Sharing my low cost, DIY pool automation

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Truwolf

Truwolf

Member
Oct 25, 2023
16
Florida
My pool area tends to get flooded when it rains heavily and too many times I was out there at night with a flash light switching on my mechanical pool timer (getting shocked several times) and opening those valves to pump out the pool. As I already was using Home Assistant for several things I decided to automate my pool at the lowest cost possible.

Bill of materials:
  • 2 x TPE24VA from ebay, roughly $50 a piece
  • 1 x Enbrighten 40Amps switch @ $130 (this is the most expensive piece of my setup)
  • 1 x Sonoff 4CHPRO @ $35
  • 120V to 24V transformer @ $25 for the actuators
  • Outdoor junction box @ $90 (sized it a bit bigger as I have more automation ideas)
  • older Samsung tablet from ebay @ $90
  • Yolink water temperature sensor @ $35
  • various cables, boxes, etc
  • hidden wall mount incl. power supply for tablet @ $23 (Makes by Mike)
Functions (see picture of tablet):
  • automated pool timer (pump) on 9am, off 5pm
    • manual on or off if needed at night
  • "drain for 2 minutes", "drain for 5 minutes"
    • turn drainage valve open, close after 2 or 5 minutes
  • switch valve from "Waterfall" to "Spa" and back
  • various ZWave light switches for light string and underwater pool and spa lights
    • pool and spa light is LED and switches to "next mode" when "double clicking" (different colors, blinking, etc)
  • water temperature display
No more going out at night. When it heavily rains and the pool floods I simply click a couple buttons on the tablet :cool:

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Still a lot more ideas for more automation, this is why I have a lot of space in my junction box for more SONOFFs. E.g. there will be more valve actuators for robot mode, bubble mode, etc. Thinking about measuring chemicals too. But I haven't heard about a low cost option yet.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks,
TruWolf
 
Last edited:
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Very nice.

And it seems with every post I learn something. How do you like that Makes by Mike housing. I use some Fire tablets for my HA and it looks like those can make the mounting look more professional.
 
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Katodude said:
Very nice.

And it seems with every post I learn something. How do you like that Makes by Mike housing. I use some Fire tablets for my HA and it looks like those can make the mounting look more professional.
Click to expand...
The housing is awesome. Good quality and completely hidden. I had to file some material away as the power adapters "hidden cable" I bought wasn't thin enough. Makes by Mike offers slim cables too. 1000001725.jpgSee photo ...
 
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@Truwolf, nice, simple, does the job! One caution:

I don’t have experience with Sonoff switches but the “drain the pool function“ is a bit scary: Wi-Fi connection failure, relay failure, actuator failure could drain your pool. I’d consider implementing some safeguard for that. When everything is new it‘s unlikely, but think 2-5 years down the road.

Love the tablet mount!
 
jonpcar said:
@Truwolf, nice, simple, does the job! One caution:

I don’t have experience with Sonoff switches but the “drain the pool function“ is a bit scary: Wi-Fi connection failure, relay failure, actuator failure could drain your pool. I’d consider implementing some safeguard for that. When everything is new it‘s unlikely, but think 2-5 years down the road.

Love the tablet mount!
Click to expand...
Yeah, there's some risk. But going out in the night with a flash light and fiddling with that old mechanical timer is s risk too. Mine missed a cover and the bare wire's where visible. Good shocked more than once 🙄.

I also think the risk is limited. What could happen is that in the 2 minutes when the drain valve is open the wifi goes out and it wouldn't close. And anyways ... All I can lose is some water 😁

Thanks for your comment!
 
Truwolf said:
Yeah, there's some risk. But going out in the night with a flash light and fiddling with that old mechanical timer is s risk too. Mine missed a cover and the bare wire's where visible. Good shocked more than once 🙄.

I also think the risk is limited. What could happen is that in the 2 minutes when the drain valve is open the wifi goes out and it wouldn't close. And anyways ... All I can lose is some water 😁

Thanks for your comment!
Click to expand...
Forgot to mention one thing: I use Home Assistants remote service (Nabu Casa) and I can operate that control panel from everywhere I have Internet. Also installing a camera these days which means I can watch the water level and drain it from anywhere.
 
