Pool Math API

[calisro]

Hello All. If there is a better portion of the forum for this, please move this?

I have an integration with Home Assistant and Pool Math via its API. I currently have a SWG and pentair integration also within Home Assistant.

My question is, is there an API I can use to actually UPDATE pool math data with automated metrics from Home Assistant (PUT/REST requests or similar). What i'd like to do is be able to update certain characteristics from my HA to the Pool Math App. I'd think this is pretty simple as I am sure the app itself does some json updates. Is there any information as to whether this is something I can do? Really all I need is a point in the right direction to the API if that is possible to make the updates. I do know this is the API: https://api.poolmathapp.com/share/ but that is for gathering data rather than updating data.

Things i'd like to send to pool math are things like:
Salt Level
Temps
Potentially Pressure/flow rates.

 

[ajw22]

@Leebo can consider it.

They may not want the load of outside devices doing frequent updates.

 

[calisro]

I'd be happy if it were throttled updates. I don't need it often but it would be helpful to be able to push programmatic collected metrics up to poolmath so all my pool data is one place.

 

[calisro]

No appetite for this? @Leebo

 

[mknauss]

No appetite for this? @Leebo

Send an email to [email protected] with details of what you are requesting.

 

[Leebo]

At this time were focusing developer hours on a few other items…..mainly bug fixes. We’ve added this to a list of ideas for the future, but at this point time is spent on other items.

 

[Dirk]

I have an integration with Home Assistant and Pool Math via its API. I currently have a SWG and pentair integration also within Home Assistant.

Mind if I hijack this thread?

- How did you achieve "pentair integration" within Home Assistant?!

- Are you able to retrieve data from ScreenLogic? Which data? Like temperatures? Or error alerts? What is running?

- Are you able to initiate actions via ScreenLogic? Turn on a feature circuit? Change settings? Run egg timers?

- To what do you have ScreenLogic connected? An EasyTouch? (Missing from your signature.)

I don't use Home Assistant. My HA software does accommodate integration via plugins and Python scripting. I've enhanced my HA software using both. The plugins are written by third party developers, for the most part. But the only Pentair plugin available requires an iLink adapter, which I believe only works with IntelliTouch (which I don't have) and costs about 6 or 7 bills (which I also don't have!). Last I heard there is no public API for ScreenLogic, not that I would likely know what to do with it even if there is one. My inter-app efforts consist mostly of Python, Javascript, AppleScript and URL query strings. I can scrape together a CURL command. That's about it.

Whatcha got? And why ya been holdin' out!?

 

[calisro]

Mind if I hijack this thread?

I don't mind.

- How did you achieve "pentair integration" within Home Assistant?!

Home Assistant has two integration options. I'm using the inbuilt one that became available last year I believe:

core/homeassistant/components/screenlogic at dev · home-assistant/core

:house_with_garden: Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. - home-assistant/core

github.com

- Are you able to retrieve data from ScreenLogic? Which data? Like temperatures? Or error alerts? What is running?

Yes i can extract all of that. The sensors they created are decent and have most of that data. The alerts are limited, I believe, to issues with chemistry/chlorinator which works perfectly for me.

- Are you able to initiate actions via ScreenLogic? Turn on a feature circuit? Change settings? Run egg timers?

Yes I can turn on all features. I can't change 'settings' like configuration type ones but I doubt you're referring to those. I change everything from chlorination settings to run times to anything else via home assistsant automations. I've gone as far as having the chlorinator turn on and off to satisfy a specific level of FC (via a calculation). In other words, I can tell home assistant to run the chlorinator at 100% or 20% and it will simply increase or decrease the run times in order to achieve a set amount of FC loss per day. You can't run 'egg timers' that are part of the screenlogic panel but you create your own HA side timers. I've completely replaced the functionality in the screenlogic control panel with my own automations. Since I also integrate with google assistant, me or my kids can just tell google to start the waterfalls, turn the spa on high, spillover, etc.

