Wireless Thermometer

[KDpoolguy]

I believe most of the automation systems have some sort of add-on that allows remote temperature sensing. How about for the rest of us? I’ve found one that works (AcuRite 00617HDSBA2 Wireless Floating Pool & Spa Thermometer), but it doesn’t survive for long floating in the spa. Even the regular mercury pool thermometers fail regularly. It works great to see when the spa/pool reaches temperature. Thankfully after repairing my pool heater’s old-school potentiometers and calibrating them with a multimeter, the spa reaches and maintains 103 degrees.

I’m having to replace the wireless floating thermometer every year. It’s very typical: unit works for 6 months, then LCD fills with condensation and LCD readout fails, 6 more months and it completely fails. Found them for $20 on Amazon-used to get them at Home Depot for $40.

I’d love some input on anything the TFP crew might have tried?

I have this idea with the link below to use a wireless BBQ temp probe, some reviews that I’ve seen have reviewers having used these in their hot tubs. I can zip-tie the probe to my handrail (it anchors into spa floor so that’s ideal to keep probe just below water line).

Amazon.com: Customer reviews: ThermoPro TP-08S Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Meat Thermometer Dual Probe for Grilling Smoker BBQ Food Thermometer - Monitors Food from 300 Feet Away

 

[chiefwej]

There are several that have sending units with wired remote sensors, but if you want a floating sensor for pool or spa that lasts more than a single season, this is the best I’ve found.

Amazon.com: Ambient Weather WS-14 Wireless 8-Channel Floating Pool and Spa Thermometer: Home Kitchen

Opening floating sensors to replace batteries can often be a source of leakage. There are a few features that make this sensor better in that regard and better regards condensation. There is a descendant pack inside to combat condensation. The seal is also better than others, and most important there is a solar cell that augments the battery drain. So, the battery seldom needs replacement.

 

[KDpoolguy]

There are several that have sending units with wired remote sensors, but if you want a floating sensor for pool or spa that lasts more than a single season, this is the best I’ve found.

Amazon.com: Ambient Weather WS-14 Wireless 8-Channel Floating Pool and Spa Thermometer: Home Kitchen

Opening floating sensors to replace batteries can often be a source of leakage. There are a few features that make this sensor better in that regard and better regards condensation. There is a descendant pack inside to combat condensation. The seal is also better than others, and most important there is a solar cell that augments the battery drain. So, the battery seldom needs replacement.

Thx Chief.
I am tempted to reverse engineer one of the floating ones to somehow get temp readings from the equipment pad, as the weather we face out here in the desert is devastating to these electronic gadgets. At the pad I can better protect it from the sun.
I looked at the Pentair temp sensor ($24) which is just a 2 wire probe. I imagine using that and drilling a hole in PVC at the pad for it and hooking it into some sort of transmitter-maybe just the transmitter guts of the the Acurite unit I’m using. I don’t need an LCD readout outside, just to transmit to the receiver indoors.

 

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Those drill-into-the-plumbing sensors only report pool temperature accurately while the pump is running.

 

[jmastron]

I too had bad luck with the Acu-Rite ones from Home Depot (never lasted more than 4-5 months).

I also have the Ambient Weather WS-14; it's been in the pool for 2.5 years now through the 105+ degree summer days (with water in the mid 90s) to the below-freezing winter nights (with water in the ow 40s). The display on the unit itself stopped working a year or more ago, but it continues to faithfully reporting temps to the remote receiver. It does go through batteries fairly often even with the solar cell -- maybe 2-4 times a year? I change the dessicant pack each time as they instruct -- I just save packs from various shoes or other items to use.

The wireless range isn't reliable into the house (100+ feet with trees in the way), but neither was the Acu-Rite, so I just leave the receiver under the pool shade structure, where it's more useful anyway.

The good things:

- It reports with 0.1 degree precision (and seems to be pretty accurate) vs the 1 degree precision of the Acu-Rite.

