Using RTL-SDR and rtl_433 for Water Meter Home Assistant Integration

After reading success stories online, I picked up the Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 Bundle from Amazon. This little USB SDR dongle can tune from 100kHz to 1.75GHz, which is perfect for picking up utility meter signals.

My first attempt was to plug the SDR into my Raspberry Pi 4 running Home Assistant and use the rtl_433 addon. Unfortunately, I ran into some power issues and weird addon errors, likely due to the antenna drawing too much power with everything else I already had plugged in.

Setting Up a Dedicated SDR Host for Home Assistant

To fix this, I decided to run the SDR on a dedicated Raspberry Pi. I had an old, original Pi 1 Model B lying around. With a decent 2A power supply and a wireless N dongle for network connectivity, I installed Raspbian Lite and the rtl_433 tool.

I experimented with both 433 MHz and 915 MHz frequencies, using the coiled antennas included in the kit. The 900 MHz antenna ended up being the winner. On the 915 MHz band, I finally started seeing data in the logs:

Identifying My Water Meter in Home Assistant Logs

One key data point stood out: a field called Consumption Data showing a value around 168000. After comparing this with the value on my actual Neptune T-10 water meter (used by the City of Ottawa), I realized I was picking up my own water meter’s signal!

I also saw signals from neighboring meters, but by monitoring the data for a few hours, I confirmed which one was mine. The value updated every 15 to 30 minutes.

Fixing USB Stability for Water Meter Data Collection

One hiccup: after several hours, rtl_433 would crash with libusb errors. Unplugging and replugging fixed it temporarily, but the long-term solution was to use a powered USB hub (4A supply) to give the SDR the juice it needed. I also ditched the USB extension cable from the kit and plugged the SDR directly into the hub. That seemed to fix the issue.

The nice thing with this hub is also that I can use it to power the Pi; so I have 1 power cable for the hub, with 1 USB cable running from the hub to the Pi. I have a microUSB cable going from the hub to the Pi for power, and I have the RTL-SDR and Wi-Fi dongle plugged into the USB hub. You can see the final setup up close in the picture below:

Publishing Water Meter Data to Home Assistant via MQTT

With the setup stable, I configured rtl_433 to output data to MQTT. Since I already had the Mosquitto addon running in Home Assistant, I pointed rtl_433 to it and monitored the output using MQTT Explorer. I found the data for my meter which matched up to the logs I was seeing directly on the Pi:

Creating a Systemd Service for Water Meter Integration

To make everything persistent, I created a systemd service at /etc/systemd/system/ha-sdr-915M.service:

[Unit]
Description=rtl_433 on 915M SDR
After=network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/ha-sdr-915M.sh
Restart=unless-stopped
WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/bin

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

The script at /usr/local/bin/ha-sdr-915M.sh:

#!/bin/bash

source /etc/ha-sdr.env

LOGFILE="/var/log/ha-sdr/ha-sdr-915M.log"

/usr/bin/rtl_433 -f 915M -F mqtt://homeassistant.domain.com:1883,user=$MQTT_USER,pass=$MQTT_PASS -F kv 2>&1 | while IFS= read -r line
do
    echo "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') $line"
done >> "$LOGFILE"

I enabled the service by running systemctl daemon-reload and systemctl enable ha-sdr-915M.service.

Adding a Water Meter MQTT Sensor in Home Assistant

In Home Assistant YAML configuration:

sensor:
  - name: "Water Meter Consumption Data"
    object_id: water_meter_consumption_data
    state_topic: "rtl_433/pisdrfrontoh/devices/ERT-SCM/33391039/consumption_data"
    unit_of_measurement: "gal"
    state_class: total_increasing
    device_class: water

I noticed the values from my meter were in gallons, even though I’m in Canada where cubic meters or litres are common. To convert to litres, I added a template sensor:

sensor:
  - name: "Water Meter Consumption (Litres)"
    state: >
      {{ states('sensor.water_meter_consumption_data') | float * 3.78541178 | round(2) }}
    unit_of_measurement: "L"
    device_class: water

Setting Up a Utility Meter for Daily Water Tracking

Finally, I created a utility meter entity to track daily water usage:

utility_meter:
  daily_water:
    source: sensor.water_meter_consumption_litres
    cycle: daily

This entity allowed me to graph and display daily water usage data directly from my water meter in Home Assistant:

Final Thoughts on Monitoring My Water Meter with Home Assistant

This project took a few days of tuning and monitoring, but I’m thrilled with the results. For now, I’m only picking up water meter data, but I’m hopeful I’ll find more signals soon.

If you’re thinking about tracking your water meter in Home Assistant, using an SDR like the Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 and rtl_433 software is a great DIY approach. The insight into water usage is already super useful!

The post Reading my Water Meter in Home Assistant with USB SDR appeared first on TechOpt.

Steps to Set Custom Icons in Zigbee2MQTT Home Assistant Add-On

1. Open Your Home Assistant Configuration Folder

You’ll need to access the zigbee2mqtt folder in your Home Assistant config directory. I use the Studio Code Server add-on to do this, but you can use any method you prefer.

• If using Studio Code Server, navigate to config/zigbee2mqtt/.

2. Create the device_icons Folder

If the device_icons folder doesn’t already exist inside the zigbee2mqtt directory, create it.

• In Studio Code Server, right-click inside the zigbee2mqtt folder and select New Folder.
• Name the folder device_icons.

