### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 11:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/41 "2020-05-19T11:10:20Z")
> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> Probably not a good idea
Yes, but problem is you cannot choose the location. It is fixed...
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 11:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/42 "2020-05-19T11:12:56Z")
Yeah. But I thought I should mention it. It has an effect on the readings you get.
What you could do is on the output: stick a long hose and put it at the other side/end of the pool.
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 13:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/43 "2020-05-19T13:01:59Z")
Bart - hope you have a level sensor too...
>
(and oldie but...)
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### Author:  [@craigcurtin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/craigcurtin)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 23:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/44 "2020-05-19T23:19:09Z")
Bart, Yes a DIY pool is usually restricted in how/where the filter inlet and outlet are and do not get as GOOD water circulation as a larger pool.
I imagine most of this could be mitigated by dosing for a shorter period of time, back off and monitor for a while and then dose more (after hopefully more water mixing has occured)
As it is a plastic pool you will not usually have high Acid levels in the water so the chance of overdosing the water is minimal - worse case you you could end up with a high level of chlorine - not really an issue - ask anyone who has been to a public pool or a kids swim centre !!
No real difference in terms of running times with a DIY pool - expect most of them do not come with fancy timers etc to run the system nor in pool cleaners - so most people seem to run them manually during the day so they can vacuum clean the inside/bottom of the pool (rather than use a robotic vacuum cleaner)
Craig
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### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [20 May 2020 05:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/45 "2020-05-20T05:50:11Z")
> [@craigcurtin](#):
>
> do not get as GOOD water circulation as a larger pool.
Talked to some colleagues (remotely of course π) who have a rather identical pool, and they all bought a new pump. Seems that the standard Intex pump offers only low circulation, and it contains a paper filter while I need to have one with glass inside. So I'm going not use the standard one π₯΄
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### Author:  [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)
#### Post date: [20 May 2020 08:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/46 "2020-05-20T08:34:44Z")
Have you got a link to model of pool you've bought?
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [20 May 2020 08:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/47 "2020-05-20T08:56:43Z")
It's up the top of the thread Simon!
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### Author:  [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)
#### Post date: [20 May 2020 09:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/48 "2020-05-20T09:22:16Z")
I see nothing βΉ but I am in queue at Tesco in bright sunshine on my phone!
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### Author:  [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)
#### Post date: [20 May 2020 09:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/49 "2020-05-20T09:24:49Z")
Hereβs the EAN code: 0078257301539
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### Author:  [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 08:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/50 "2020-05-21T08:32:49Z")
Hi Bart,
With the upcoming good weather the pressure at my home for bigger swimming is rising steeply. π
From experience with smaller swimming pool, I think measuring chlorine is more interesting than pH as pH doesn't tend to change that rapidly. I admit I have nu experience with such chlorine device. I did measure it manually using chlorine indicator in a small water sample. So when planning to buy such a device I would definitely check how accurate it is and also (regularly) compare it with some manually measured sample (I have some bad experience with cheap humidity sensors that are drifting).
Also automatically controlling chlorine concentration might protect your pool from going green (but doesn't seem a cheap solution). This is especially interesting when you go on vacation (if you can trust it to run during that period unattended) but alternatively you can also consider manually overdosing the pool with chlorine .... and in case you have continuously monitored the chlorine level you might exactly estimate how much you need to overdose the pool to bridge the vacation period :-).
Of course there are other things you can consider to automate / measure
- switching the pump on/off that is filtering the water
- if you have some sun panels to heat water you might consider to pump water through it when sun is shining and temperature of pool is low.
- measure the water level and deduct the water cost from the weekly allowances of the swimming pool users (π )
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### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 09:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/51 "2020-05-21T09:15:38Z")
> [@janvda](#):
>
> the pressure at my home for bigger swimming is rising steeply
Welcome to the pressure-club π
> [@janvda](#):
>
> pH doesn't tend to change that rapidly
Ok. So the measured curve will probably rather flat.
> [@janvda](#):
>
> (regularly) compare it with some manually measured sample
That indeed was my intent.
> [@janvda](#):
>
> doesn't seem a cheap solution
Yes ridiculous
You remind me of the fact that indeed the water will need most probably a bit of heating...
