Can anyone recommend fully automated test systems, which can sample the water and test it on a daily or hourly basis, and which can also continuously inject dilute amounts of corrective chemicals as needed to maintain a trouble free pool?
I am looking for a solution that has little more maintenance than refilling the testing and dosing system about once a month, or even just annually.
The cost can be in the thousands of dollars. I am fine with that.
When we started on having a pool installed in 2012, I told the pool builder that I understand that there is no such thing as a maintenance-free pool, but I want to get as close as possible.
We went with a fiberglass pool and spa. Nice smooth surfaces that make it tough for algae to get a foothold. No need to worry about the pool surface changing over time and affecting pool chemistry.
We have an SWCG. No need to add chlorine. Ideally, the SWCG would produce chlorine based on the ORP reading from the pool (we have an ORP sensor which can control the SWCG). Unfortunately, I have found that you really can't rely on the ORP readings since the ORP is affected by so many factors. I use the % factor to control how much the SWCG runs. It takes a while (couple of weeks for me) to come up with a good %. However, you will have to tweak the % (or pump run time) for situations like having a party with lots of people in the pool.
We have an acid tank with stenner pump to automatically add acid to the pool when the pH sensor detects the pH starting to climb. I add acid to the tank about 2 times during the swim season.
Our Hayward Pro-Logic system lets me schedule when and for how long the pump runs and switches between pool, spa, and spillover.
We have a Polaris 9300xi robotic cleaner which I run a couple of times per week. You can't leave it in the pool all the time. So, each time I use it, I have to put it in the pool and after it is done, I have to clean the robot's filter and put it away.
Following the BBB method here on the forum allows the use of inexpensive "chemicals" that, for the most part, you can get at a local big box store. And, once things are balanced in the spring, I only have to add chemicals a few times during the summer (usually due to rain causing the pool level to rise and flow out our 2 overflow pipes. And, with the hot sun on the pool, our auto-fill adds water to make up for evaporative loss.
And, no matter what type of pool filter you have, you will periodically have to clean or backwash it.
Overall, I have found pool maintenance to be less than I had expected. It's not maintenance-free, but, without spending an exorbitant amount, I consider us to have a low maintenance pool.