With the swimming pool industry ever expanding and innovating – pools have now become smarter and easier to control than ever.
An Introduction to Smart Swimming Pools
As a dynamic industry, technological advancements to meet market demands have greatly impacted the swimming pool sector over the years. Pool automation technology exists to enhance the swimming pool experience for both homeowners and pool professionals.
Shifts in industry dynamics, along with customer demands, have led to product innovations and improvements in customer service processes across the industry. The desires of the consumer have driven transformation in industry, resulting in features such as remote smartphone control and monitoring as well as the need for energy efficient and sustainable solutions. Trends such as these will continue to advance the industry, directing focus to delivering smart, user-friendly solutions to pool owners and the service professionals who care for them.
In a similar vein to a smart home, a smart pool has a multitude of technological integrations installed enabling the pool to ‘self-manage’ many elements of its own maintenance. This results in a saving of time and/or money for the homeowner who is not required to conduct these actions themselves or enlist a professional to do it for them.
Offering the ultimate convenience for pool owners, smart swimming pool technology allows for the autonomous control of lighting, heating, cleaning and pool chemistry. These technologies are controlled from a central management system that can be operated by a personal device (phone, tablet, laptop) and this requires no pre-programming or manual effort from the consumer.
Swimming Pool Automation
Smart swimming pools are operated from a central pool management system. These management systems can come in the form of an app, an online control panel or a downloadable software package. The pool management system gives homeowners the ability to manage all functions of their pool from one central hub.
When selecting a smart pool system, it is advisable to stick with the leading manufacturers of smart pool technology. Selecting a reputable brand provides homeowners with peace of mind that a reliable system is installed, and that all the latest features are at their disposal.
Additionally, top tier pool management systems can be integrated with smart home systems such as Amazon Echo and Google Home – enabling the control of both smart pool and connected home elements from one place.
Pool Cleaners
Pool cleaning can be an arduous task that few people look forward to. This highlights the benefits of having a self-cleaning pool through smart pool technology. If your pool can clean itself, this will free up both time and effort for homeowners.
A solid self-cleaning system works to clear all debris and also ensures that circulation of water is even throughout the whole pool. This eliminates the growth of algae and bacteria, as well as mitigating the presence of uncomfortable cold spots.
Pool Pump
Pool pumps play an integral part to keep the water circulating which ensures the pool chemicals are dispersed throughout the entire pool. This aids in keeping your pool healthy and safe by preventing the spread of bacteria and the build-up of algae.
However – pool pumps are notoriously expensive to run and use large amounts of energy. Many homeowners do not leave their pumps on for long enough durations, causing an incomplete circulation of water. While this saves energy, the pool is at risk of becoming unhealthy.
Smart pool pumps, due to technological advancement, are far more energy efficient – in some cases reducing energy usage by up to 80 percent. These savings allow homeowners to leave their pool pumps on constantly, which allows the water to circulate properly and ensures that your pool is clean and healthy.
Salt Chlorinators
An important aspect of pool ownership is maintaining suitable water chemistry. This is done by checking the pH balance of the water and adding chlorine to maintain an optimal balance. This task needs to be conducted regularly and can be difficult and time consuming for homeowners.
A smart salt chlorinator proves an ideal solution as it automatically adds salt chlorine to maintain the correct pH balance in the water. This keeps your pool water clean and healthy at all times.
Pool Lighting
Swimming pools are not only great for fitness and leisure, but they serve as a terrific backdrop for parties and gatherings with friends and family. To enhance the visual aesthetics of your swimming pool at night, installing lights in your pool area is a great idea. Turning the lights on and off manually can become a hassle, however automated lighting systems integrated with your pool management system are a perfect option. Automated lighting gives homeowners the convenience of operating the system from a mobile device and provides greater flexibility in terms of adjusting the colour of the lights.
Temperature Control
A pool heating system is a great option to maximise the usage of a swimming pool, regardless of season time of day or weather. However, the task of manually adjusting the temperature and waiting for the pool to heat up can be time consuming and tricky to get right.
Pool heating systems can be integrated into smart pool management systems, allowing for the control of temperature from remote devices and locations. This allows homeowners to plan for a late-night swim while out and then return home to a perfectly heated pool. This feature is highly convenient, but it also allows for energy conservation by allowing your pool to adjust the heat settings while not at home.
