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[on:]

Hi. I'm trying to read the water meter in my house with my Arduino, to be able to monitor my water usage on my computer, but without success.

My water meter is a Badger Meter Model 25 and looks like this:



I read somewere, that it should contain a magnet, which rotates when the water is running, so I tried if I could detect the magnetic field with a US1881 hall effect sensor: http://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Components/General/Hall-US1881EUA.pdf but it does not detect anything.

I tested my circuit with a refrigerator magnet, and it seems to work.

Is the magnetic field in the water meter to weak, or am I using a sensor which is not sensitive enough?

Have any of you guys had success reading a meter like this?

[Reply #1 on:]

Have any of you guys had success reading a meter like this?

Never tried, but I would try to put a photoresistor above one of the red 'arrows', use a green LED and a photoresistor to detect the passing of the red arrows.

green light is absorbed by red so a reduction in reflected light should be visible when the arrow passes.

The problem with the magnet inside is probably that it is quite small. Further there might be metal that shields of the field.

[Reply #2 on:]

You probably can't get close enough to the magnet - magnetic fields dwindle with the cube of distance.  Many hall effect sensors are not particularly sensitive, try one that's designed to measure the earth's magnetic field (electronic compass) perhaps?   Or at least use a compass to see if there is a field in the first place...

[Reply #3 on:]

this guys page might help you:

http://www.edcheung.com/automa/water.htm

[Reply #4 on:]

Maybe install another meter in series with your existing one
I bought :
http://www.bes.co.uk/product/102~PL~1812~1812~-Pulsed-Water-Meters-For-Remote-Reading.html
£37.17

Just trying to figure out how to prog Arduino + ethernet to see on web

I think they do free delivery to UK if order is over £40

Maurice