3. Add Your Custom Icon

For best results, your icon should be:

• A PNG file
• 512×512 pixels
• Have a transparent background

To add it:

• Drag and drop the PNG file into the device_icons folder using the Studio Code Server file browser.
• Alternatively, upload the file using an SCP tool or any other method that works for you.

For my IKEA E2204 smart plug, I named my file:

ikea-tretakt-smart-plug.png

4. Assign the Icon in Zigbee2MQTT

Now that the icon is in place, it’s time to assign it to your device in Zigbee2MQTT.

1. Open Zigbee2MQTT in Home Assistant.
2. Find your device in the Devices list and click on its name.
3. Go to the Settings tab.
4. Scroll all the way down to the Icon box.
5. Enter the relative path of your icon, e.g.:device_icons/ikea-tretakt-smart-plug.png
6. Click Submit.

5. Verify Your New Icon

Once you’ve assigned the custom icon:

• Go back to the Devices page in Zigbee2MQTT.
• Your new icon should now appear next to the device name!

Final Thoughts

Using custom icons in Zigbee2MQTT in Home Assistant is a great way to make your smart home setup more intuitive and visually appealing. Whether you’re correcting an incorrect default icon or just want a personalized look, this method is quick and easy!

The post Set Custom Device Icons in Zigbee2MQTT in Home Assistant appeared first on TechOpt.

Each of these brands has its strengths and weaknesses, making them better suited for different users.

1. Meross Bulbs

Pros:

• Affordable and widely available on Amazon
• Compatible with HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant

Cons:

• Frequent Wi-Fi disconnection issues, even on the latest firmware
• Unreliable performance on some networks

I personally tried Meross smart bulbs, but they constantly disconnected from my Wi-Fi and wouldn’t respond properly. This seems to be a known issue with Meross bulbs and certain Wi-Fi networks, making them difficult to recommend despite their affordability.

I would not buy Meross bulbs again at all.

2. Sengled Bulbs

Pros:

• Available at major retailers and online
• Zigbee and Wi-Fi options available

Cons:

• Wi-Fi bulbs develop color issues and flickering over time
• Zigbee bulbs do not act as repeaters despite being powered devices

I had a few Sengled bulbs over the years. My Sengled Wi-Fi bulbs initially worked great but later started flickering and having color inconsistencies.

Their Zigbee bulbs also don’t function as repeaters, which is a downside if you’re looking to strengthen your Zigbee mesh network.

Sengled bulbs are nice if you want a cheap option, but they don’t seem to have the longest lifespan in my experience.

3. TP-Link Kasa Bulbs

Pros:

• Reliable brand with good integration into smart home ecosystems
• Competitive pricing and available on Amazon
• Has great reviews overall

Cons:

• Recent firmware updates breaking third-party API access
• Potential issues with Home Assistant and other platforms

While I haven’t personally used Kasa’s smart bulbs, I have had experience with their Wi-Fi smart plugs, which were very reliable. I actually swore by TP-Link Kasa smart plugs for years.

However, TP-Link supposedly recently started pushing updates to some devices that block third-party API access, affecting integrations with Home Assistant and other platforms.

Because of this, I’m avoiding new Kasa devices, and this is a significant downside for smart home enthusiasts.

4. Philips Hue Bulbs (Winner)

Pros:

• Rock-solid reliability with Zigbee technology
• Acts as a Zigbee repeater, strengthening your network
• Excellent color accuracy and brightness
• Can be used with or without the Hue Bridge
• Feature-rich Hue app with dynamic lighting effects

Cons:

• Much more expensive than other options

Philips Hue has been a leader in smart lighting for years, and it continues to be the best choice in 2025. I have never experienced dropouts with Hue bulbs, and they always produce vibrant, accurate colors at a consistent brightness. Since they operate using Zigbee, they strengthen the network by acting as repeaters, unlike Sengled’s Zigbee bulbs.

Additionally, the Hue app provides excellent lighting animations and effects, making it a standout choice.

While they are pricier, the reliability and features make them worth it. I’ve switched all my smart lights to Philips Hue in early 2025.

5. Govee Bulbs

Pros:

• Budget-friendly and well-reviewed on Amazon
• Sold at major retailers
• Offers good color accuracy

Cons:

• Uses Wi-Fi, which can be affected by network conditions

Govee has become a popular budget brand, offering smart bulbs that perform well for the price. They are available both online and in physical stores, making them easy to find. However, like other Wi-Fi-based smart bulbs, they may suffer from connectivity issues depending on your network conditions.

If you’re on a tight budget, they can be a decent option, but they don’t match the reliability of Zigbee-based solutions like Philips Hue.

Conclusion: Philips Hue are Still the Best Smart Bulbs!

When comparing these five brands, Philips Hue still comes out on top in 2025. It offers the most reliable connection, great color reproduction, and strengthens your Zigbee network. While it is more expensive, it’s the best investment for a hassle-free smart lighting experience.

If you’re on a budget, Govee is a solid alternative, while Sengled and Meross have had reliability issues over time. TP-Link Kasa would have been a good choice if not for the recent API limitations.

At the end of the day, choosing the right smart bulb depends on your specific needs, but if reliability and performance are your top priorities, Philips Hue wins in every aspect, by a longshot!

The post Best Smart Bulbs in 2025: A Comprehensive Comparison appeared first on TechOpt.