Searching for thread about custom DIY automation & best temperature sensors IOS

nuttyp

Bronze Supporter
LifeTime Supporter
Nov 23, 2014
213
Naples/Florida
Pool Size
16000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Does anyone recall the TFP member or thread where the guy did tons of DIY software work with sensors and custom displays on his older iphones and ios tablets? It was a long and older thread that had a new post about a month or two ago and despite allegedly clever searching I cannot seem to find it.

The reason I ask - he had posted his preferred provider of myriad sensors and I want to check it out. But I got distracted at the time and I'm old and forgot! @Texas Splash maybe you remember, or others?. Although I try to avoid wireless, there are some things like pool water, refrigerator monitoring, etc., that beg for a simple wireless transmitter and a display that can aggregate them nicely, along with notifications, alarms, etc. I have many different (cheap) wireless transmitter/display combos and such but they all break and signals overlap & interfere with each other. Ideally I'd like to get temperatures from the pool, the spa, the heater outlet, air inside and outside, and perhaps 5 locations in several refrigerators. There are some interesting offerings from Mocreo, but perhaps there is something better. Thanks for any thoughts.
 
I can't remember what I had for breakfast :), but maybe one of these threads is what you were looking for?





 
Thank you Pat. Some very interesting stuff in all those threads. One of the biggest problems with all my other DIY projects is answering the question "who am I leaving this stuff for?" Answer I guess is "me". I've already made a handful of videos for my wife in case of my expiration from this mortal coil. After I implemented FPH (Free Pool Heat that reclaims heat from the A/C condensor unit) I sold the home and the new owner promptly replaced the A/C system, ripping out all the pool heat portions. So it goes I guess, some fun in the meantime :) Best - Joe
 
  • Like
Reactions: Texas Splash
Yep, me. Here's the thread:

Happy to help in any way I can. Other than the iPads and iPhones that display the temperatures, I didn't use anything wireless, and wouldn't. Half of my efforts were running all the wires, including the one directly into the pool water. I haven't even written up my latest additions, where I expanded my temp sensor system to 10 areas. Fun stuff.

It's funny, I was just having a conversation with a friend, a couple days ago, about how the next owner of my house will fare with my various DIY projects. Some of what I've done in my home will be obvious, and appreciated. Other things will go unnoticed or get ignored. And still others will be all but impossible to figure out. I even considered writing an owner manual for my house (some of my home automation components are very complicated), for the next owner, which may or may not be a child or grandchild. Heck, I'll probably need such a manual for myself eventually!

The fact is, only I will fully appreciate all that I've built, and that's OK. I built it for myself, after all. I consider my imagineering a hobby that just happens to pay dividends in convenience and/or quality of life. Not unlike knitting a sweater, I suppose, just more complicated. A two-fer: I like doing it, and I like using it. Well, a three-fer if you count being able to brag about my exploits here on the forum.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Newdude
PS. This forum has a bookmark feature. When you come across a thread or a post that you want to keep track of, to come back to later, you can bookmark it. Look for this button in the upper-right corner of every post:

Screen Shot 2024-07-24 at 1.59.35 AM.png

Then later you click your username icon and then the same bookmark button to find your saved bookmarks:

Screen Shot 2024-07-24 at 2.04.40 AM.png
 
Last edited:
I'm in the process of building out a load of automations in Home Assistant to control my pool. I only have a limited set of sensors at the moment but in the process of adding more.

1721812125324.png

For building temperature and humidity I use zigbee temperature sensors from Aqara. I currently measure the water temperature with a wireless Ecowitt WN36 Pool Thermometer (which has been very reliable but the battery can't be replaced, you just have to buy a new one). I intend to move to getting the temperature data directly from my heatpump by interfacing with its controller. Alternatively I might end up adding some temperature probes inline in the pipework running off POE ESP32 devices running ESPHome.

I'm in the process of writing a custom scheduler that optimises my pump and heatpump runtime based on the weather and current price of electricity (my price changes daily/half hourly). I was planning to do a writeup once I get everything working and to a shareable state.
 
I'm in the process of building out a load of automations in Home Assistant to control my pool. I only have a limited set of sensors at the moment but in the process of adding more.

View attachment 599037

For building temperature and humidity I use zigbee temperature sensors from Aqara. I currently measure the water temperature with a wireless Ecowitt WN36 Pool Thermometer (which has been very reliable but the battery can't be replaced, you just have to buy a new one). I intend to move to getting the temperature data directly from my heatpump by interfacing with its controller. Alternatively I might end up adding some temperature probes inline in the pipework running off POE ESP32 devices running ESPHome.

