Complete Guide to Pool Automation
Look, maintaining your pool can be time-consuming and a lot of pool owners will cut corners and it may end up costing them a lot more in the long run. But what if you could automate your pool system, so that it can be more efficient and less time consuming? Now imagine you can manage it all from anywhere!
Benefts of Pool Automation
Pool automation allows you to schedule your filtration cycles, your heating and your sanitation. It also allows you to control water features, your lighting and any other pool features you have. I'm a big believer in automation for several reasons.
- You'll spend less time working on your pool and more time enjoying it.
- You'll be able to control your pool from anywhere in the world, as long as there is an internet connection.
- While there may be some upfront cost, you'll be rewarded in the long run, because it'll save you time and money, by running your pool more efficiently and economically. It's almost like having a robotic pool boy on call 24/7.
Approach to Pool Automation
Today, there's a lot of different ways to automate your pool. I'd recomend doing your own research, or finding a specialist in this area (ike us). Something worth noting, is you don't have to automate the whole pool and equipment all at once, you can just automate individual sections. Gradually and completely automating your pool over time.
CIRCULATION: Automate Your Pool Pump
Your pool pump is the heart of the pool and it's one of the most effective ways to save time and money. A vartiable speed pump is significantly more efficient than the old single speed pumps, as well as significantly cheaper to run. Check out our blog page 'Variable Speed VS. Single Speed Pool Pumps' for more info.
FILTRATION: Automate Your Pool Cleaning
Cleaning your pool. Nobody likes it, but your pool needs it. So using an automated pool cleaner is a highly desirable investment. We always recomend a robotic cleaner over a suction cleaner. A robotic cleaner improves the efficienty of your pool and equipment, while a suction cleaner reduces the efficiency of your pool and it's equipment. If you want to learn more about this, you can read our blog post here 'Complete Guide To Robotic Pool Cleaners'.
An automated robotic pool cleaner will efficiently remove debris from your pool floor, scub the wall and floor surface, and even improve water circulation. We recommend Dolphin Robotic Pool cleaners by Maytronics.
SANITATION: Automate Your Daily and Weekly Chemical Delivery
After water circulation, the next single biggest regular task your pool requires to stay crystal clear and healthy, is chemical dosing.
Automate Your Chlorine Production
Daily chlorine production, maintained between 2 and 4 ppm (parts per million), is critical to ensure water heath and safety. Too low and your water will turn green, too high and it bleaches, corodes and eats your equipment. Let alone the impact of both these on the swimmers.
A basic chlorinator will produce a set amount daily, regardless of the constantly fluctuating needs of the water.
An automated chlorinator (with probes), tests the water and provides the correct dosage required. No more under or over dosing. Essential for running a low chemical pool. Ask us how to achieve a 'Fresh Water' pool.
Automate Your Acid Delivery
As chlorine is added to your pool, the pH rises. As the pH rises the chlorine becomes less efficient, eventually not working at all. At a pH of 8.0 chlorine is only about 20% efficient.
Many people still add acid manually on a weekly basis, although dialy is the best practice and will maintain the healthiest balanced water. Automating this process takes care of your daily and weekly acid dosing requirements.
Using probes for this process as well as your Chlorine production and now you've got very little left to do.
Automating Your Other Chemicals
Currently these is virtually no way to automate the other chemicals needed for your pool. We're talking salt/minerals, buffer/sodium bicarbonate, sun block/cyanuric acid, hardness, etc. So monthly testing can be useful for new pool owners. Seasoned pool owners may know what's required on a monthly, or yearly basis, to maintain many of these other cheimcal levels.
AUTOMATION: Automate Your Lights, Fountains and Features
Now the maintenance is out of the way, we get to talk about the fun things in your pool! :)
All these other fancy, fun features your pool and surrounds might have, can also be automated and controlled by your pool equipment and pool apps. Two popular brands with the ability to rule them all, are Insnrg (Vi) and Astral (Halo). Halo being a modular system that has additional 'bolt-on' products to achieve the complete result.
HEATING: Automated Temperature Control
Automating your temperature control, means you'll always have a warm pool, regardless of the weather. (Note: this is dependant on heater type, size, run times and other relevant factors.)
Wanting to reduce your heating bills? We recomend also automating your pool cover. The easier it is to use, the more likely it is to get used. For retrofitting with a solar bubble blanket, a solar powered UBR (underbench roller) is a sweet addition to your pool, also acting as a pool-side bench seat.
CONCLUSION
So if you're keen to move from a time-hungry, expensive to maintain, watery money-pit, to a low maintenance, low chemical, low energy, family friendly swimming pool, get in touch today and we'll help you map out the path to swimming pool bliss!