My DIY Pool Automation Particle Photon samsung smartthings

[bscuderi]

Hey so I decided that some of you guys here might find this interesting. I wanted to automate my pool and tie it in with my samsung smartthings home automation controller. [FONT=&quot]This project has come a little at a time and so far does: Variable Speed Pump Control, Outside Air Temperature, Power Use, Valve Control, Pool Light Color Control, Pool Water Temperature, Pool Water Level, Automated Water Fill Valve, and Water Use. In the future I envision it growing into possible PH sensing and chlorine sensing with automatic dispensing for a completely hands free pool. Ive decided that it has come far enough along to post here. So here is a link to my crude write up and a video of it in action. Enjoy!

[/FONT]​Automated Pool Controller - Projects Stories - SmartThings Community

 

[Newton4mark]

This is pretty interesting

Any chance you can list the components that you purchased and roughly what the whole thing cost

I am looking to automate my pool as well

Have not really gotten started yet

This sounds like a fun project

 

[JoyfulNoise]

While pH sensing might be a possibility, free chlorine sensing is not practical. ORP probes are inherently unreliable and are often more trouble than their worth and amperometric chlorine probes cost thousands of dollars with only very finite lifetimes. The costs of maintaining and calibrating these probes as well as stability problems with them when cyanuric acid (CYA) is present in the water makes their use in residential pools impractical and costly. Commercial systems already exist for this type of automation and TFP finds over and over again that they are often more trouble than trouble-free.

Nice automation project otherwise.

 

[bscuderi]

This is pretty interesting

Any chance you can list the components that you purchased and roughly what the whole thing cost

I am looking to automate my pool as well

Have not really gotten started yet

This sounds like a fun project

Sorry for some reason the forum didn’t notify me I had a reply. As far as parts list I can get an exact parts list for my setup going but I’d check out my linked forum thread over on smartthings side of things cause it has since grown and I have included more detail as well as screenshots
Links to parts etc since people have asked. But in a nutshell it would depend on what aspects of the project you are interested in for a full parts list.

 

[bscuderi]

While pH sensing might be a possibility, free chlorine sensing is not practical. ORP probes are inherently unreliable and are often more trouble than their worth and amperometric chlorine probes cost thousands of dollars with only very finite lifetimes. The costs of maintaining and calibrating these probes as well as stability problems with them when cyanuric acid (CYA) is present in the water makes their use in residential pools impractical and costly. Commercial systems already exist for this type of automation and TFP finds over and over again that they are often more trouble than trouble-free.

Nice automation project otherwise.

Good to know. I’m not sure why I missed all notifications for this post so sorry for the late reply. I could dream though right haha. Maybe I’d have better luck just ph sensing and setting up notifications if that’s out of whack and then perhaps do auto chlorine dosing the amount my pool normally uses and run occasional manual tests. This would mean that I don’t do anything different then I do Now since I know my pool I usually just dose for a couple weeks blindly and test. I found I’m usually spot on.

 

[santacruzpool]

I think the pool automation could have some learning features - so that if the owner inputs his chlorine test results into the system over time the trends for how the pool responds to weather, water temperature, usage, pump run time, seasonal changes etc...Those could all be combined to suggest the right dosing. The measurements would still be by manual entry, but I think the pool needs could then be predicted fairly well...much like how users here over time figure out the needs of their own pool and can tell ahead of time what it will most likely need.

The software could send an alert that chlorine may be low - test and add...

 

[bscuderi]

I think the pool automation could have some learning features - so that if the owner inputs his chlorine test results into the system over time the trends for how the pool responds to weather, water temperature, usage, pump run time, seasonal changes etc...Those could all be combined to suggest the right dosing. The measurements would still be by manual entry, but I think the pool needs could then be predicted fairly well...much like how users here over time figure out the needs of their own pool and can tell ahead of time what it will most likely need.

The software could send an alert that chlorine may be low - test and add...

I agree unless I magically hear that orp sensors become super reliable I’ll save my money for now. I’d almost rather have no information than get bad information.

 

[bscuderi]

For anyone following I have updated the project over there on the smartthings website today to include stenner pump injections for muriatic acid and chlorine. Changed pump and valve schedules over to local processing instead of cloud triggered and a few other functional changes.

 

[jonpcar]

For anyone following I have updated the project over there on the smartthings website today to include stenner pump injections for muriatic acid and chlorine. Changed pump and valve schedules over to local processing instead of cloud triggered and a few other functional changes.

Just started looking into desiging a new pool automation system and ordered an arduino kit to start playing with and learning...I don’t even have it yet but my son-in law turned me on to the photon for the wifi/web control aspect. That’s when I found your project/thread on the smartthings site and cross referenced your username to this site....WOW, I’m thoroughly impressed with what you’ve automated so far and am looking forward to following in your footsteps. Looks like a lot of fun! Congrats!

 

[MyAZPool]

Hey so I decided that some of you guys here might find this interesting. I wanted to automate my pool and tie it in with my samsung smartthings home automation controller. This project has come a little at a time and so far does: Variable Speed Pump Control, Outside Air Temperature, Power Use, Valve Control, Pool Light Color Control, Pool Water Temperature, Pool Water Level, Automated Water Fill Valve, and Water Use. In the future I envision it growing into possible PH sensing and chlorine sensing with automatic dispensing for a completely hands free pool. Ive decided that it has come far enough along to post here. So here is a link to my crude write up and a video of it in action. Enjoy!

​Automated Pool Controller - Projects Stories - SmartThings Community

I read your posts here and on SmartThings and watched the video. Very creative in all aspects. The one thing that I am highly interested in is the autofill water flow and measuring aspects.
I am not really interested in automating the refill but instead, I would be highly interested in being able to measure the total volume and rate of the refill valve (even when the water is just trickling in from the refill valve).

If you could shine some more light on this topic, I would be grateful.
Thanks...
r..