I'm in the process of writing a custom scheduler that optimises my pump and heatpump runtime based on the weather and current price of electricity (my price changes daily/half hourly). I was planning to do a writeup once I get everything working and to a shareable state.
Looks great! I've read here about adding an interface to ScreenLogic that will allow me to pull data, equipment status and also control my EasyTouch. That's a project for another day, but I'll eventually be able to add all that to my HA control pages and displays, similar to what you've done.
 
I only have a limited set of sensors at the moment but in the process of adding more.
This forum is probably not the place, but there is a need for a support group for this type of addiction. I would be a charter member! I've already completed the first step, I've admitted I have a problem!! ;) We'll call it H-AA (Home Automation Anonymous).

group.jpg
 
Last edited:
A warm tip of my hat to you guys @Texas Splash @ajw22 @jakeblat & @Dirk - Thank you thank you! What fun reading, now I have more to do when the dogs wake me up at 3AM. And gads - 10 years of reading and posting in TFP and I totally forgot about the thread bookmark feature. Well, I have so many disparate automation pieces, it's time to start tying things together and eliminating more wireless battery operated junk. Another pet peeve is all the "packaged solutions" that require functional internet access in order to work fully, oftentimes to work at all. I guess it's also time to take an old laptop and load it with a nice flavor of linux and a web server. My background is in electronics circuit design, but coding not among my greatest skills. A bit of unix/linux shell experience, and I once wrote a baseball statistics tracker for my softball team - 40 years ago and written in 'awk' of all things. Maybe you guys never even heard of awk? LOL. Have a great day!
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
I've seen awk used for a lot of things but not baseball statistics :D

A few years ago I probably wouldn't have steered people towards it, but Home Assistant has become a really great platform for anything home automation related with integrations with so many different systems. I'd recommend taking a look as it's a great unifier of different systems and doesn't need the internet to work, or a subscription fee, and won't just stop working one day when the cloud service gets turned off. It's also come a long way in user friendlyness if you've tried it in the past but found it hard to get to grips with.
 
This forum is probably not the place, but there is a need for a support group for this type of addiction. I would be a charter member! I've already completed the first step, I've admitted I have a problem!! ;) We'll call it H-AA (Home Automation Anonymous).
Good idea - and yet another group for the families of HA Addicts. "Honey I got an email last night from our joint account saying that the HVAC backup condensate drain is clogged". -- Don't worry love, I'm on it :geek:
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Dirk and Newdude
Another pet peeve is all the "packaged solutions" that require functional internet access in order to work fully
Good call. It's critical that whatever protocol you use, it is completely independent of the internet to work. That's not to say it can't be accessible through the internet, like when you want to access it while away, but its services cannot be dependent on cloud servers.
 
@nuttyp , here is one of my favorite threads. If I was starting from scratch, this is definitely the route I would take. I may still go this route eventually when I decide to stop tinkering, haha. This software is fully supported and comprehensive, and is used by quite a few members within the TFP community. The developers are members of this site as well. However, I don’t think there is specific IOS support.

From @MyAZPool

 
Good call. It's critical that whatever protocol you use, it is completely independent of the internet to work. That's not to say it can't be accessible through the internet, like when you want to access it while away, but its services cannot be dependent on cloud servers.
Indeed, internet access is cool, reliance not cool at all. The most irksome example of reliance I encountered was during an extended power outage wherein the cell towers start dropping off too as they run out of diesel fuel, then little or no internet remaining. Then I discover that my pricey 7.2 kwh of portable ecoflow solar backup generator power cannot be controlled because it requires account login through their servers in order to manage options on what thereby became a very expensive boat anchor. I think ecoflow fixed that recently. Maytronics just added the login requirement to manage my dolphin pool robot – but I “think” I can still control it with Bluetooth, absent all the history info that resides in their cloud. Although some of the preparedness topics drift away from TFP pool-related matters, the power needs remain relevant because I want to be able to power the pool pump (on very low speed) and my SWG for a few hours during extended grid outages - even if I have to rewire them for my 120V-only backup systems. So the ‘automation hobby’ takes off in so many directions! Peace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dirk
@nuttyp , here is one of my favorite threads. If I was starting from scratch, this is definitely the route I would take. I may still go this route eventually when I decide to stop tinkering, haha. This software is fully supported and comprehensive, and is used by quite a few members within the TFP community. The developers are members of this site as well. However, I don’t think there is specific IOS support.
Thanks @jonpcar - much appreciated, I'll take a close look! At the moment my thinking is a bit primitive as I consider easy, inexpensive and best ways to create displays and notification capabilities for a dozen or more wired thermocouples and water sensors. Those desires may conflict, as contractors like to point out the choices between solutions that can be either fast, good, or cheap - and you only get to pick two. Still, I have no shortage of raspberry pi's - also pc's and laptops donated after I wipe hard disks for folks :giggle:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dirk
At the moment my thinking is a bit primitive
That may be, that your needs are simple, for now. "For now" being the key phrase. I started simple, with four X-10 controlled lights in a single room. Decades later I'm managing over 100 devices and a dozen systems (lights, pool, irrigation, HVAC, whole house audio, cams, etc... to name a few). And I've had to change protocols a couple times, and programming languages a couple times.

