Home Automation and Integration with Alexa / Google Home

[GDN]

Loving the Dot/Alexa. I just happened to already have full house light control with Insteon, a Honeywell connected thermostat and Pentair Screen Logic on the pool. Once I found that Pentair had a skill for the Echo/Dot I was all in. All three of my systems work very well. For $49 for the Dot I'm very impressed.

To kb406 - a couple of pointers when trying to connect, you must set up the access at https://pentairpoolchat.com/login?redirect=/profile - be sure and enter your "brick ID" (Protocol Adapter) with capital letters and make sure you have a remote access password set up in your local Screen Logic configuraiton and make it match on the pentairpoolchat.com site. Mine connected quickly after those things.

I had to rename a couple of my circuits in SL just to make them simpler so Alexa could interpret them. She has been good at turning things on and off and I love to ask her what the pool temperature is because I named my pool 'Paradise" so she calls it that when replying to me. All I do is "Alexa ask Pentair to tell me what the pool temperature is".

As a note for those looking at the Echo - the Dot does everything the Echo does with the exception of having a quality play back speaker for music. I've already got music piped through the house - so saving $130 and getting in for $49 was the deal.

 

[bk406]

I'm all good. I got it working.
My issue was the pool name. I tried to name it Pentair: XX-XX-XX, just like on the screen logic home screen. Turns out the skill didn't like that. I just named it "My Pool", entered the brick ID, and it added it to the skill. Works great. My pool's closed, but I keep the ET box on all winter since it controls some outside lighting. Alexa turns on all the relays I need. Hopefully it will turn on the heater and set the temp. It should.

 

[johnnym]

I received an email from Hayward today in response to my question to them about an Alexa skill for the Omnilogic system and they said they "are currently testing with the Amazon Echo. We hope to have it available later this year.". I hope it is not too much later this year but at least they are working on it.

 

[Silver_2000]

I reached out to Zodiac - Jandy and got this

Hi Doug,

Our engineering team is aware that customers are requesting that Iaqualink be integrated with Echo, IFTT, and Alexa. They are currently working to make this integration possible. Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a timeline for the completion of this effort. Thank you for reaching out to us Doug, and have a wonderful day.

Highest Regards,
Casey
Pool Owner Technical Support

At least they are trying

 

[sshumate]

I reached out to Zodiac - Jandy and got this



At least they are trying

I got tired of waiting so I built my own based on an ESP8266 chip and a RS485 transceiver. I plug it in the Jandy RS485 bus, give it my WiFi password, and tell Alex "discover devices". I can then tell Alexa "Turn on pool pump", "Turn on spa mode", "Turn off waterfalls", etc. Since my device emulates a Hue bridge, there are no plugins, skills, or other stuff to install. It's pure plug and play (or plug and talk).

 

[Silver_2000]

I got tired of waiting so I built my own based on an ESP8266 chip and a RS485 transceiver. I plug it in the Jandy RS485 bus, give it my WiFi password, and tell Alex "discover devices". I can then tell Alexa "Turn on pool pump", "Turn on spa mode", "Turn off waterfalls", etc. Since my device emulates a Hue bridge, there are no plugins, skills, or other stuff to install. It's pure plug and play (or plug and talk).

Ok so share ...

please

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Does anyone get concerned about these devices also "listening" to your home?

https://www.wired.com/2016/12/alexa-and-google-record-your-voice/

Yip

 

[woodyp]

I got some teeny tiny noise cancelling headphones and a gag for Alexa.....................

More fun than just pulling her plug!

 

[Jedisparky]

Wow, this is great! I ha e Phillip Hue lights in house, a Nest thermostat, and JUST got my Easy Touch 4 w/ Screen logic (just need to install it) So now your telling me I can get an an Alexa and control all those things! Oh, boy is it going to get tech geeky over here!

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk

 

[Sammy2]

look at a broader standard like zwave as well then tie that to Alexa

Zwave devices are typically wider ranging and cheaper.
I have about a dozen zwave devices so far and love building schedules and rules.

Since i have a jandy control I cant control my pool yet - hoping that jandy builds a skill for Iaqualink
Since it looks like high school kids can build skills and they already have an HTML interface it shouldnt take much ...