- The receiver automatically clears the high/low readings at midnight, so I can see the range the pool had *today*, not whenever I last remembered to press a reset button. I think that feature can be turned off.

- It can be mixed-and-matched with other indoor/outdoor transmitters, and receivers that show multiple temps.

 

[KDpoolguy]

Those drill-into-the-plumbing sensors only report pool temperature accurately while the pump is running.

That’s a good point. That’s actually OK. I really only need accurate readings when I’m heating up the spa.

 

[KDpoolguy]

I too had bad luck with the Acu-Rite ones from Home Depot (never lasted more than 4-5 months).

I also have the Ambient Weather WS-14; it's been in the pool for 2.5 years now through the 105+ degree summer days (with water in the mid 90s) to the below-freezing winter nights (with water in the ow 40s). The display on the unit itself stopped working a year or more ago, but it continues to faithfully reporting temps to the remote receiver. It does go through batteries fairly often even with the solar cell -- maybe 2-4 times a year? I change the dessicant pack each time as they instruct -- I just save packs from various shoes or other items to use.

The good things:

- It reports with 0.1 degree precision (and seems to be pretty accurate) vs the 1 degree precision of the Acu-Rite.

I’ll have to investigate pricing on the WS-14. Can only find one for $45. That’s good info, I’ll take 2.5 years! Out here we get 120 straight days of 110-120 degree afternoons. It’s just brutal and shocking including an accident of leaving out a Bluetooth speaker will destroy it.

Maybe dropping in a desiccant pouch to the probe part of my Acurite is an avenue to extend its life.

 

[chiefwej]

Do you really think the climate is less punishing here in Tucson?

 

[jmastron]

I’ll have to investigate pricing on the WS-14. Can only find one for $45. That’s good info, I’ll take 2.5 years! Out here we get 120 straight days of 110-120 degree afternoons. It’s just brutal and shocking including an accident of leaving out a Bluetooth speaker will destroy it.

Maybe dropping in a desiccant pouch to the probe part of my Acurite is an avenue to extend its life.

From some quick searching, it looks like there's also a WS-314 model that doesn't have the display on the floating unit or the solar cell, only $1 cheaper but my unit display doesn't work anyway and batteries seem to need changing more often than the quoted 1-2 years even with the solar cell.
Ambient Weather WS-14 Wireless 8-Channel Floating Pool and Spa Thermometer
Ambient Weather WS-314 Wireless 8-Channel Floating Pool and Spa Thermometer

With shipping, comes to around $42 whether direct or on Amazon etc. The floating units alone seems to be available for ~$30 shipped, so a bit cheaper to replace just that part.

The manual does recommend using silicone grease on the O-ring at battery changes (I use food-grade silicone grease that comes in a little white cylinder), and I could have sworn it recommended replacing the dessicant pack also (they sell their own, but I just reuse ones from other things). I'd bet those two steps make a big difference in keeping the internals dry.

 

[chiefwej]

They also sell replacement O-rings and even a special wrench for opening the unit. It’s almost like they expect it to last more than one battery change (unlike the AcuRite one).

If you hunt around on the internet you can some package deals with different display units and multiple sensors. I found it was cheaper to buy a second package with display and multiple sensors than the just two sensors alone, when I finally did replace both my pool and spa sensors. So I now have outside ambient air temp as well as both pool and spa temps.

 

[KDpoolguy]

Do you really think the climate is less punishing here in Tucson?

Noted. Our summers are punishing.

The 2 wire temp probe on the Acurite could conceivably be soldered to another 2 wire probe???? Maybe? Since it’s still working (and beginning to fail floating in the water), and when it fails I’ll get an WS14 to take over the work.

If I can wire a 10 foot temperature probe soldered to the existing Acurite and fish the probe into my skimmer or autofill and drill a hole in water probe and button that up and just have that transmitting part in a storage box nearby, that’d be acceptable.

I just don’t know if these probes are calibrated differently?