Environmental Considerations
While connectivity and automation are key focuses of modern homeowners, this is not the sole trend driving innovation. Pool owners are also increasingly prioritizing energy-saving efforts, monitoring their environmental impact and reflecting energy efficiency and environmental trends existing in the larger marketplace. These developments are encouraging innovation in swimming pool products to hone in on maximising energy efficiency. Such innovations include high-efficiency heating units, energy efficient lighting and the evolution of pool pump technology.
Younger generations, who are adept at using technology and have experienced the height of the climate challenge are starting to purchase or inherit pools for the first time. The purchasing decisions of these generations are more prone to be influenced by environmental and social considerations – and they expect connected products that can be integrated with their existing smart home devices. In regard to the pool industry, this means intuitive pool monitoring and connected products that respond to usage habits, ensuring energy and resource efficiency is maximised.
Case Study: The Attendant by Poolside Tech
One of the industry leaders in pool automation technology is American company Poolside Tech. Located in Pennsylvania, Poolside Tech has created a cloud-based automation system known as The Attendant, which allows homeowners to manage their pool equipment, water chemistry and energy usage from one central hub – aiding in enhancing the customer experience.
The Attendant has the ability to integrate and continuously monitor pool equipment from any manufacturer, including temperature and water quality, and utilises this information to determine the most energy-efficient way to prepare the pool for use. Due to widespread integration capabilities, The Attendant is truly a universal control system – eliminating the need for multiple controllers.
Software used by The Attendant extends beyond simple automation, providing an interface and intelligence that enables it to communicate effectively with pool owners and service providers. The software allows pool owners to have total control over the operation and maintenance of their swimming pool, while also providing valuable insights for service providers to optimise the pool’s performance.
One of the most powerful features of The Attendant are its energy saving capabilities. During set up, homeowners can input their current energy rates or default to a national average. The Attendant will analyse and record the performance of each integrated component, reporting on energy consumption and costs for electricity and gas, broken down by device. This gives homeowners a clear picture of their energy usage in real time and allows for the identification of potential areas for improvement.
A benefit for pool contractors and service providers is The Attendant’s ability to send real-time notifications when something is not performing optimally. Whether the filters are dirty, pipes are obstructed or the water levels are low – The Attendant can notify all concerned parties and resolve issues quickly.
A unique feature of The Attendant is its ability to leverage historical performance data and weather forecasts to predict when to use the pool’s temperature control system. Using this data, The Attendant can adjust the pool’s HVAC system to efficiently maintain the desired temperature, aiding in energy conservation and delivering a convenient swimming experience.
Maintaining correct water chemistry can be a challenging job for some pool owners, however The Attendant simplifies this process greatly. With a fully integrated chemistry management system, the water can be monitored using pH probes and chemicals dispensed when needed. This alleviates the manual efforts required to maintain the water condition, ensuring the water is consistently healthy and ready for use.
Remote management of your swimming pool ecosystem is made extremely user-friendly via The Attendant’s smartphone interface. Homeowners can completely control their pools operation, monitor water quality and energy consumption, as well as receive real time notifications to any connected handheld device.
In summary, The Attendant and similar products are revolutionising the pool automation industry by offering advanced features and enhancing the customer experience. By creating a management hub within the home, pool owners are able to centralise the controls of their swimming pool. Integrations with smartphones and handheld devices expands the traditional locational limitations of pool management which aids in convenience and improves the pool ownership experience.
To hear more about The Attendant and its capabilities, check out the following video: “What is the best pool automation system? All signs point to The Attendant by Poolside Tech.” by How To Swimming Pool, uploaded on 27th of November 2022.
Creating Your Personal Backyard Oasis
Spending a lot of time outdoors is a fundamental of living in Western Australia – from relaxing in your swimming pool and hosting friends and family for barbeques to tending to your garden or tinkering in your shed. The question is: Does your backyard and outdoor area accommodate your family’s requirements comfortably?
The diverse team at TKL Contractors are ready to help you transform dated outdoor spaces into elegant backyard sanctuaries. From eye-catching decorative concrete and a swimming pool, to a brand-new shed and gorgeous natural look decking, our highly skilled and experienced service professionals can assist in making your backyard visions come to life.
We specialise in full-scale backyard renovations and have built an unparalleled reputation in WA’s South West. To get the ball rolling on your next outdoor project, get in contact with our friendly service team!