Sensor Definitions

This page provides detailed explanations of all sensors, controls, and entities available on the WaterFlowKit. Use this as a reference to understand what each value means and how to use it.

Source Code: View the complete ESPHome configuration on GitHub

Quick Navigation

• Water Flow Sensors
• Water Temperature Sensors
• Environment Sensors
• Device Controls
• Diagnostic Entities
• LED Indicators

Water Flow Sensors

The WaterFlowKit supports:

• WaterFlowKit V1: up to 2 flow sensors
• WaterFlowKit V2: up to 4 flow sensors

Each connected sensor provides flow rate and total volume entities.

📖 ESPHome Documentation: Pulse Counter

Flow Rate (L/min)

Total Volume (L)

How It Works

The sensors use a turbine mechanism:

1. Water flows through the sensor, spinning an internal turbine
2. The turbine generates electrical pulses
3. Each pulse represents a specific volume of water
4. The WaterFlowKit counts pulses and calculates flow rate

Sensor Type and Calibration

The firmware converts pulses to liters with the Flow1 Sensor Type setting of each input (default YF-B1 / YF-B7). Fine-tune with Flow1 Calibration % (50-150%, default 100). See Usage Guide: Calibration.

Pulse Formulas by Sensor Model

F = frequency (Hz), Q = flow rate (L/min)

Water Temperature Sensors

Available on YF-B7 and YF-B6 sensor models only.

📖 ESPHome Documentation: NTC Sensor

Technical Details

The temperature sensors are NTC thermistors integrated into the flow sensors:

sensor:
  - platform: ntc
    id: flow1_water_temperature
    sensor: resistance_sensor
    calibration:
      b_constant: 3950
      reference_temperature: 25°C
      reference_resistance: 50kOhm
    name: Flow1 Water Temperature

Specifications

• Range: 0°C to +80°C
• Accuracy: ±0.5°C
• Sensor type: NTC thermistor (50kOhm @ 25°C, B=3950)

Use Cases

• Monitor hot water system efficiency
• Detect water heater issues
• Track solar water heater performance
• Verify hot/cold water mixing
• Heat pump monitoring (supply/return temperatures)

Environment Sensors

The WaterFlowKit includes an HDC1080 sensor for ambient temperature and humidity monitoring.

📖 ESPHome Documentation: HDC1080

Technical Details

sensor:
  - platform: hdc1080
    temperature:
      name: "Temperature"
      filters:
        offset: -4.5
    humidity:
      name: "Humidity"
      filters:
        offset: 12
    update_interval: 60s

Default Offsets

The firmware applies calibration offsets by default:

• Temperature: -4.5°C offset
• Humidity: +12% offset

These can be adjusted if your readings don't match a reference.

Use Cases

• Monitor conditions in meter cabinet
• Detect moisture issues
• Track environment where pipes are located

Device Controls

Switches

Settings

Buttons

Diagnostic Entities

Connection Status

Network Information

Version Information

System

LED Indicators

The WaterFlowKit has 3 LED colors:

Entity Naming Convention

All entities follow this naming pattern:

sensor.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_[sensor_name]
switch.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_[switch_name]

a1b2c3 stands for the last six characters of your device's MAC address. Always copy the exact ID from the entity in Home Assistant.

For example:

• sensor.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_flow1_current_water_usage
• sensor.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_flow1_total_consumption
• sensor.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_flow1_water_temperature
• sensor.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_temperature
• sensor.waterflowkit_a1b2c3_humidity

Calibration

If your sensor readings don't match expected values, select the right sensor type and adjust the calibration percentage in Home Assistant.

Each input has its own Sensor Type selector and Calibration % control: Flow1 and Flow2 on V1, Flow1 to Flow4 on V2.

🔧 Calibration Guide: See Usage Guide: Calibration for step-by-step instructions.

ESPHome Configuration

For advanced users who want to customize the WaterFlowKit firmware:

🔧 Advanced Configuration: See Usage Guide: ESPHome Configuration for details.

Need Help?

• Usage Guide: Monitoring & automations
• Troubleshooting: Common issues
• FAQ: Frequently asked questions
• Discord: Community support