- To what do you have ScreenLogic connected? An EasyTouch? (Missing from your signature.)

I'll add it for the future. I do have an easy touch. It essentially interacts with it. The easy touch is the control arm, the home assistant is the brain.

But the only Pentair plugin available requires an iLink adapter, which I believe only works with IntelliTouch (which I don't have) and costs about 6 or 7 bills (which I also don't have!).

Yes it cost a bit but I'm really happy with what i've accomplished as far as automation around it. More importantly, my wife can control pretty much everything with her voice which makes her happy and the kids don't need to bug me to turn on the spa or features or anything else.

Last I heard there is no public API for ScreenLogic, not that I would likely know what to do with it even if there is one.

There is an API but you'll need a easytouch. Its actually pretty simple but I haven't bothered to do anything with it as Home Assistant does a fine enough job. I believe there is a node.js that works to humanize it as well.


My next 'feature' will be (thanks to Pool Math!) is to be able to auto-adjust the amount of chlorination depending on the statistics of the last test(s). If only I had a auto-PH test/distribution but those are ridiculously expensive.

This is my current 'control panel' via home assistant. It'll give you an idea. I also calculate a very 'estimate' cost for heating.

 

[Dirk]

Interesting. So it looks like someone, in essence, wrote a plugin (or library?) that allows Home Assistant to interface with ScreenLogic. It looks to be mostly Python, which I can read, but the scripts are calling Home Assistant modules. Maybe I can decipher how the Python scripts are "talking" to ScreenLogic, and maybe recreate some of that using the modules that my HA software provides. Long shot. Or maybe I can coerce the developer that wrote the IntelliTouch/iLink plugin to write one for EasyTouch/ScreenLogic. Another long shot.

Ugh, Pentair. I get they want to keep this stuff proprietary, so they can paint "iLink" on a box and sell $20 worth of chips for $600. But my instinct is that this is short sighted. Home Automation is taking off, big time. Not just for us geeks any more. If they allowed third-party development, and developers were able to build Pentair-blessed HA integration, (1) Pentair wouldn't have to fund that, and (2) it would position Pentair automation leaps ahead of their competition (who are also desperately clinging to decades-old proprietary junk). It would give them a massive head start. Jandy and Hayward would eventually have to get on board, too, and the whole industry would improve. But whoever goes first will grab the lion's share and possibly become the go-to automation supplier.

For some reason, they don't call me for my opinion! Go figure...

 

[Dirk]

Or maybe I'll look into Home Assistant on a Mac (that's my roadblock to the solution you found). Maybe it'd be simpler to figure out how to get my HA software to talk to Home Assistant, than it would be to get my software to talk to ScreenLogic...

ScreenLogic's UI is so bad on a computer (the mobile version is a little better), that I'm desperate to try to straighten that out for myself, like you've done. Your interface looks fantastic. Great job.

Are those individual screen shots, or do you see it like I'm seeing it here, all at once? That's one of my biggest complaints, having to jump around from screen to screen, using clunky navigation, and having to wade through UI elements I don't want to see.

 

[calisro]

Or maybe I'll look into Home Assistant on a Mac (that's my roadblock to the solution you found).

I use a raspberry pi running Home Assistant OS. Its so cheap. $100 and done. If you do this though, i'd highly recommend you move to a USB device that is actually solid state rather than a cheap flash module repackaged into USB. SD Cards fail way too often. Something like this:

Drive:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GYM5F8G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Pi: (You don't need more than 4GB RAM. Even that is a lot...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TXKY4Z9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ScreenLogic's UI is so bad on a computer (the mobile version is a little better), that I'm desperate to try to straighten that out for myself, like you've done. Your interface looks fantastic. Great job.

Thanks. Its really been a game changer for me. I use Home Assistant for everything though so its really nice that I can literally walk outside and all the lights and water features turn on automatically at night (for example).

Are those individual screen shots, or do you see it like I'm seeing it here, all at once? That's one of my biggest complaints, having to jump around from screen to screen, using clunky navigation, and having to wade through UI elements I don't want to see.

