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Installation Guide

Unboxing

Unbox the WaterMeterKit package and identify all the components. You should have the following items:

  • WaterMeterKit
  • USB-A to USB-C cable (3 meters)
  • Power adapter (European)
  • Screws (2x small for Elster/Honeywell, 2x bigger for Sensus, 1x bigger for Itron/Actaris/Schlumberger)
  • WatermeterSensor with Universal Holder

Unboxing

Step 1: Install the Sensor Holder

How the Sensor Works

Our sensor detects the rotating metal plate inside analog water meters. This small metal disc (usually silver-colored) rotates when water flows through. The sensor registers each rotation via magnetic detection = 1 liter of water.

⚠️ No rotating metal part? Unfortunately, our sensor will not work with your water meter.

Compatible Water Meters

Our universal holder fits most European analog water meters. Here are the most common types:

BrandModels
SensusMost models
ItronMost models
Elster / KiwaMost models
SchlumbergerMost models
HoneywellMost models
ActarisMost models
DiehlMost models (special clip-on holder)
ZennerETDK ZR, ETWD, ZR
DH MeteringMost models
HidrocontaMost models
MaddalenaPlus C, MVM

Unsure if your water meter is compatible? Send us a photo via Contact or chat live on Discord.

Installation Videos

Watch these installation videos for popular water meter types:

Type 1 — Itron / Actaris / Schlumberger

Type 2 — Sensus

Type 3 — Elster / Honeywell

Standard Holder (most common)

Works with these water meters:

  • Sensus
  • Elster / Honeywell
  • Itron / Actaris / Schlumberger

Installation:

  1. Attach the holder adapter plate to your water meter with the provided screws
  2. Do not over-tighten the screws
  3. Press the sensor firmly into the holder

Install Sensor Holder

Diehl Water Meters

If you have a Diehl water meter, you receive a special clip-on holder:

  1. Simply click the holder onto your Diehl water meter
  2. Press the sensor firmly into the holder
  3. No screws required

Other Water Meters (Universal Holder)

If your water meter is not listed above, you receive a universal holder with double-sided tape:

  1. Clean the surface of your water meter
  2. Apply the double-sided tape to the holder
  3. Position the holder correctly:
    • The sensor (LED side) has a crosshair marking
    • The center point of this crosshair must be positioned so that the rotating metal plate (1-liter indicator) passes through it exactly once per full rotation
    • The sensor should cover approximately 50% of the metal indicator's path — not the entire rotation area
  4. Press the sensor firmly into the holder

Sensor Positioning

For all holder types, the sensor must be positioned correctly:

  1. Location: Position over the rotating metal 1-liter indicator
  2. Coverage: The sensor should cover approximately 50% of the metal indicator's rotation path
  3. Crosshair alignment: The sensor has a crosshair marking on the LED side. The center point of this crosshair must be positioned so the rotating metal plate passes through it exactly once per full rotation
  4. Orientation:
    • The side with the red LED must face DOWN (toward the water meter glass)
    • The black side must be visible (facing up toward you)

Tip: Sometimes the lid (the outer plastic part) of your water meter can get in the way. You can often turn this lid by hand to make room for the holder.

Step 2: Power by Cable

Connect the WaterMeterKit to a power source using the provided USB-C cable and power adapter. When first powered up, the kit will flash a red status light to indicate it is not yet connected to your WiFi network or Home Assistant. This issue will be resolved in the following steps when you connect it to your network.

Power by Cable

Step 3: Test Sensor Position

After mounting the holder, turn on a tap. The WaterMeterKit should flash a green light for 1 second after each liter of water used to confirm measurement. If this does not happen, you may need to adjust the sensor's position slightly, sometimes by as little as 1mm.

Note: Ignore the red flashing status LED for now. This will be resolved in the following steps when you connect the WaterMeterKit to your WiFi network and Home Assistant server.

Test Sensor Position

Step 4: Connect to WiFi

Upon starting up the kit, the WaterMeterKit emits a WiFi hotspot named 'watermeterkit' with the password 'watermeterkit'. Once you are connected to this hotspot, a pop-up window will appear where you can select your own WiFi network.

Connect to WiFi

Note: When you connect to the fallback network, the web interface should open automatically. If that does not work, you can also navigate to http://192.168.4.1/ manually in your browser.

Step 5: Connect to Home Assistant

Once connected to your home WiFi network, Home Assistant will automatically detect the WaterMeterKit under the 'Devices & Services' section.

Connect to WiFi

To use the WaterMeterKit for water data on the HA Energy Dashboard, please continue to the next step in the manual Usage Guide.


Sensor Cable Information

Cable Length

The water sensor cable is 3 meters long. This is the maximum recommended length.

⚠️ Do not extend the sensor cable beyond 3 meters. Longer cables cause voltage drop, resulting in unreliable readings or data loss.

Disconnecting the Sensor

The WaterMeterKit sensor is connected via a screw terminal inside the enclosure:

  1. Carefully unclip the enclosure housing
  2. Locate the screw terminal with 3 wires
  3. Loosen the screws and remove the wires
  4. Take a photo first to remember the wire color order!
  5. When reconnecting, match the colors exactly

Need More Distance?

If the 3-meter sensor cable isn't long enough:

💡 Recommended: Consider upgrading to the WaterP1MeterKit instead. Install it close to the water meter and use an Ethernet cable (up to 100m) for the network connection. This is much more reliable than extending the sensor cable!


SmartHomeShop is a hobby-based webshop dedicated to innovative smart home products. Please note that we are not responsible for the accuracy of sensor readings or future software changes by third parties.