A pool or a home spa is not something that everyone has. It’s a luxury that brings comfort to the ones that care about convenience and have the money to afford.
And you guys, yes, you, reading this article, you like the convenience and you probably already have a pool or a spa, or you’re thinking of getting one. You know how to enjoy life and make it convenient.
So if you’ve gone so far and bought a pool or a home spa, why not spend the extra few dollars on making your pool smart? Why not truly have control over your home spa?
In this article, we’ll explain why spending a few bucks more on upgrading to a smart pool and smart spa is, in fact, a smart decision. Keep on reading as we’ll give you really good reasons why.
Smart pool, spa, and sauna automation: what, how and why
As with every home automation plan, pool, spa, and sauna automation begins at wiring too. For an electrician, setting up the wiring will be an easy task. But unless you’re skilled at wiring yourself, it might seem confusing and complicated.
In order to automate your pool, spa, and sauna you will need:
- Smart switches. These small modules are connected to your pool pumps, covers, pool lights, etc.
- Sensors. They measure data (e.g. temperature) and through your gateway send it to your smartphone so you can observe and carry out predefined orders.
- Hub a.k.a gateway. This is the communication hub between your smartphone and the smart devices/sensors.
If you need a bit more detail about this, we go more in depth in this article.
Don’t get turned off by the additional cost and work. Compared to the cost of the pool and spa, the automation setup is a minor expense and you can run it in as little as 2 hours.
Whatever you do, make sure it’s safe. I’m sure you know the equation “electricity + water = no fun”. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s worth hiring someone that does.
4 examples what a smart pool and spa can do
1. Control pool and spa lights
Up for a romantic spa night?
Imagine this. You go on a date with your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/date and the date goes really well. You’re just finishing the desert and about to go home, but there’s still some romance in you and you don’t want to go to sleep just yet.
You’re in the heat of the moment and you didn’t think to set up your spa 3 hours earlier. Smart spa’s got you covered. Before she finishes the last sip of her wine, you flip out your phone and turn on heating of the spa and set “romantic night” lights theme.
Guys; she’ll love it.
Ladies; relax and enjoy.
When having a romantic night you’ll want to have lights in warm colors and at a lower brightness to create a romantic mood. But if you’re having guests over for a party, with a few clicks on your phone you’ll turn up the brightness and pick a lively color that matches the surroundings.
Or maybe you’ve had a hard day at work. You just wanna relax a bit as soon as you come home. Set up the lighting on the way home and get an instant relaxing welcome home.
2. Control water circulation pumps
The circulation pump is the heart of your pool and spa. It is responsible for water circulation so the water is always clean, free of bacteria and algae.
You have the option to add a temperature sensor to the smart relay that controls the pump. That way you can measure your pool temperature, making sure it’s the right temperature or carry out predefined orders when the temperature reaches a certain level (e.g. start the pool pump when the temperature drops below 18 degrees Celsius).
Besides, you probably also have a heater that heats the pool, making sure the temperature is the same in all parts of the pool. That means that with a tap of a button you can start to heat the pool while you’re away, so it reaches the perfect temperature when you arrive home. Went on vacation and forgot if you turned off the pool heating? Just check your phone. Do you always swim in the morning? Automate water pumps to start heating at 7 am every day.
Unfortunately, the pool and spa pumps are very power-hungry. They require from 500 to 2000 watts, while heaters require up to 7500 watts. This is the reason that some owners are trying to find a compromise between power savings and pool cleanliness. Sometimes, the pool pumps are not used long enough to clean the pool properly.
If you make your pool smart, you can count on some substantial power savings, as smart pool pumps eat less energy due to the fact that it only works when needed. This will also mean less worry and work on your part because the pump can be left operating non-stop. No need to worry about electricity bills, pool temperature, and pool cleanliness – all in one shot.
3. Open and close the pool cover
First of all, you might ask if you should even cover your pool. It’s your choice, but here are the reasons you should consider it:
- Slows evaporation.Evaporation is inevitable on hot days. A pool cover slows it down and saves water.
- Retains heat. Instead of wasting energy on heating the water, a cover will help you retain the heat through the night or when you’re not using the pool. It saves energy, money, plus you don’t have to wait for the pool to heat.
- Keeps it clean. This one is pretty straight-forward. If you cover your pool, the leaves, animals, twigs and all other unwanted things will stay out of the pool. Less work on cleaning!
- It’s safe. If you don’t want anyone to accidentally fall in the pool – cover it!
So, a cover will save you water, time, money and worry. And you can make it smart.
Like the water pumps, the pool cover can be controlled remotely with your smartphone. Open and close it whenever you need to.
4. Measure energy consumption
As we’ve already said before, making your pool and spa smart will save you energy and money. However, it’s still not a bad idea to measure how much electricity your pool and spa actually consume.
When you upgrade your pool pump to a smart pool pump, this also enables you to measure energy consumption. It accurately measures consumed electricity (real-time and total) and the data is easily accessible on the smartphone app.
This way you can pinpoint which devices in the house are guilty of bumping up the electricity bill. If you see that your pool and spa is too expensive to maintain, you can then take measures to lower consumption. Or if the energy consumption is low – one less thing to worry about!
Is that it? Well, no. Of course, there are additional features, especially when you combine it with other smart devices in your house.
Depending on the controller and devices you decide to buy, you might also be able to:
- Set jacuzzi intensity
- Schedule when the filtration starts running
- Automatically top-up water when it reaches a certain low level
- Send a notification when the water temperature drops
- Send a voice message when the pool cover is opened
Since your pool and spa will probably be controlled by one hub, you can combine the features of other smart devices you have in your home. For example, you could schedule the music and lights to turn on when the pool cover is opened. Or you could stop heating the water and close the cover when the rain sensor is triggered by rain. Use your imagination.
3 reasons you should make your pool and spa smart
These features make up three main reasons why upgrading to a smart pool and a smart spa is a good investment.
Cost and energy savings. By adding smart switches and sensors to your ordinary pool equipment, you can run thought-out schedules, that can save you a lot of energy in the long run. A smart pump only turns on when needed. If you’d like to swim after work, there’s no need to leave the pump on since morning – set it up to turn on an hour before your arrival. Since electricity is not free, using less electricity means lower bills. This investment pays for itself.
Comfort and convenience. If you’re thinking about a smart pool or spa, chances are, you’ve got other smart devices. And if you’ve got smart devices, you love convenience. Smart devices make our lives easier. We admit that the initial hassle is far from convenient, especially if you’re not a DIY master. But making your pool and spa smart is far from an impossible task – it should be like a walk in the park for a hired professional.
Remote control and maintenance. It’s convenient to have everything at the touch of your fingertips. Besides, you’re not always home. You go to work, you go on vacation, business trips, you visit your parents out of town. No need to ask your neighbors to keep an eye on it and when you come back home, it can be ready for you to jump in and relax after a long trip.
In conclusion,
The investment into upgrading your home pool and spa to a smart pool and spa is well worth it. It’s convenient, useful and efficient. It pays for itself while making your life easier. We call that a win-win!