Help with equipment choices for new Fiberglass pool and spa combo

[thejeff]

Hi all,

New to the forum. I am in the process of ordering a 12.5x26 fiberglass pool. It is a leisure pools Limitless 26 with a built in spa. I am buying a package that includes heat pump, salt chlorinator and have some options for the pump:

The base package includes a 1HP Hayward Superpump single-speed which would require me to go over and manually swivel valves to use the SPA and increase the heat.

Upgraded package is a Hayward Tristar VS pump with Omnilogic controls. This would have valve actuators and control of the heat so that I could switch the pool to SPA mode from my smartphone, etc. The cost to upgrade from base is $2000 Canadian (around $1500 US for parts only). The only automation use that I want is to not have to walk over to the equipment pad to put it into SPA mode. Do I need Omnilogic for that? Is there a substantially cheaper option that could allow me to hit a button from my deck to turn the actuators and up the heat (and vice versa)? I have found some Intermatic zWave pool automation controllers that can be hooked via 24V relay to valve actuators. Not sure if those can also control the heat, etc.

Need some guidance here. I am buying the pool and equipment wholesale direct from a distributor (at a great price), so they obviously do not have the time to guide me as much as a retail establishment would, so that is why I figured I would ask a place like this.

Thanks so much in advance

Jeff

 

[needsajet]

Welcome to TFP! Good to have you here

That sounds to me like a reasonably priced upgrade (considering Canadian prices) that would achieve what you want, but I'm not familiar with it, so I'll put up the bat signal and see if I can find you some help.

 

[kimkats]

That looks like it would do the trick. The VS pump alone would make it worth it! You can everything to stay in the "family" so it works well together.