Currently considering a gas meter and water meter with pulse output hooked up to a ESP32 or NodeMCU running ESPHome.
Meters I am considering
https://www.amazon.com/EKM-Metering-Remote-Readable-Bundle/dp/B09F86TGWQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2QL6THDT85HG8&keywords=pulse+output+gas+meter&qid=1706632027&sprefix=gas+meter+pul%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-5
Currently renovating a house in a rural area in the Midwest USA. We will have power and fiber internet from a local utility company, but water, septic, and gas are on us. We currently have a standard well and septic tank setup. Gas is a 500 Gallon LP tank that a local company comes and tops off every month. So im not so much concerned about propane level in the tank, as much as I am usage over time. But tank level tracking would be nice.
I would like to be able to track LP usage to better estimate my costs and eliminate surprises.
On to the constraints: I don’t technically “own” the physical propane tank. Its provided to us under the contract we have with the propane company. So I would like to stay away from any modifications to the tank itself. This is what lead me to a meter. I can have it installed up near the house which also solves any power and data concerns.
For the water system, I am looking at a water filter and treatment system (midwest well water is super hard) as the house doesnt have one yet. I would like to track water usage, mostly because Im a nerd and I want to, lol, but also this would help me track replacement and servicing intervals on my filtration system. I am also thinking a water meter here would work, but Im curious if anyone has a filter or softener that already tracks usage so I wouldnt have to get a separate meter.