Hi there,
i have this mechanical meter from my water company and i was wondering if i could read the water consumption out of it from what it seems to be a pulse output. I just can’t find which kind of meter is this and which kind of sensor it needs.
I already tried with a “magnetic sensor” but it doesn’t detect anything as it seems not to be a spinning metal wheel.
Any suggestion/help?
Thanks!
These tend to be a spinning magnet so something like a LoRaWAN radio can be clipped on.
A reed switch might work, but my assumption is the pro kit uses a Hall-Effect sensor.
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Ciao Giuseppe,
this is an analogic meter so from my point of view can be possible to collect water consumption only with system with image recognition.
I’ve similar meter in my house and I’ve implemented an easy project that use ESP32-CAM and AI. See link below.
https://jomjol.github.io/AI-on-the-edge-device-docs/
Check the docs to understand if your meter model is compatible with this system.
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Dirty, but looks like IR pulse output. Try if you can see pulse with your phone camera. If yes, you need IR-phototransistor or readymade optical sensor.
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Hi i already tried with this kind of sensor (3 wire) but i could not see any “pulse”.
Have you any other hall effect example?
Honestly really haven’t tested the IR. I will try later today and report back!
Thanks 
The pulse is very short, might be difficult to notice. And verify with tv remote that your phone camera generally “see” IR, afaik not all do.
I think i can’t see any light while looking at it with the camera opened. My phone generally shows for example i see the light on the iphone IR face recognition camera.
With a macro photo i see a number 2 behind the plastic.
As you can see on other photos there’s a x0,01 indication alongside this “cylinder”. This really suggests me that it is a measurement something.
Think about the application - a dumb mechanical water meter has no power source, just a vane, a set of gears, and a counter.
The only power source is a battery in the optional radio transponder head, which clips onto a water-sealed meter.
Try a small compass to sense a change in field (e.g. N-S-N-S).
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I don’t know that. Many “not so dumb” meters look dummier than they are. Especially when so dirty that you can’t see really anything.
Passive optical output is also option, but OP should see that there’s reflective material passing the window every 10? liters. In that case IR- transmitter/receiver aka “infrared reflective optical sensor” is needed, readily available for pennies.
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That would work, although it does need a clean interface between the meter head and transponder. I’ve seen some pretty grubby water in a meter pit that could obscure optical sensors.
My local water supplier is upgrading Aquadis mechanical meters with LoRaWAN battery-powered modules using the CYBLE target connection standard
https://emea.itron.com/en/products/aquadis-dn15-dn20
CYBLE describes itself as “detection is by change of induction” - which suggests a metal disc rotating under the type of metalic proximity sensor Guiseppe has tried.
This mechanical meter is different with a “part sticking up” which made me think of a spinning magnet - unfortunately, without a makers name or model, it is hard to be sure!
I excluded that because OP didn’t detect anything with magnetic sensor (doesn’t proof anything though) and because under all dirt it looks like optical window.
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Unfortunately there is no manufacturing info on the meter and i think there is really anything more hidden by some of the visible dust.
Could be a wobbling disk type meter also.
See: https://www.badgermeter.com/en-gb/products/meters/nutating-disc/disc-series-meters/
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That’s bad.
So I can only guess from the image that it’s optical window, placeholder for some sensor. Active or passive. x0.01 gives hint to 10l pulse interval. If you have patience, try to observe what’s going on there. At full water flow it would be ~ one minute pulse frequency…
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An alternative is to not look at the meter at all.
Look at the pipe coming into the house from the meter.
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use a non-invasive clamp/strap-on meter
example: ultrasonic transducer UF-2000B / TDS-1002 → ESPHome
$150+
example on aliExpress -
fit an inline meter
example: Hall-effect flow sensor YF-DN25, GEMS, Dwyer → ESP32
about $80? but have to cut into your main line.
Walmart inline
both of these basically output RS485 that can be read
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Your link gives quite confusing result: Description states non-invasive ultrasonic meter with RS485, all images present invasive, oval gear meter with no output (other than display).
Thanks! Yes the alternative i was thinking is to cut the main pipe on my side and place another meter with pulse output also because my water company may soon replace the main meter with a smart digital one.
The ultrasonic one is nice, but i need to check with the size of the pipe since it is pretty big.
If you go with clamp on ultrasonic, make some research and read the reviews carefully. Many of them are inaccurate (if they work).
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Yeah, and the price Is not that different than cut out the pipe and Place another meter.
100€ on AliExpress Is not an expense i world make.