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tagyoureit / nodejs-poolController

An application to control pool equipment from various manufacturers.
GNU Affero General Public License v3.0
314 stars 94 forks source link

Measuring water level #926

Open katodude opened 2 months ago

katodude commented 2 months ago

I would like to be able to measure water level, or tank level of a dispenser. These e-tapes are pretty popular and provided a resistance level that the REM can read from MegaBas card.

https://www.adafruit.com/product/464?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjww_iwBhApEiwAuG6ccF35EknNk3dofOXtgYtgGOM3WIQHqU-V2aPSiSszRJ6AaCpusIqaXxoCOdQQAvD_BwE

Based on the level I can get a warning or turn on an autofill. -->

johnny2678 commented 2 months ago

I've been thinking about this too, but for my pool, so I can simulate an autofiller, which i don't have.

Only reservation about using this for chem tanks is you don't know how long it will last in acid/bleach.

katodude commented 2 months ago

Yep, I get it on the chem tanks.

Another use case, and the primary reason for this is for a spillover in an infinity pool. Measuring the spillover basin to decide how fast to run the pump to pump water back into the pool.

I would also like to use it in my pool to measure evaporation. It will help with leak detection. Also when I am traveling I can use it to help with an autofill which I dont have either. I can hook up a hose with a smart valve to cycle on and off.

johnny2678 commented 2 months ago

exactly this. Love monitoring the evaporation/overnight water loss idea.

Have you thought about how you would install it? I was thinking about mounting it in my skimmer, and maybe enclosing in a 1.5 inch PVC to minimize splashing/swells when we're in the pool? Not sure how to actually attach it - hot glue or liquid nails?

I guess another issue is how to wire it. My pad is about 30 feet from my pool so hardwiring directly to REM is out. Had thought about maybe a battery powered PicoW device waking up every 5 minutes for a reading? Didn't really get much further than that when thinking about it.

tagyoureit commented 2 months ago

There have been lots of conversations over the years about e-Tape and ways to measure chemicals or fill the pool. Most of the products out there are low quality, low resolution, or inconvenient to install. Here's one. Maybe the new e-Tape is better, but at 12" it would be hard to measure the level in any sizeable tank.

katodude commented 2 months ago

At this point discard the tank idea. It’s more about measuring water depth. I have no idea if the products have improved.

Wiring it will be a challenge but not insurmountable. You could potentially use the pool light conduit.

johnny2678 commented 2 months ago

pool light conduit is interesting, but I have no idea how to tap into that. Last I looked there is a wireproof wire and connector coming out of the light housing.

I had also thought of Solar/Battery and run the wire under pavers. At least in my setup I could get that closer to the skimmer, where I would most likely install the eTape.

jwtaylor310 commented 4 weeks ago

I use a YoLink LoRa Water Level Monitor (Model YS7904F-UC) to alert me when the water level in my pool is low. It is a simple float mechanism that has two states - "OK" and "Low". I have mounted the transmitter module in a standard waterproof outlet box and the float is in a "T" shaped PVC pipe attached to the box. The assembly sits on the edge of the pool with a bit of Velcro to keep it in place. The device operates on two AAA batteries which are good for 2-3 years. It transmits to a hub using LoRa (Long Range radio) with a range of up to 1/4 mile. The hub requires an Internet connection and standard 120VAC power and can be located anywhere inside a nearby building. It integrates easily with Alexa and Home Assistant. It has a documented API which would allow it to added to the NodeJS program but the API interface is non-trivial and requires a User Access Credential unique to each user (API at http://doc.yosmart.com/docs/overall/intro). A package of the Water Level Monitor and a Hub hub costs $59.99 on Amazon. YoLink makes lots of other devices for home automation and they all share a single hub. I have found the YoLink products to be very versatile and reliable. My pool level sensor has been in use for over a year without any problems. I use the YoLink app on my phone to send me an alert if the water level is low. Here's a photo of my installation:

IMG_20240615_163250

Be advised that if you search for the sensor by part number, Amazon goes to the wrong product -- a YoLink leak sensor instead of the level sensor. Search for "YoLink Water Level Sensor" in Amazon instead of the part number.