Air High quality Monitoring and Enhancing My Sensor

A short time again I wrote about my expertise making an ESPHome-based air high quality sensor. That sensor has continued to work rather well for me. A lot so, that I made a decision to get a bit extra into air high quality monitoring. I constructed a extra compact second sensor utilizing a unique case than my first sensor. I additionally added an air high quality monitoring integration to House Assistant. Now, I’ve a transparent image of the air high quality inside and outside my residence. Listed here are a couple of updates on my air high quality monitoring.

Editor’s Observe: Please learn the air high quality sensor article I wrote if you would like extra particulars on the right way to construct one. This text will solely focus on enhancements I’ve made since then. The earlier article walks you thru making a sensor step-by-step.

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Constructing a extra compact air high quality sensor

The final air high quality sensor I constructed works and appears fantastic, however it’s a bit greater than it must be, given the dimensions of the parts. I discovered a undertaking field that’s extra suited to this undertaking. It’s smaller and has vents. To suit all of the parts in it, I wanted to do away with the lever nuts and solder the connections. I additionally removed the solderless breadboard and use jumper cables to immediately connect with the nodeMCU. Sadly, the undertaking field I used is now not out there on Amazon. However, I’ve included one other small undertaking field that ought to work within the full supplies record for this smaller model:

You may most likely discover extra choices for undertaking bins on Amazon or AliExpress. Simply keep in mind they must be vented. It can save you cash on the sensors by ordering from AliExpress too:

For those who’re searching for wire strippers, soldering irons, and different instruments to do that job, try my HomeTechHacker Store for suggestions.

Placing the smaller sensor collectively

I merely stripped the wires from the air high quality sensor connector and soldered them onto jumper cables (and coated them with electrical tape). Then I linked the DHT22 Temp+Humidity sensor and air sensor on to the NodeMCU utilizing jumper cables.

Right here’s what it appears to be like like all tucked into the undertaking field:

And here’s what the previous and new ones appear like when they’re accomplished:

You most likely can’t inform from the photographs however the brand new sensor field is lower than half the dimensions of the previous one!

Integrating air high quality monitoring with House Assistant

These sensors are nice, however I additionally need to observe the air high quality outdoors my home in House Assistant and evaluate it to readings inside my residence. I ended up utilizing the AirNow House Assistant integration, which works within the US. If you’re outdoors the US, you may need to look into WAQI or AirVisual.

The AirNow integration offers a PM_2.5 sensor that tracks particulate matter (PM) that has a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers similar to my sensors. It additionally has an air high quality sensor. To make use of it:

1. Arrange an API with AirNow by signing up at their AirNow Developer Instruments Web page. After signup, they may e mail you with a affirmation code to activate your account. That is additionally your API key (be certain that to activate your account earlier than continuing).
2. You may set this integration up by way of the House Assistant UI. In House Assistant, go to Settings -> Integrations and click on + ADD INTEGRATION. Seek for AirNow. Confirm that the latitude and longitude are appropriate for the place you need to observe air high quality. Enter in your API key and press submit.
3. The combination will create 3 sensors as you possibly can see beneath:

I then added the Air High quality Index and PM2.5 Degree sensors to an entity card on my House Assistant air high quality dashboard:

At the moment, I really had my AQS 1 sensor outdoors, so it was monitoring nicely with the AirNow information.

Last ideas

Nicely, I’ve gotten farther into air high quality monitoring than I ever thought I might once I began this journey. However it’s nice to have a significantly better concept of the air high quality in my residence, and the way outside air high quality impacts it. Now I’ll be capable to make a a lot better-informed determination about whether or not to purchase an air air purifier (Editor’s notice, I did resolve to purchase a wise air air purifier) and the place and once I ought to use it in my residence.

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