We have oodles and oodles of folks in the 'accidentally drained the pool too far' club.

New members always make the rest of us feel better about it. TIA on behalf of all of us 😁
 
Truwolf, this is exactly the kind of solution I’m looking for. I will need to automate 4 valves, a 220v salt generator (just turn power on/off) and my pump (black & decker 3hp VSF; I’m looking for something like this to allow for automation: Automation-Capable Variable Speed Pump Adapter ). I also have a Hayward gas heater, and 2 light switches that would be a huge bonus to automate for the spa setup.

This is all new to me. I’ve been running the pool manually for over 10 years but never had any automation. If you have more details on your build you can share, they would be greatly appreciated!!
 

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brian1454 said:
Truwolf, this is exactly the kind of solution I’m looking for. I will need to automate 4 valves, a 220v salt generator (just turn power on/off) and my pump (black & decker 3hp VSF; I’m looking for something like this to allow for automation: Automation-Capable Variable Speed Pump Adapter ). I also have a Hayward gas heater, and 2 light switches that would be a huge bonus to automate for the spa setup.

This is all new to me. I’ve been running the pool manually for over 10 years but never had any automation. If you have more details on your build you can share, they would be greatly appreciated!!
Click to expand...
Hey brian1454,

Glad you like my project. But it's too much to write it all down here, as it took me a year or so from start to finish.

I recommend you do it like me: step-by-step :). A warning though ... this requires quite some hardware (fabricating, wiring, ...) and software skills (setup Raspberry, HA, etc). And I have hit road blocks and dead ends many times, so it requires some stamina too :rolleyes:. Google is your friend!

I would recommend to start out with some easy stuff: your light switches. This would require:
  • setup Home Assistant - I have mine running on a Raspberry
  • create couple dashboards like weather, etc
  • then get a ZWave stick and ZWave light switches and automate them
If you get stuck and let me know here I certainly will respond.

Btw: not sure what you need that pump adapter for. I simply switch on and off my pump and chlorinator withy the 40Amps ZWave switch.

And yes - my Hayward heater is on my list too :cool:

Cheers, Truwolf
 
Okay thanks for the pointers to get started.

My heater is 10-15 years old so I don’t know if it’s possible to interface/automate it. I want to automate the pump so that when I hit the Spa button, it kicks into high (3450rpm), then when I turn the spa off, the pump returns to its’ scheduled rpm, which could be a lower speed or even off, depending on the time.
 
brian1454 said:
Okay thanks for the pointers to get started.

My heater is 10-15 years old so I don’t know if it’s possible to interface/automate it. I want to automate the pump so that when I hit the Spa button, it kicks into high (3450rpm), then when I turn the spa off, the pump returns to its’ scheduled rpm, which could be a lower speed or even off, depending on the time.
Click to expand...
My heater is old too. But it returns to it's last setting when I power it on. Which is all I need. Put a ZWave switch to it and when I turn it on it heats up to 95 degrees or whatever my favorite temperature is. Same goes for my old blower.
 
brian1454 said:
My heater is 10-15 years old so I don’t know if it’s possible to interface/automate it. I want to automate the pump so that when I hit the Spa button, it kicks into high (3450rpm), then when I turn the spa off, the pump returns to its’ scheduled rpm, which could be a lower speed or even off, depending on the time.
Click to expand...
Check out the Wiki page below on heater automation. You don't want to completely cut power to the heater as that would disable the blower and not allow the heater to evacuate gasses after a heater run. Heater automation opens and closes the fireman's switch circuit to control the call for heat. I use a Sonoff switch with temp monitoring similar to this one to control my heater. The dry contacts simply interrupt the heater's 24 vac circuit to shut off heat, but the rest of the heater's functions remain.

Heater Control with Automation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

FYI, compare the price of the automation panel for your pump here:
www.poolsupplyunlimited.com

CaliMar® Pump Interface Board | CMARVSPIB

Pool Supply Unlimited has some of the best prices when shopping for CaliMar® Pump Interface Board | CMARVSPIB
www.poolsupplyunlimited.com www.poolsupplyunlimited.com
 
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