Water Guru Sense 2

[arl0726]

Has anyone seen the new Sense S2 from Water Guru? Supposedly will test for all the things: pH, FC, TA, CYA. I was happy with our old one. It was good to have a general sense of pH and Chlorine each day and a graph of the trends, especially when we weren't at home. I'm thinking even a ballpark of TA and CYA would be nice to see without taking the big kit out. Has anyone tried it yet?
$325! Then new cassettes every 30 and 60 days, prices on that looks a little confusing but $60+ for 2 months worth of tests.

 

[PoolStored]

Aren't many that use water guru. I think @IceShadow uses one, don't know if he as the S2...He'll chime in...

 

[AUSpool]

I would want to know what their “safe“ range is, they don’t give that on the web site. This statement suggests that they probably don’t understand or approve of the FC/CyC ideal ratio. “Overchlorinated water creates unpleasant, and harmful conditions while underchlorinated water allows bacteria and algae to grow.” It is the use of “overchlorinated” that worries me. If you look at the app simulation, Jakes pH is 6.5 and they recommend to add one cup cal hypo and run the pump for an hour!

As with all the optical devises there is a extra element of test accuracy.

 

[mgtfp]

I thought that Chem Geek was behind the development of the Water Guru.

But reading advice like this on their Website:

Chlorine: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using at least one part per million (ppm) of chlorine in swimming pools. You can safely go up to three ppm, but you should avoid going much higher than that for regular swimming levels.

... makes me think that their marketing department has taken over the development department.

 

[IceShadow]

I thought that Chem Geek was behind the development of the Water Guru.

But reading advice like this on their Website:

Chlorine: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using at least one part per million (ppm) of chlorine in swimming pools. You can safely go up to three ppm, but you should avoid going much higher than that for regular swimming levels.

... makes me think that their marketing department has taken over the development department.

Luckily they have this on their web app.


Which translates into their phone app.

 

[IceShadow]

Has anyone seen the new Sense S2 from Water Guru? Supposedly will test for all the things: pH, FC, TA, CYA. I was happy with our old one. It was good to have a general sense of pH and Chlorine each day and a graph of the trends, especially when we weren't at home. I'm thinking even a ballpark of TA and CYA would be nice to see without taking the big kit out. Has anyone tried it yet?
$325! Then new cassettes every 30 and 60 days, prices on that looks a little confusing but $60+ for 2 months worth of tests.

I have the original and don’t see a reason to upgrade. It’s been giving me pretty reliable FC and pH reports daily and I can send water in to their lab for testing every once in a while for free, which seems to be really close to my Taylor kit anyway. And TA and CYA aren’t something I need tested on a daily basis as they don’t change very often.

 

[IceShadow]

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still suggesting I buy some CH Increase chemical because I’m at 188 ppm in my vinyl pool. But like anything I use my head and ignore stupid advice.

 

[arl0726]

Oh gosh, yes I wouldn't consider their advice when I have the TFP pool calculator app. But it feels like it might be useful to have a record and the graphs! I think you're right, @IceShadow, that CYA and TA don't move enough to need to measure with a new model. Ok, I'm sold (or, not sold, as the case may be!) I'll buy some new cartridges for the original instead. Thanks!

 

[jmag999]

I installed a Sense S2 about 2 weeks ago. I generally check with a Taylor kit every day but wanted to try to reduce testing to once a week. When I saw that the new one measured more parameters I decided to give it a shot. I also like that it tracks temperature every 30m.

The readings have not been super accurate for me, but within the ballpark. It's enough to know if action needs to be taken.

For my pool, this is roughly what I get for accuracy compared to my Taylor kit:
FC -1ppm
PH +0.2
TA +10
CYA This reading fluctuates a bit, my CYA is usually 70, but the reading on the Sense goes from about 70-110.
CH +20

I thought that the device measured flow continuously, which would be a nice feature, but I believe it just does this initially to determine when to measure each day.

The app has a minor login bug where you need to force close the app once in a while but has otherwise been stable for me.

It claims google assistant connectivity, but it doesn't work like most other devices we have. You can't just ask google what the FC is in the pool. Its more like you are talking directly to the device and need to know exactly what to say. I hope they improve this in the future.

 

[kudlacz]

I installed a Sense S2 about 2 weeks ago. I generally check with a Taylor kit every day but wanted to try to reduce testing to once a week. When I saw that the new one measured more parameters I decided to give it a shot. I also like that it tracks temperature every 30m.

The readings have not been super accurate for me, but within the ballpark. It's enough to know if action needs to be taken.

For my pool, this is roughly what I get for accuracy compared to my Taylor kit:
FC -1ppm
PH +0.2
TA +10
CYA This reading fluctuates a bit, my CYA is usually 70, but the reading on the Sense goes from about 70-110.
CH +20

I thought that the device measured flow continuously, which would be a nice feature, but I believe it just does this initially to determine when to measure each day.

The app has a minor login bug where you need to force close the app once in a while but has otherwise been stable for me.

It claims google assistant connectivity, but it doesn't work like most other devices we have. You can't just ask google what the FC is in the pool. Its more like you are talking directly to the device and need to know exactly what to say. I hope they improve this in the future.

I ordered mine today. Will set it up and see how it goes. Definitely looking forward to seeing it in action.

 

[Scrawner]

I installed a Sense S2 about 2 weeks ago. I generally check with a Taylor kit every day but wanted to try to reduce testing to once a week. When I saw that the new one measured more parameters I decided to give it a shot. I also like that it tracks temperature every 30m.