Adding devices and capabilities I consider "fun," but managing and learning multiple protocols is not. Some technologies are just going to go away. That is the nature of the industry. But you want to vet your primary protocol for longevity and reliability. "Easy" and "inexpensive" might fit the bill now, but consider future expansion capabilities and maintenance as part of the cost equation.

Equally important is starting with a protocol that can handle all the capabilities. Learning and maintaining different systems gets out of control fast, and getting them to talk to each other, even when possible, can be a real pain. A "one-stop" solution will pay dividends. I use one that controls everything (MacOS and iOS based). Others here can point you to the "kitchen sink" star for Windows.

Point being: pick technologies and software that have been around forever (as much as possible) and have a robust community of support, and can do it all. That, in the long term, will turn out to be easiest and least expensive, even if the startup costs (including learning curve) is more at first.

Polling TFP members is certainly a start. But before you invest any real time and money into home automation, satisfy yourself that you are moving forward with a robust and future-supported protocol, one that you will not have to completely replace and relearn in a year or two. I was only half-joking about the addiction. You might be looking now for only a simple temperature display solution, but that's exactly how the contagion gets a foothold!

If you haven't already, you might seek the home-automation equivalent of TFP, and talk to others that have already travelled the path you are embarking on. It's likely there is a protocol-of-choice for you, and for your future self, and the name of it will emerge as the one your fellow forum-mates all use.
 
"For now" being the key phrase. I started simple, with four X-10
All great advice and insights, thanks @Dirk for taking the time! I’m not a total stranger to automation and such, but despite a career in some hefty circuit and computer systems engineering work, there remains some luddite in me – and some miser too😊 I too installed some of my first X10 devices about 30 years ago, but where we diverged perhaps is that 10 years into it I paused, realizing there would be no end to changing protocols, compatibilities and such, many of which lead to device swapping or replacing everything. So now I still have a couple dozen X10 devices, all controlled by a CM11A interface with wall switch overrides, and all of which has been very reliable for over a decade – ever since I found a high quality repeater/amplifier/phase coupler at the panel. But the X10 stuff is an island like most of my other “point solutions”. Like my little $10 temperature controller in the laundry room to control the pool heater via dry contact and a wired thermocouple (in the plumbing before the heater and, yes, should be in the pool, maybe some day). Or the Orbit Bhyve irrigation controller with a zone dedicated to pool fill through the overflow pipe (not fancy or sensing like yours with the toilet fill valve – LOL). Or the pressure switch to safeguard the pool heater when flow stops since I had to bypass the internal heater sensor because it wouldn’t close below 45 GPM when my pump is on low speed. Or the spa-side air plunger that kept going wonky due to the unreliable air receiver in the intermatic spa controller so I outboarded the receiver with an air switch. An adjustable pressure switch logs and texts me when the homeowner’s association runs the main irrigation, notifying me through an Ooma Telo (voip) security feature (grumbling that it uses cloud servers and a fee of $5/month). I use the ooma security for more – a single water sensor is wired/routed all around the attic and down to a pair of wires touching the floor in a half dozen places to get push and email notifications of leaks. But perhaps the biggest reason driving Ooma security is from the smoke and CO alarms, tied together and to a relay that informs ooma through another “water” sensor, with that one set to phone me and text me and offers to call the fire department too. Gotta save the pets!

