Smart Things Integration.

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dunginhawk

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Jul 10, 2018
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For more information about this build plan, see Soon to be (maybe) pool owner

Good evening folks... So I am in the process of speccing a pool.
I want to use this thread to discuss the options for Smart home integration.

I have smart things today, with over 100 devices currently (tons of can lights outisde, inside, door sensors, deadbolts, cams etc).
Id love to add my pool project stuff as well.

1. Lights. This seems obvious. You could have everything one one chain terminate at a box with a 110v connection and put a smart things switch there. Controllable then by app and voice. Or you could buy bulbs with zigbee or zwave built in (but are their waterproof ones???) and integrate that way. Is there any other way people are integrating the lights in their pool and landscaping? Id love for ALL my lights to be smart...

2. Bubblers/Fountains. I plan to have at least 4 fountains in the pool, and maybe 2 bubblers on the sun deck. Is there any way to integrate those to smart things? I suppose it doesnt matter if they are absolutely integrated to smart things, but at least controllable by google home etc.

3. Cover - not even an option. I wont allow that to be controlled by anything but the key. i have young kids.

4. Hot tub. I know there are wifi enabled hot tubs now. I assume thats a minimum requirement for starting that integration right?

5. Cleaning. Is there any way to integrate a dolphin for example? It would be nice to leave it in the pool and just say "ok google, clean the pool" and it runs for an hour. Or i could script it with webcore and smart things.


Id love to be able to walk outside, and while turning the key for the pool cover say "Ok google, get the pool ready for night swimming" and it turns on the pool fountains, bubblers, lights, landscaping lights, etc.
Thats kind of the goal :)

thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well your first thread was under Water Chemistry but really about your planned build.

Pool automation is a key part of a build.

Maybe one of the mods can put things together and all into the Build section.
 
I became a first-time pool owner 18 months ago. Completely ignorant about pool automation, I did a little research into turnkey solutions and decided to diy with zwave/smartthings. (I'm kind of cheap...) My needs are less extensive than yours, but with a combination of switches, dry contact relays, and wireless tag sensors, I have automated a VS pump (via relay control), SWG (no remote % adjustment, but I just change the run-time as needed), two spa pumps, a heater, two valve actuators and three pool and landscape lighting circuits. I used an 8-relay board to help with some of the switching. I have smartthings routines for pool mode, spa mode, cleaning mode. I use IFTTT for automation. It's a little Frankenstein, but it all works flawlessly. I hadn't really thought of automating the robot, but it could be done. It would totally void the warranty... It can all be done if you're thinking creatively.
 
All of my outdoorsd lights, including the pool light are controlled by GE ZWave switches. I use a Wink Hub not ST, but same concept. A handy tip, add some second floro spotlights that will light up the entire area. If we are out late at the pool, I turn on the spotlights to walk out to the pool, then use my phone to turn them off while we swim. Then I turn them back on to gather my stuff and walk back to house. One other tip, for outdoor lighting, if you add some blue lights rather than white, you can leave some lights on, adn they dont attract bugs, but allow a small enough amount o flight to see. SO Cans under deck over couch, perhaps philips hue to be able ot adjust color from white to blue as needed.
 

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Bvacchiano said:
I have everything Pentair and I can control pretty much anything important (bubblers,spa,blower,pool pump, scuppers,pool and spa lights, etc) by using Alexa. Not sure how much easier than that you could make it...
Click to expand...

So i take it pentair products have some smart integration... If my installer doesnt use pentair is there any brands out there at work intelligently?


Jnet, i like your setup as described. I like frankensteining :) i use IFTTT for my blink cams, when they stopped supporting ST. I am not familiar with what an 8 relay board is, or how one would integrate that with ST, IFTTT etc. Obviously im familiar with routines, and webcore, which is ok. Im just not familiar with what hardware i would need to get pumps etc working with ST.
thanks
 
Just learned that my installer ive chosen uses pentair products, so I should be able to get the automation within some of those products. Just trying to figure out the differences in the products. Ill likely have 2 pool lights at least, VS pump, SWG, etc.
 
In general for automation, you want everythign to match in terms of pump, heater and SWG. Each Manufacturer puts out their own proprietary controller and they mostly only work with their own stuff. Sadly there is not really a ST/Z-Wave/Zigbee/IFTTT universal pool system out there. The proprietary systems, such as Pentairs are very expensive, to the point it will make you angry if you are used to thinking home automation.

While I am not 100% sure, I beleive that you can get valves for the plumbing that are capable of being automated as well, which can be handy.