Thanks for the insight! Could you also explain the cartridge swap and test frequency options on the S2? I looked at their FAQ and installed the app but it didn’t answer my two main questions and I suspect others may want to know as well:

Can you choose to test less frequently than daily to save cassette life?
Can the cassettes be swapped back and forth anytime (between the 2 test version and the 5 test version) or must you use one up fully before replacing?

I found it odd they only sell 3 pack refills with two of the 2 test and one of the 5 test.

 

[jmag999]

Thanks for the insight! Could you also explain the cartridge swap and test frequency options on the S2? I looked at their FAQ and installed the app but it didn’t answer my two main questions and I suspect others may want to know as well:

Can you choose to test less frequently than daily to save cassette life?
Can the cassettes be swapped back and forth anytime (between the 2 test version and the 5 test version) or must you use one up fully before replacing?

I found it odd they only sell 3 pack refills with two of the 2 test and one of the 5 test.

Good questions. I don’t see a way to skip tests in the app. I believe this is part of their “revenue plan”. I also don’t know if you can swap the cartridges whenever you want. I do wish they were all 5 test types.

 

[lordkemo]

Just jumping in to add a few things...

Just bought the sense2 myself. Haven't had any experience but will update once I get it and have it installed.

On the Google assistant front, Google stopped voice assistant on June 13th which was announced last year. WaterGuru didn't update their app so they don't support it anymore. That being said there are Home Assistant plug-ins that can tap into the API which is good enough for me.

On the daily tests... yes they force a sample everyday which sucks honestly. I'm sure it's because they want to keep selling you those carts... for me it's the largest downside.

I'll give my thoughts if interested once it arrives and I can test it for a couple days. I'm also doing a salt water conversion at the same time... nothing like scope creep...

 

[Vince34]

Are there any updates on this now that some of you have had this a while? I was looking to possibly get this or the Sutro. Thanks!

 

[wolverine]

I have a Sense S2 on order and will post an update once I have a little time with it.

 

[wolverine]

Received the Sense S2 today and got it installed in my pool.
As this unit requires some time to settle in as they say I am going to give it a couple of weeks to do that.
And I will update this thread .

So far after initial setup and after a couple of test runs the unit is reporting pretty close to my testing via TFP standards.
The app is actually pretty good as nowadays you never know what your gettin before the purchase.
The unit seems very well built but we will see as I am in Florida and the elements can quickly degrade things.
If anyone has any questions please let me know.

Let’s use this thread for any further discussion on this product so we can keep it all in the same place .

 

[SoCalTFP]

Commenting to follow this one.

I was considering purchasing a WaterGuru as an additional safety net once I'm confident in my SWG settings and PH stability to extend beyond daily testing. Once I realized they moved to the Sense 2 model with the 5 way testing it made me reconsider though. Aside from losing a month of just FC/PH testing I don't really see much value in getting frequent/daily CYA/TA/CH results one month out of every 5 months.

Hoping to read some positive feedback here on Sense 2 I'd love to pull the trigger. It looks like there is a Homebridge plugin which would allow me to pull this data into my Apple Home where all my Pentair data and controls feeds into. I'm a sucker for spending money on anything that pulls my pool data into my smarthome system...

 

[wolverine]

Not sure on the automated part but it let me make shortcuts via the app . Still learning about it.
To your point about frequency I guess it depends on how often you want to use the data provided.
If your like me especially in Florida I appreciate the daily updates on my levels. It won’t replace my weekly testing but it gives me a daily capture if something is wrong so that’s a really positive experience. It doesn’t replace regular testing…Think of it as more of a monitoring tool so we can keep an eye on making our pools TFP clear as a bell !

 

[Scrawner]

Welp, I ended up ordering an S2 last week and it's been installed for 4 days now. My results thus far for the new C5 have been mostly inconsistent vs my Taylor testing.

Over the first 4 days:
CH: 235, 442, 393, and 517! My Taylor testing is consistently around 350-375. I guess I'm supposed to take the 4 day average!
CYA: 104, 132, 122, and 150. My Taylor results are consistently around 70-80
TA: 84, 77, 87, 93. Taylor consistently gives me 70.
PH: 7.7, 7.8, 7.8, 7.8 -- this is spot on with Taylor at 7.8
FC: 5.8, 8.9, 7.4, 6.2 -- Taylor has been 7-7.5 each day.

I've reached out to WG for input... not sure why it would be this variable. Also, there is no free lab test in the box with the S2. Not clear if I order the 0.00 kit online (pay $8 shipping) and send in I can still get a free test.

 

[SoCalTFP]

Welp, I ended up ordering an S2 last week and it's been installed for 4 days now. My results thus far for the new C5 have been mostly inconsistent vs my Taylor testing.

Over the first 4 days:
CH: 235, 442, 393, and 517! My Taylor testing is consistently around 350-375. I guess I'm supposed to take the 4 day average!
CYA: 104, 132, 122, and 150. My Taylor results are consistently around 70-80
TA: 84, 77, 87, 93. Taylor consistently gives me 70.
PH: 7.7, 7.8, 7.8, 7.8 -- this is spot on with Taylor at 7.8
FC: 5.8, 8.9, 7.4, 6.2 -- Taylor has been 7-7.5 each day.

I've reached out to WG for input... not sure why it would be this variable. Also, there is no free lab test in the box with the S2. Not clear if I order the 0.00 kit online (pay $8 shipping) and send in I can still get a free test.

That’s unfortunate hopefully some kind of issue. Taylor comparisons aside, pretty sure CYA and CH wouldn’t vary that much day to day.