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### Author:  [@ghayne](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ghayne)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 09:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/52 "2020-05-21T09:40:23Z")
> [@BartButenaers](#):
>
> You remind me of the fact that indeed the water will need most probably a bit of heating...
Which will also change the pH! π
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### Author:  [@janvda](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/janvda)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 10:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/53 "2020-05-21T10:13:00Z")
May be as an alternative to adding chemical chlorine you can also consider using a salt water system. As this is regenerating the chlorine from salt : you only need to add salt once per season (according to documentation). So you don't need to automate the injection of chlorine.
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 11:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/54 "2020-05-21T11:53:39Z")
Bart, just out of curriosity, does having a pool where you live effect your house insurance? In the US swimming pools are considered an 'attractive nuisance" and do effect your insurance.
Just wondering.
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### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 12:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/55 "2020-05-21T12:11:07Z")
> [@janvda](#):
>
> a salt water system
Yes thag is another option. But seems rather expensive, and needs to be finished soon.
> [@zenofmud](#):
>
> effect your house insurance
Never heard of that... When you have a "real" swimming pool, you might have to pay more taxes on your house...
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### Author:  [@Loic74650](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Loic74650)
#### Post date: [21 May 2020 22:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/56 "2020-05-21T22:12:17Z")
Hi Bart,
have a look at my project here: [https://github.com/Loic74650/PoolMaster](https://github.com/Loic74650/PoolMaster)
You can control it with NR through MQTT
Enjoy the pool
Loic
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### Author:  [@craigcurtin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/craigcurtin)
#### Post date: [22 May 2020 04:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/57 "2020-05-22T04:11:11Z")
Wow - very nice project and great description/info.
Thats a very pricey Arduino controller though !
Craig
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### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [22 May 2020 05:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/58 "2020-05-22T05:57:08Z")
> [@Loic74650](#):
>
> You can control it with NR through MQTT
Hey @Loic74650,
Thanks a lot for your link to this nice project! This is certainly a good start point for me.
Just curious about one thing: at first sight it seems that you use Node-RED not for the PID regulation, which is also possible in Node-RED. Like Craig also remarked it is a rather expensive Arduino. Have you considered doing this all in Node-RED (on cheaper hardware) but was this not possible/practical perhaps for any reason?
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### Author:  [@Loic74650](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Loic74650)
#### Post date: [22 May 2020 07:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/59 "2020-05-22T07:59:46Z")
Yes the Controllino is expensive but if you read my project's description carefully you will see it compiles/runs on both the Controllino or a regular Mega 2560 platform. If you choose the Mega2560 platform, think about the final cost of the setup once you have added the relay shield, the Ethernet shield, the RTC module and a nice DIN housing + your time. You endup not far off the cost of the Controllino with a much lesser industrial-looking setup. The cost issue is always a topic which is understandable, but remember that the running costs of a 50m3 pool with kids playing in it will in full summer will amount to more than this setup (electricity for the filtration, chemicals...).
Anyways, yes, you could implement what this project does on NR solely. I have been playing with home automation for a while now and have come to the conclusion that the best and most reliable architecture, at least for me, are autonomous (Arduino) nodes, each with a well-defined task (Pool, heating system, mains-water valve, garage doors, electricity consumption meter, chicken house, etc. etc.), each connected/communicating to the LAN through MQTT, ideally all ethernet-wired and when not possible, by radio/LoraWan (eg. [the chicken house](https://github.com/Loic74650/HenHouse)).
On top of that, a high level system such as NR and/or [Jeedom](https://www.jeedom.com) for instance, which I find complementary. It is crucial that if NR or Jeedom fails, the individual nodes should keep running and do their job.
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### Author:  [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)
#### Post date: [22 May 2020 10:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/swimming-pool-maintenance/26790/60 "2020-05-22T10:03:11Z")
> [@Loic74650](#):
>
> will amount to more than this setup
Absolutely. But since I am a Node-RED fan, I try to do as much as possible in Node-RED... And when there is not a node available to do it, then I develop one and donate it to the community.
> [@Loic74650](#):
>
> yes, you could implement what this project does on NR solely
Ok that is at least something to keep me motivated π€£
> [@Loic74650](#):
>
> crucial that if NR or Jeedom fails, the individual nodes should keep running and do their job.
That is indeed something that I always try to keep in mind. But cannot harm to keep repeating it. Thanks a lot!!!
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