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The Internet of Things making life easier for pool owners By Izzy Grace
Swimming pools and spas are now being plugged into the connected home
38 SPLASH! June/July 2018
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ith constant maintenance required to control pH and disinfection levels, temperature and auxiliary functions, savvy manufacturers and suppliers are turning to the Internet of Things (IoT) to help streamline some of the often trickier aspects of pool and spa ownership. And it’s this growing connectivity between computer software, the network of servers known as The Cloud, and the devices we use at home and work that promises to maximise the time spent enjoying our home relaxation investments including swimming pools and spas. Put simply, IoT is a system connecting any device that has an on-off switch to the internet and to other devices. This includes everything from smartphones and wearable gadgets to fridges and washing machines. These autonomous devices also collect valuable data which is accumulated and aggregated across the network, and then fed into business applications. Sydney-based pool/energy enterprise Pooled Energy, for example, has fitted sensors to a number of pools which monitor everything from the chemical environment to the energy used by pumps, filters and other equipment. It’s this integrated solution of pool automation and electricity that John Huggart says revolves around creating a healthier swimming environment. “Most of us only test the water once a week on a Saturday morning but water chemistry is changing constantly, especially when exposed to hot days,” he says. “It’s terrific we can now have access to a technology that provides peace of mind, so we can enjoy the pool whenever we want to.” Then there are smartphone applications, better known as apps, like Zodiac’s iAqualink, which lets you monitor and adjust pool and spa equipment controlled by the Zodiac AquaLink pool control system. From adjusting your chlorinator or filtration settings while you’re on holiday to turning on the
spa and pool lights on your way home from the gym, iAquaLink is engineered to both simplify and enhance your pool experience.
Manage, monitor, control
“The Internet of Things in the pool industry is very exciting,” says Hayward managing director Tony Sharpe. “Having automated products gives us endless possibilities to manage, monitor and control pool, spa and backyard functions anytime, from anywhere – via website, smartphones and/or tablets. “Most recent are the advances in chemical automation and sanitisation, which for the consumer is the hardest part to get right. This can even be monitored in data measured via automation products like OmniLogic where you can actually save and store that information in case you want to share it with a pool professional for further advice,” he says. Hayward’s OmniLogic Automation System was designed to minimise pool and spa maintenance “and make your backyard paradise easy to enjoy”. Customisable to fit the clients’ lifestyle, it features adjustable Favourites buttons that allows them to set the most used features at their fingertips. “This automation system can even accommodate simple expansion hardware for adding features from fountains to pumps and lighting,” he says. “You can seamlessly access your backyard from your mobile device, tablets, home network, wireless and wired remotes, or the base unit itself, depending on where you are and what you’re doing. “These days we prefer to sit back and let technology do all the heavy lifting for us,” he says. “Basically, we want what we want, when we want it. We want apps that take the place of additional devices. We want sleek, contemporary, intuitive technologies that save us time, work and money. We carry those exact