New pool/spa automation help

[Aejeck]

Good morning,

Our pool was just completed this past month and we didn’t think we cared about automation. My wife of course is already annoyed at having to tell me to switch to the spa (and me having to physically do it). The problem is I’ve talked to several dealers/pool companies around here and everyone has a different opinion or greatly contradicts each other.

Our setup: ~6000 gallon pool with a spillover spa. We have 2 bubblers on a sun shelf and no other water features.

Equipment: Hayward VS Maxflow 500
Gulf Stream Heat pump pool heater
Hayward colorlogic lights (2, one switch)
Hayward salt system
Spa blower

We have a vac line we don’t use as we bought a pentair warrior se. Turning the bubblers on and off remotely isn’t that big a deal for us, really we just want to be able to kick the spa and heater on, turn the lights on etc.

We have several quotes so far;
Two OmniLogic setups with 2 valves for between 3800 and 4000.
Two OmniPL between 3500 and 4200.
An OmniHub for 4800.
And an Aqualink for 2375 with the caveat we wouldn’t be able to really control our pump.

No one seems to agree on what is needed and the price difference is crazy. I am pulling my hair out on this and no one seems to care except to just sell a product with the exception of the Jandy, who was upfront that there would be trade offs. I did read somewhere about a “pump link” but cannot find that thread.

Any help or guidance would be so gratefully appreciated. We are located in Southwest Florida if that helps with the pricing questions. I did have someone in Tampa tell me the retail cost on the Hayward was between 1,000 to 1,600 based on the model (base).

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Ok Aejeck, all that is going over my head.....but I know some folks here who understand this kinda talk. paging @Jimrahbe paging @bmoreswim

Maddie

 

[aquam4n]

I have iAqualink with 2 neverlube Jandy valves for pool and spa with a spa side switch with 4 buttons that's connected (Heater, Spa Light, Spa and Booster Pump (jets)). I can try and answer any questions you may have?

 

[Aejeck]

I have iAqualink with 2 neverlube Jandy valves for pool and spa with a spa side switch with 4 buttons that's connected (Heater, Spa Light, Spa and Booster Pump (jets)). I can try and answer any questions you may have?

I’m just trying to figure out what is the best option for us. Would the aqua link work with what we have? We are getting conflicting answers. It’s the cheapest option by far of the quotes we have gotten.

 

[aquam4n]

you could both load the app on your phones (assuming smartphones) and when your ready for the Spa you would hit Spa Mode and it would rotate your valves for correct positioning for spa mode and as long as the heater is hooked up (heater output from iaqualink control board to heaters board) (which mine is a pentair heater so I use the fireman's switch) to the iaqualink you would use the temp setting on the app that would also fire the heater. you could do it or she could do it


are you only worried about turning on the Spa remotely?

I have spotlights on my palm trees that's also hooked up to an auxiliary channel just for power. I have an outlet that the transformer can plug into nearby as well but hooking it up to the auxiliary on the iAqualink I can rename the aux channel on my phone and now I can remotely control the lights if I don't want them on for whatever reason. What I'm trying to say is that besides pool control I use it to control other things as well. my waterfall has its own valve that was manual, I removed the handle and put a motor valve on that and did the same thing so its automated with a button now as well as my pools solar.

 

[Aejeck]

Switching to the spa/setting the heater is the primary concern, but being able to control the lights or being able to change the bubblers down the road might be nice.

 

[mknauss]

Switching to the spa/setting the heater is the primary concern, but being able to control the lights or being able to change the bubblers down the road might be nice.

Some of those functions may take adjusting the pump rpm to match your need. The Jandy automation will most likely not control the Hayward pump. So consider that.

 

[Aejeck]

Some of those functions may take adjusting the pump rpm to match your need. The Jandy automation will most likely not control the Hayward pump. So consider that.

That’s what the Jandy guy told me — the pump would run at a single speed, which sounds like a bad idea.

 

[aquam4n]

I was likely going to switch from iAqualink to the Omnilogic because it has smartphone control and a separate wireless control panel that floats. in auto mode on iAqualink your phone only works and the control box does not and you have to switch it which is annoying. I wish the box and phone worked in auto mode. you have to be in service mode for the control box to work but then phone controls do not work.

the only reason it doesn't matter to me much is because I refuse to leave the gas line on at the heater when not in use so I don't activate the spa when away from the house when I'm on my way home or whatever the scenario is, so I have to open the gas line for the heater and activate the iAqualink in the same area.

 

[Aejeck]

I was likely going to switch from iAqualink to the Omnilogic because it has smartphone control and a separate wireless control panel that floats. in auto mode on iAqualink your phone only works and the control box does not and you have to switch it which is annoying. I wish the box and phone worked in auto mode. you have to be in service mode for the control box to work but then phone controls do not work.

the only reason it doesn't matter to me much is because I refuse to leave the gas line on at the heater when not in use so I don't activate the spa when away from the house when I'm on my way home or whatever the scenario is, so I have to open the gas line for the heater and activate the iAqualink in the same area.

Makes sense. We have a heat pump so we don’t have that extra concern, and because it takes longer to heat up is the main reason we would like the mobile app ability. Sounds like we need to stick to Hayward. I just can’t figure out the differences between their offerings.

 

[mknauss]

Hayward OmniLogic - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com