You design your own dashboard. I have two actually. I have the one I showed you (all one card). I also have one that is exposed to the kids/wife which has ONLY what they need for simplicity. They can get to it on their phones/tablets or via Google's Home Display. Mostly they just use their voice though. I just dont want them fiddling with anything outside of controlling pool/features/lights/temp/

That's one of my biggest complaints, having to jump around from screen to screen, using clunky navigation, and having to wade through UI elements I don't want to see.

I ONLY touch the pentair interface itself to make 'config' changes like changing default RPMS for cetain things. Those could be exposed via the API but the developer choose not to. Which is perfectly fine as I would RARELY change that.

Happy to share things if you ever need. (automations/templates/sensor configs/integration with poolmath the right way/etc).

 

[calisro]

BTW, if you don't want to delve into Home Assistant and want to write your own, this would work:

GitHub - parnic/node-screenlogic: Pentair ScreenLogic Javascript library using Node.JS

Pentair ScreenLogic Javascript library using Node.JS - parnic/node-screenlogic

github.com

Frankly though, The easyness of Home Assistant to make VERY complex automations and dashboards is better than writing it your own. But you can...

 

[calisro]

Long shot. Or maybe I can coerce the developer that wrote the IntelliTouch/iLink plugin to write one for EasyTouch/ScreenLogic.

It certainly would be nice to have a $50 unit replace it. These people created similar I believe:

Crestron SIMPL Windows Module to Control Pentair IntelliCenter Pool Controller - Crestron, Extron, QSC, Biamp Programming by ControlWorks Consulting, LLC

Crestron SIMPL Windows Module for the Pentair IntelliCenter Pool controller via TCP/IP

www.store.controlworks.com

 

[Dirk]

Interesting. I imagine it was a tough decision for Pentair to allow their IntelliCenter interface to be web-based, as that would expose the protocol to some degree. Not sure if that's how Creston created that Module, but maybe that played a part.

I think IntelliCenter still has bugs. ScreenLogic will probably never get updated. The Mac version doesn't even run on the current OS any more (Pentair knew that was coming since 2017)! So I can't hope for any fix of that. Hopefully they'll keep the mobile app alive. Point is: Pentair doesn't seem to have adequate software development manpower. They're barely keeping their heads above water as it is. I gotta think releasing their APIs would be win-win.

 

[calisro]

I imagine it was a tough decision for Pentair to allow their IntelliCenter interface to be web-based, as that would expose the protocol to some degree. Not sure if that's how Creston created that Module, but maybe that played a part.

I'm sure it was. The existing pentair home assistant integration was reversed using the web. The calls via the web based exactly matched the screenlogic device so it was relatively easy.

I gotta think releasing their APIs would be win-win

You would think so. But I think people like you and I are a minority.

 

[Dirk]

We are, for sure. But I'm not talking for me and you necessarily. I mean for a developer or HA software/hardware manufacturer, ones that could run with it and totally enhance the Pentair automation product line, something that Pentair has historically struggled to do. They don't have to make it public, they could license the API (reasonably), or partner with an HA company. They could still monetize it, but they could bring others in to elevate it in ways their team will never be able to. Just wishful thinking, I know...

The existing pentair home assistant integration was reversed using the web. The calls via the web based exactly matched the screenlogic device so it was relatively easy.

You mean calls to the IntelliCenter match calls to ScreenLogic? So they used what the IntelliCenter web interface revealed to hack ScreenLogic? That'd be just desserts. And that sounds like Pentair. They did a substantial upgrade to the ScreenLogic mobile app not too long ago, but I don't think there is a single improvement to actual functionality. They reorganized the interface a bit, and re-did the graphics. That's it. That, and their seeming abandonment of the computer application, is why I suspect they just don't have the manpower and/or budget to get much done.

Sorry, just beating a dead horse. Nice chattin' with ya, if only just to vent!