But those are what I call the ‘primitive islands’, not so much automated but more than anyone I know except for some enthusiasts like you here on TFP. It’s just tough to find the time, funds, and patience to take a step back and integrate. Time is probably the biggest enemy, as I like to split my time among this fun stuff, but also with helping friends, neighbors, TFP folks as you and so many folks kindly do here, also split with a lot of time devoted to reading and faith-based work with my church. And there is the full day of the retired geek 😊

More recently, having many problems with my refrigerators, my goal emerges to find a simple solution to monitor and notify about all the temperatures, probably the water sensors too. Not sure if there is a great way to tie in fire/CO/security alarms without subscription and reliance on cloud services – and Ooma is comparably cheap at $5 extra per month (in addition to the $100/year voip phone plan). A dedicated cell service dialer would work, but that price is much higher than $5/month and ultimately vulnerable too. I’ll have to look into whether Midland makes an auto dialer for my radios – then carry the radio everywhere, hah. Probable that the FCC discourages the automatic keying on the radios anyway – a whole other potential hobby. “This is the emergency dialer from WRKE264 calling anyone who can fill my pool”. Yes, my actual station ID. No, I haven’t been drinking. Not yet.
 
I am kind of going down this route as well. My first step is that I have set up some switches that control my pump and heater. I have a Sonoff THR320D switch. This is pretty cheap, around $25, and can switch up to a 20A load. It also has a dry contact relay. I have flashed the firmware on this device with Tasmota as that gives you much more flexibility.

The main switch controls my relay and the dry contact switch controls the fireman's switch on my heater. This device can also take a temperature probe, like a DS18B20 which connects via a RJ9 connector. You can connect multiple temperature probes. But I have had problems getting the temperature probes to work properly - although I haven't had time to play around for a while.

I have a Control4 home automation system so that will probably be the main brains of the system, but I may set up a web page to do the control instead or as well. Right now Control4 has the timer that is switching the pump on and off every day.
 
I think you both might find ControlByWeb products a good solution. They have a wide range of devices, many of which provide multiple "services," like temperature and contact sensing, as well as control of external devices via relays and such. The devices have a built in web server, and can be controlled by URLs broadcast to them, and can control themselves through some sort of onboard macro programming language (I haven't explored that myself). All independent of the internet. They have both ethernet and Wi-Fi solutions. And the devices can be daisy-chained and set up and programmed to communicated with and control each other. It's pretty robust.

In addition to a useful webpage, the onboard server produces XML files. I ping these files and parse them with scripts, and then the scripts act upon the resulting data. That's how I can get my citrus heaters to turn on and off based on outdoor temperature, or control my window fans to turn on and off based on comparing indoor and outdoor temps. Stuff like that. They also control my phone system (for uninterrupted me-time) and my garage door (both sensing status and controlling light and door). The same could be achieved for flood/leak sensors, mechanical sensors, etc. Just about anything.

These are industrial grade, with reliability and a price to match. The documentation available on their site illustrates many examples of usage.

Then I use a single customizable piece of HA software, with built in support for Python scripting, to manage everything and publish all my control pages, which can be seen on any device, either through dedicated apps or browsers. Because the software offers support for both third-party plugins as well as custom scripting, there's virtually nothing it can't control. And because it's one-stop, I don't have to bounce around from app to app. Just one interface, which I can custom design any way I want.

My overarching point is to select components that can report and/or be controlled by common protocols. I mostly depend on built-in servers that report via HTML or XML, and can be controlled by specially formatted URLs addressed to the device's web server. I think it's safe to rely on HTML and XML... they aren't ever going to be replaced. Not in our lifetimes, anyway.

The more proprietary the protocols you engage, the more complicated your system will be, and the harder it will be to maintain.

And buckle up, I've replaced my entire array of devices twice now. That's the nature of the biz. But I look at it this way: the entire system is a just an appliance. Multiple devices and controls, spread all over my house and yard, but basically just one, big appliance. A very comprehensive HA system might be the same cost as a very nice kitchen fridge or range. And none of those that you buy today last more than about 10 years. Would you like to live without a fridge? I feel the same way now about HA.

As I said, I've been at this for decades, almost five now, and am still on my third "HA appliance." l use this appliance every day, dozens of times a day, and it's doing things automatically for me more often than that, whether I'm home or not, or awake or not. In terms of longevity and usefulness, it puts my kitchen and laundry appliances to shame. So overall, HA has been a very worthwhile investment and just as much an enhancement to my day-to-day life as anything else I own.

I get a heck of a lot more value out of it than a swimming pool, that's for sure!!
 
Last edited:
  • Love
Reactions: nuttyp

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support