Hardware Versions

The WaterMeterKit is available in three hardware versions. This page helps you understand the differences.

📢 Note: The current WaterMeterKit is V3, built on the ESP32-C6 platform. V2 remains supported for existing customers. V1 is legacy hardware and is no longer the recommended firmware target.

How to Identify Your Version

Check the device information in Home Assistant or ESPHome:

Version	How to Recognize
V3	Current model with ESP32-C6 hardware. Check Hardware Version or firmware/device information in Home Assistant.
V2	Previous-generation WaterMeterKit hardware based on ESP8266. Check Hardware Version in Home Assistant.
V1	ESP8266-based legacy hardware.

Version Comparison

Feature	V1	V2	V3
Hardware Platform	ESP8266	ESP8266	ESP32-C6
WiFi	✅	✅	✅
Thread (Thread firmware)	❌	❌	✅
WiFi setup over Bluetooth (Improv BLE)	❌	❌	✅
Firmware update from Home Assistant	❌	❌	✅
Sensor cable	Screw terminal	Screw terminal	Detachable
Water Monitoring	✅	✅	✅
Temperature & Humidity	✅	✅	✅
Home Assistant / ESPHome	✅	✅	✅
Current firmware target	Legacy	Supported	Current

V1: ESP8266 (Legacy)

The original WaterMeterKit hardware was based on ESP8266.

Status:

Legacy hardware
No longer the recommended firmware target
Kept in the docs only for existing installations

V2: Previous Generation

V2 remains supported for existing customers.

Status:

Previous-generation WaterMeterKit hardware based on ESP8266
Supported for existing installations
Not the current hardware generation

V3: ESP32-C6 (Current)

V3 is the current WaterMeterKit hardware generation and uses the ESP32-C6 platform.

Key Features:

ESP32-C6 hardware platform
WiFi water monitoring, or Thread with the Thread firmware
Temperature and humidity monitoring
Open-source ESPHome firmware
Current-generation firmware support

Firmware Source

GitHub: smarthomeshop/watermeterkit
V1 firmware: watermeterkit-v1/watermeterkit.yaml
V2 firmware: watermeterkit-v2/watermeterkit.yaml
V3 firmware: watermeterkit-v3/watermeterkit.yaml
V3 Thread firmware: watermeterkit-v3/watermeterkit-thread.yaml
Cloud firmware: watermeterkit-cloud.yaml in the folder of your hardware version