Support for Homewizard Watermeter

[matbe81]

Can you extend the plugin to support the simple Homewizard Watermeter (https://homewizard-energy-api.readthedocs.io/endpoints.html#example-hwe-wtr) ?

[jvandenaardweg]

@matbe81 I don't think this is possible, as far as I know Homebridge (which uses Apple's HomeKit) does not support a device like a water meter.

This page only displays these "water" related devices to be supported: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/homekit/hmaccessorycategory/accessory_category_types#3080302

let HMAccessoryCategoryTypeSprinkler: String A sprinkler system accessory.

let HMAccessoryCategoryTypeFaucet: String A faucet accessory.

let HMAccessoryCategoryTypeShowerHead: String A shower head accessory.

[matbe81]

Maybe, as you suggested, another device type can be used to expose those values like others plugin. Example: My SolarEdge use sensor & brightness as device type. Faucet, Splinkler, Showerhead, Valve, Switch or Sensor are some ideas to display the differents elements exposed by the API.

[jvandenaardweg]

Where would a water meter fit in? As far as i'm aware, it only registers water usage, nothing more. What would je expect to see within the Home app for this water meter?

[matbe81]

Information interested to be exposed are:

• Active (right now - boolean)
• Current use per minute (liter/m3)
• Total use (m3 or m3)
• Current day use (liter or m3)
• Current week use (liter or m3)
• Current month use (liter or m3)
• Current year use (liter or m3)
• Average daily use (liter or m3)
• Current index (calculated from an offset value to set at plugin config + total use) Settings should allow to display values in liter or M3.

This will allow to setup automations like:

• notify (using the messenger homebridge plugin exposed as a switch) when today use is above average by X% to prevent leak
• notify when use during night or when absent from home (to prevent leak too)
• Set the color of a lightbulb depending on today/current week/month use (green as lower to red as larger)
• ...

WDYT?

[jvandenaardweg]

That sounds like lots of customization.

Working on this Energy Socket plugin I noticed HomeKit does not provide lots of ways to deal with energy data and usage tracking over time. There's a fixed set of properties you can work with for a accessory type, like a Outlet (On, Off, Outlet In Use (Yes/No)) or a Light Bulb (On, Off, Color Temperature, Brightness)

There is a way to track history data over time with this: https://github.com/simont77/fakegato-history , but reading that info can only be done within the Eve Home App.

I would suggest to create a seperate plugin for HomeBridge and try to see if you can fit your requirements in there. Unfortunatly I can't really help you with that as i'm drowning in day to day work...

[matbe81]

No problem. I understand. Thank you for your feedback :)

[jvandenaardweg]

Btw, if you are familiar with writing code, I think it's even better to just create a seperate app through NodeJS or Python that exactly does what you want. I feel like that would be more suitable as that gives you total freedom. You can run that in your local network on a Raspberry Pi.

Notifications can be done through something like Pushover: https://pushover.net/ or a different Push Notifcation service, or just a different way to send notifications.

Users looking for a Homebridge plugin for the Water Meter usually have a Raspberry Pi running anyways, so if you can package your app to be re-used by others that would benefit them more than the hassle of customizing a Homebridge plugin to fit in requirements where HomeKit is just not suitable for.

[matbe81]

Indeed. Good idea. But unfortunately, i'm not familiar with nodeJS nor Python :( I run homebridge on a VM under ESXI.