With automation, you might not need this, as you can probably get it off of the pentari controller, but here is what I came up with to use IFTTT to measure my pool temp.
Introducing My New Thermometer Gadget
 
So I am finalizing my pool bid etc and told the company I wanted to automate the use of my 4 deck jets, and the pool lights. Probably dont need much more than that. Ill end up using smart plugs in the landscaping lights , so I think i can get by with just those 2 devices.
Would this IntelliConnect™️ - Control and Monitoring App - Pentair work just fine for that? Id obviously need some sort of actuator or flow control domahickey for the deck jets.
Just curious if i only want to control 2 (but maybe leave room for expansion)
 
As far as the pool lights go, you can control those with the Pentair system, but you need to decide if that is what you want. As I am sure that you are aware, one of the difficulties with automation is syncing everything together. One thing nice about a hub, such as Smart Things or Wink, is that they can control your GE light switches, Ecobee/Nest thermostat, Hue light bulbs, Bali window shades, Schlage door locks, etc. As far as I know, there is no cross platform integration between your pool stuff and your home stuff. So while I can see that you can use the Pentair App to control the pump speed, or a jet being on or off, how do you want the pool light to work? Would you rather this be an isolated light ties in to your Pentair App, or would you rather it be part of a backyard lighting scene, where you can turn on an outdoor spotlight, some landscape lighting and your pool light all with one App/Button/Schedule/Robot. I can see a case for putting the light into your smartthing concept rather than the Pentair stuff.

As far as Pool lights go, decide on how many you need. More experts will help you with this, but I believe that LED lights in a pool have fewer Lumens than traditional halogen lamps, so you might need more lamps that you might think.

I don’t have an automation system at my house, but if I did add one, I would probably put the lights on my home automation rather than my pool automation, but that is open anyone personal opinion.
 
Yev, thanks for the well thought out response. In a perfect world, yes, I would want the pool lights on the house smart things system. I am not 100% sure how that happens though, so id need to research that more. I dont mind having a separate app for the pump, SWG etc, as I think thats just fairly expected. It would be nice if you could use google home to say "turn on the deck jets" but that might not be possible right now
 
dunginhawk, for pool switch no automation system at all, they wire the pool light to a switch. You want the light on, you turn on teh switch. Same switch as you use inside to turn on a lamp, but they are located inside a plastic covered water proof housing like this one.

Intermatic WP1230C 2 Gang 3-1/8-Inch Weatherproof Box, Clear - Electrical Boxes - Amazon.com

It is typically wired right next to a GFCI outlet. I simply replaced the switch with a GE ZWave smart switch that I use inside on all of my lamps, and paired it with my home hub, and boom, done. Only hard part was getting a smart switch and a gfci outlet to both fit into the electrical box, but I managed that after a bit of aggravation. In hindsight I wish my pool electrician would have put the GFCI and switch in separate boxes, and made the swtich a double wide box so I had more room. Then I could have had the GE switch next to a blank area just to make wiring easier.

I'm not saying this is the right way, just the way that I did it.
 
So as long as the switch is smart, you can control the lights.. However doesnt the light need to be smart to handle the color changes, and different shows? The switch hes providing me has dials for color, and options for different functions.
 
OK, great question. Not sure how to handle that. As for me, I have a standard white halogen 500W bulb that you put a color cover over.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GW1FTS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These systems come with 3 colors typically, well 4 if you count the white light without any cover at all.

White light to me is too bright.
Red Light makes your pool look filled with blood.
Green light makes your pool look algae filled
Blue light gives off a nice hue.

So for my pool need, I am happy to just have a toggle on/off, and always have the light blue, never want the color to change.

I live by the motto, sure I can make this light change colors but why would I want to. I have HUE LED strip lighting under my kitchen cabinets. I can change teh color to anythign I want, but I never do, I leave it at teh singel color I like. Well, everyone once in a while I will show someone I can change the color, but then just turn it back.

Lighting is a personal thing you need to decide what you want out of.

I just did a search, and here is one thing that I found

https://www.amazon.com/Bonbo-Underwater-Changing-Traditional-Replacement/dp/B0749KKRJ5/

With this LED, you change the color mode by toggling on/off quickly, about once every 2 seconds. With this you will scroll through about 6 solid color options, and then thruogh a preprogrammed ligth show auto-transition. Once you stop, it memorizes your color scheme you prefer. Then you turn it off for the night, adn the next day if you just turn it on once, it goes back to the pervisou color. If you want to switch, you MITH be abkle to do it through ST. Not sure if you can set up a robot/etc that will toggle the switch rapidly 6 times or so. There are ltos of options for lighting, you simply need to decide on what you want to happen.
 

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