If they published an API I would look at it myself after seeing so many crazy one off skills in the "alexa store"

Autelis will get your Jandy out of it's shell. I have mine integrated into my Vera Plus using the beta plugin. Integration of Vera Plus and Alexa is in beta as well although I don't use it. I'm olds school and prefer to talk to people over devices and am still fine with controlling things with an app or web interface. Given time, that may change though.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm in the market for a new pool controller myself. I'm leaning towards the Pentair EasyTouch. However, I have been considering "building" my own controller with some of the new automation stuff out there. Lately I've been looking at the WeMo Maker. Looks like there's not a lot of information out there about how it really works and just a lot of people experimenting at this point. I'm ready for this technology to become easier to use :|

I'm pretty sure I could bypass my Jandy altogether and control it with a system of Z-wave relays using my Vera Plus.

 

[Sammy2]

The line of Vera home automation controllers (z-wave, wifi, zigbee, bluetooth) interface with Alexa (so says latest firmware update). I really like my vera system - has lights, garage door, alarm system, thermostats all integrated now. Will probably integrate my home-built pool automation as well. Then will see about Alexa.

Not sure if you can change the startup phrase for Alexa, but hopefully you can. A local tv reporter was talking about how little girl ordered stuff via alexa, and it actually did it to multiple viewers as the Alexas heard him talking.

Vera FTW for me!! I'm slowly automating my whole house, pool included, with it. It's the wave of the future.. the wave of the future.. the wave of the future.

Check my couple posts above. I think you can do it with just Z-wave relays but there's also autelis and plugins for both Pentair and Jandy available to integrate the Autelis into Vera. Pentair is in the store. Autelis is in a perfectly functional beta in the link I posted above.

- - - Updated - - -

I got tired of waiting so I built my own based on an ESP8266 chip and a RS485 transceiver. I plug it in the Jandy RS485 bus, give it my WiFi password, and tell Alex "discover devices". I can then tell Alexa "Turn on pool pump", "Turn on spa mode", "Turn off waterfalls", etc. Since my device emulates a Hue bridge, there are no plugins, skills, or other stuff to install. It's pure plug and play (or plug and talk).

Ok so share ...

please

Yup! Tell us how you do it!

 

[sshumate]

Does anyone get concerned about these devices also "listening" to your home?

https://www.wired.com/2016/12/alexa-and-google-record-your-voice/

Yip

It's concerning what Amazon and Google could do in the future or what a skilled hacker could do if the devices are hacked. The Alexa is always listening but it does not record or send what it hears to the cloud until you say the Alexa keyword. I used a network traffic analyzer to verify that this is the case. However, you better believe that what you do ask Alexa and Home is permanently saved in their servers but this is no different than what these companies already do with your web activities.

 

[Rollercoastr]

Alexa has a lot of control over things in my house. People ask me about privacy concerns all the time, but my life isn't all that interesting. (but I have to say, she is now, and always WILL BE out of earshot of the bedroom!)

 

[Sammy2]

Alexa has a lot of control over things in my house. People ask me about privacy concerns all the time, but my life isn't all that interesting. (but I have to say, she is now, and always WILL BE out of earshot of the bedroom!)

Let me guess.. Your wife's name is Alexa?

 

[pooldv]

Does anyone get concerned about these devices also "listening" to your home?

https://www.wired.com/2016/12/alexa-and-google-record-your-voice/

Yip

Yes, it is all recon for an alien invasion!

 

[Rollercoastr]

Let me guess.. Your wife's name is Alexa?

lol.

 

[woodyp]

lol.

Must be his girl friend!

 

[Sandy Pool]

I don't see anyone with the same setup as me, but three years ago I went with an Intermatic PE653 controller because 1) it was cheaper than anything else and 2) it was Z-Wave compatible. Nothing worked with it at the time, but a couple of years ago, some SmartThings users developed home-brew code that integrates it and SmartThings very nicely. My system is pretty simple, but everything I need to control (pump, light, waterfall) is on a SmartThings switch, and via that interface, controllable by Alexa.

All the pieces are readily available from Intermatic, SmartThings and Amazon; but putting them together us really more of a DIY type project.

Sent from my SGP561 using Tapatalk

 

[Swampwoman]

^According to my info from Intermatic, the old/current pe653 is older zwave tech, which is why some have trouble integrating it...BUT its due for an upgrade to the software in the next year, just so you know

Sandy, I haven't tried the Smarthome hack code yet because at this point Alexa is barely speaking to me...we have 5 wifi networks and apparently she's finds this occasionally confusing Someday my robots will get on the same page...or not...

 

[woodyp]

Heck-----I'd sure find 5 wifi networks confusing! Are you an NSA black ops server farm? If so, Alexa is already highly integrated with those already it seems according to the interwebs.................