Guide 1: First-Time Setup
In this guide we will take you from unboxing to your first water level reading: power the hub, connect it to your Wi-Fi, and pair the tank unit.
Your tank unit ships asleep and unpaired. Pairing it takes one hold on the hub and one tap on the tank unit. We suggest you do everything in this guide on a table first, then fit the tank unit on your tank.
What's Included
Inside the box you'll find:
- The TankSync hub, with the display you chose, and its power cable
- The main unit, with the level sensor on its cable
- The solar panel, with its frame and 1 metre cable (solar builds only)
- A charging cable for any 5 V USB charger or power bank
- Mounting screws and double-sided tape
- A quick-start card
Power the Hub
Plug the hub into any standard 5 V USB phone charger using the supplied cable. A charger that gives at least one amp is enough. Place the hub indoors, somewhere you can see it.
The hub starts on its own. Until it knows your Wi-Fi, its display shows a Setup Wi-Fi screen with a QR code, and the hub creates its own Wi-Fi network named TankSync- followed by four characters.
Connect the Hub to Your Wi-Fi
Point your phone's camera at the QR code on the hub's display and tap the prompt to join the hub's network. You can also pick the TankSync network in your phone's Wi-Fi settings. It has no password.
Open any web browser and enter 192.168.4.1. This opens the hub's own web page. No internet connection is needed for this step, because your phone is talking directly to the hub.
Open the Network tab. In the Wi-Fi card, tap Scan networks, choose your home Wi-Fi, enter its password and tap Save Wi-Fi.
The hub joins your Wi-Fi, and for a few seconds the display shows the address your router gave it, for example 192.168.1.145. Reconnect your phone to your home Wi-Fi, then enter that address in a browser to open the hub's web page on your network. If you miss it, wait: the display cycles through your tanks and an information screen that shows the address again.
No Wi-Fi where the hub lives? Tick Use without Wi-Fi (offline mode) on the Network tab instead. The hub then runs on its own network and still shows your tanks and sounds its alarms. The app and Home Assistant need the hub on Wi-Fi.
Pair the Tank Unit
Hold the touch pad on the hub for about 5 seconds, until the light ring fills. The hub now listens for a new tank unit for 60 seconds.
Within that minute, tap the touch pad on the tank unit's main unit once. Its light blinks slowly while it looks for the hub. Three long blinks mean it is paired.
Keep the tank unit close to the hub while you pair it. If the slow blinking stops without three long blinks, hold the hub's touch pad again and tap the tank unit again.
Get the First Reading
A newly paired tank unit sends its first reading straight away, and your tank appears on the hub's display in percent and litres.
From then on it wakes by itself, takes a reading, sends it and goes back to sleep. Tap its touch pad any time for a fresh reading. Two quick blinks mean the hub received it.
The level may look wrong until you enter your tank's size and measurements. That is the next guide, Configure Your Tank.
Verify Operation
On the hub's display, or the Tanks tab of its web page, you will see:
- Current water level
- Water in litres
- Battery level
- Signal strength
- When the tank unit last reported
If you can see all of that, your TankSync system is ready to use.
Recommended Settings
By default each tank unit wakes every 300 seconds, or once every five minutes. That balances battery use against timely updates for most installations.
If you need more frequent updates you can lower it to 60 seconds, but shorter intervals use more power. You can change it in Configure Your Tank.
Battery and Power
Every tank unit carries a battery, so a power cut or a cloudy spell never stops the readings. The hub and the app show the battery level, so you always know when a charge is due.
Solar builds charge themselves whenever the sun is out. Keep the solar panel clean and free of dust for the best charging.
No-solar builds, made for sumps and shaded tanks, charge from any 5 V USB charger or power bank. Never use a 9 V or 12 V adapter.
When the battery runs low, the tank unit's light gives 3 blinks. When it is nearly flat, it gives 10 rapid flashes. Charge it, or give the panel more sun.
If your tank is permanently shaded, such as an underground sump, a solar panel will not keep up. Choose the no-solar build of the TankSync Modular Kit instead.
Your TankSync system is now set up and ready to install. For fitting the sensor, main unit and solar panel on your tank, continue to the Tank Unit Installation guide.
Still stuck? Email support@smartghar.org with your order number and a photo of your setup. We reply within 24 hours on weekdays. Browse every guide in the Help Centre.