About
Basement peace of mind.
Understanding how I monitor and measure my sump pump activity using smart plug data and local weather correlations.
Purpose
This dashboard is a 24/7 watchman for my sump pump. It watches my pump's activity through a smart plug to make sure everything is working exactly as it should, giving me a clear view of how hard my pump is working to keep my basement dry.
Telemetry
Every second, I check the power usage of my pump. When the motor kicks on, I log the start and end times. This lets me know exactly how many "cycles" my pump has completed and how long it ran for.
Analysis
By knowing my pump's flow rate (how many gallons it can move per minute), I can estimate the total amount of water discharged from my pit. It's a great way to see the impact of heavy rain on my home's foundation.
Context
I automatically pull in local rainfall data so I can see the direct correlation between a storm and my pump's activity. This helps me understand how my yard's drainage handles different levels of precipitation.
Architecture
The system uses a background "poller" to communicate with TP-Link smart plugs. Data is stored in a Postgres database and processed into the summaries seen on the homepage. If I see a "Poller attention needed" badge, it usually means the monitoring script has stopped running.