Controlling Your Pool

From gear driven timers to air buttons for functionality, the way we grew up controlling pools was pretty much the same way our grandparents did. Manual switches and buttons hard wired into individual pieces of equipment. To get the spa warm it was going to take a cold trip out to the equipment, at least 2-3 switches flipped, a couple button presses, two valve movements, and oftentimes a flashlight.  

But much like the rest of our world the internet has changed everything! Well, it changed almost everything. Before we all had Wi-Fi the pool industry did upgrade to digital controls. All encompassing panels that operate multiple pieces of equipment with relays, gave the industry the ability to connect entire system together. Electric valves and ‘mode’ buttons made it possible to turn the spa heat on with the touch of one button. 

Eventually the controllers relocated from the equipment pad to the living space. This usually looked like a screen or panel mounted on the wall and hard wired all the way to the pool equipment. This is still a common set up and an option for many pools today, actually sometimes it is still the correct application for a pool system and the way a home is set up.

But for many people today Alexa or Siri turn on the lights, open the garage, and babysit the kids.  With Pentair’s Screenlogic or Jandy’s iAquaLink, she can heat the spa and turn on the waterfall too. From the office, the golf course, or the I-5 you can prepare the spa for a romantic evening, or just get the kids to stop calling you because the pool is cold. By connecting the digital control panels to a ‘’web connect device” we can wirelessly link to most home internet systems and routers. Essentially making your pool reachable from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Signing in on these apps gives you the same control as standing at your equipment from the other side of the planet. 

Not all systems are the same, and not all families have the same demands. So thankfully manufacturers have given us options. From stand alone pump controls to 8 piece systems that can even incorporate landscape functions like yard lights. There are tailor made solutions for most homes. Some still include the wall mounted and spa side remote options in addition to the web based package. 

Give us a call to set up a consultation and we can help choose the right controller for you.