I took the idea @skola28 had with this post and ran with it for my case use.
I have a pool with a spillover spa, single pump, SWG, heater, lights, blower, and two Jandy valves to switch between pool mode and spa mode.
In my case, I already had a power sub-panel to run everything. And everything works. It just required manually changing over valves, heater temp, and pump speed. Then setting it all back again afterward.
I used two Sonoff 4CHPROR3 to control the pump and two valve actuators. I used one Sonoff TH Elite to monitor the water temp and control the heater. It's all mounted in a outdoor electrical box. Here is a shot of the box:
On the lower right is 120 VAC line in. This supplies power to the three Sonoff devices and the 24 VAC transformer on the left.
On the lower middle is the TH Elite. The black cable is the temp probe that is in a thermowell in the pool plumbing. The brown two conductor wire is the heater control.
On the lower left is the 120VAC > 24VAC transformer. This provides power for the valve actuators.
On the upper right is a Sonoff 4CHPROR3 that controls the valve actuators. The red and white wires are for the valve actuator clockwise/counter-clockwise control. The blue wire is 24VAC. On the far left are the common black valve actuator wires. This also leaves two channels available on this 4CHPROR3 for future use.
On the upper left is a onoff 4CHPROR3 that controls the pool pump. I run a Pentair SuperFlo VS pump. I use an 8-wire data cable. The Red wire is +5v from the pump. The White wire is Speed 1, Blue wire Speed 2, and Orange wire is speed 3. The Brown wire is for the Quick Clean mode but I do not use that. The Green and Yellow wires are for RS485 communication and the Black wire is for ground if using a different power source.
I cheated with a couple things like the pool/spa lights. I already had those wired to an outlet so I just used a Sonoff TX device instead of having that controlled from this same panel. Same for patio lights. I have yet to address the blower and I'll need to install a relay for that. Baby steps.
So far all the schedules work great and it's a simple one button push to change to spa mode. But most important: I can change over to spa mode while we are away from home and it'll be all ready when we get back.
Cost break down:
$20 - Sonoff TX (pool/spa lights)
$14 - 24VAC Transformer
$10 - Sonoff S31 (patio lights)
$54 - Sonoff 4CHPROR3 - ($27ea - x2)
$17 - Sonoff TH Elite
$7 - DIN Rails
$7 - Terminal Blocks
$162 - Valve Actuators - ($81ea - x2)
$53 - Junction Box
$35 - Pump Data Cable
$10 - 1/2" Thermowell
$10 - Sonoff Temp Probe - 10
$25 - Wire and Misc Hardware
$424 - Total
Now for the naysayers (I know you're out there!):
There is nothing I have done that can't be undone or added into a "real" commercial automation panel. I can unhook everything in 10 minutes and have it back to fully manual. If a future me (or other person) wants a different automation panel the valve actuators and cables, pump data cable, and two wire heater control can all be reused. I have not painted myself into a corner in any way.
Are the components I used junk? Possibly. Time will tell. But for one, everything is so cheap that if something fails it won't break the bank (looking at you Pentair!). But more importantly, I can create whatever automation tasks, front end, and other customization I can dream up.
If you have even meager DIY skills I would suggest looking into solutions like this. Most pool equipment has really really basic controls. It's also meant to be fairly robust. So it's really unlikely you could do any damage. That said, DO NOT do what I did or you risk voiding warranties, breaking expensive equipment, and getting into the doghouse with your spouse.
Have fun,
JF
I have a pool with a spillover spa, single pump, SWG, heater, lights, blower, and two Jandy valves to switch between pool mode and spa mode.
In my case, I already had a power sub-panel to run everything. And everything works. It just required manually changing over valves, heater temp, and pump speed. Then setting it all back again afterward.
I used two Sonoff 4CHPROR3 to control the pump and two valve actuators. I used one Sonoff TH Elite to monitor the water temp and control the heater. It's all mounted in a outdoor electrical box. Here is a shot of the box:
On the lower right is 120 VAC line in. This supplies power to the three Sonoff devices and the 24 VAC transformer on the left.
On the lower middle is the TH Elite. The black cable is the temp probe that is in a thermowell in the pool plumbing. The brown two conductor wire is the heater control.
On the lower left is the 120VAC > 24VAC transformer. This provides power for the valve actuators.
On the upper right is a Sonoff 4CHPROR3 that controls the valve actuators. The red and white wires are for the valve actuator clockwise/counter-clockwise control. The blue wire is 24VAC. On the far left are the common black valve actuator wires. This also leaves two channels available on this 4CHPROR3 for future use.
On the upper left is a onoff 4CHPROR3 that controls the pool pump. I run a Pentair SuperFlo VS pump. I use an 8-wire data cable. The Red wire is +5v from the pump. The White wire is Speed 1, Blue wire Speed 2, and Orange wire is speed 3. The Brown wire is for the Quick Clean mode but I do not use that. The Green and Yellow wires are for RS485 communication and the Black wire is for ground if using a different power source.
I cheated with a couple things like the pool/spa lights. I already had those wired to an outlet so I just used a Sonoff TX device instead of having that controlled from this same panel. Same for patio lights. I have yet to address the blower and I'll need to install a relay for that. Baby steps.
So far all the schedules work great and it's a simple one button push to change to spa mode. But most important: I can change over to spa mode while we are away from home and it'll be all ready when we get back.
Cost break down:
$20 - Sonoff TX (pool/spa lights)
$14 - 24VAC Transformer
$10 - Sonoff S31 (patio lights)
$54 - Sonoff 4CHPROR3 - ($27ea - x2)
$17 - Sonoff TH Elite
$7 - DIN Rails
$7 - Terminal Blocks
$162 - Valve Actuators - ($81ea - x2)
$53 - Junction Box
$35 - Pump Data Cable
$10 - 1/2" Thermowell
$10 - Sonoff Temp Probe - 10
$25 - Wire and Misc Hardware
$424 - Total
Now for the naysayers (I know you're out there!):
There is nothing I have done that can't be undone or added into a "real" commercial automation panel. I can unhook everything in 10 minutes and have it back to fully manual. If a future me (or other person) wants a different automation panel the valve actuators and cables, pump data cable, and two wire heater control can all be reused. I have not painted myself into a corner in any way.
Are the components I used junk? Possibly. Time will tell. But for one, everything is so cheap that if something fails it won't break the bank (looking at you Pentair!). But more importantly, I can create whatever automation tasks, front end, and other customization I can dream up.
If you have even meager DIY skills I would suggest looking into solutions like this. Most pool equipment has really really basic controls. It's also meant to be fairly robust. So it's really unlikely you could do any damage. That said, DO NOT do what I did or you risk voiding warranties, breaking expensive equipment, and getting into the doghouse with your spouse.
Have fun,
JF
