Thinking about a real automation panel instead of smart plugs and app relays

Started by robotvic · · 3 replies
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#1
Right now my setup is basically the WiFi pump doing its own thing and a couple smart plugs for the LED lights, and after that power blip last week wiping the pump schedule I'm about done cobbling it together. Looking at going to an actual automation panel that ties pump, lights, and eventually a valve actuator or two into one brain instead of three different apps babysitting each other.

Anyone running Pentair or Hayward's automation gone that route from a piecemeal setup, was it worth tearing into the equipment pad again. Mostly want something that survives a hiccup without me manually flipping switches. Not trying to go full smart home, just tired of the apps not talking to each other.

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#2
I'll push back a little on the idea that a fancy panel fixes the "survives a hiccup" problem, robotvic. That power blip wiping your schedule is a controller issue, sure, but if your valve actuators are hung on flex or the plumbing under the pad is a mess, no brain box saves you when something actually leaks or airlocks. Get the pad itself squared away first, rigid pipe, proper unions so you can service it without cutting anything, then the automation is just the easy part sitting on top of a system that already works right.
#3
No real automation panel here so I can't compare Pentair vs Hayward directly, but dave's point about the pad itself hits home. When I redid my plumbing after the liner swap I only put in three unions, pump in and out and one before the filter, and I regret not adding a fourth on the return side, every time I want to swap a fitting I'm fighting it instead of just breaking a union. If you're about to add valve actuators into the mix that's exactly where you want unions on both sides so you can pull the actuator without cutting pipe. Brain box on top of a janky pad just means the janky pad now has a WiFi connection.
#4
Fair point on the pad but I'd push back a little on treating the automation piece as just "the easy part sitting on top." My pump losing its schedule wasn't a plumbing issue at all, it was the app relay not reconnecting after a two second blip and just sitting there dumb until I opened it manually. A real panel with its own battery backed controller doesn't care if my home WiFi hiccups for a second, it keeps running the schedule locally and just reports status when the network comes back. That's the actual gap I'm trying to close, not a leak risk.

That said Jason's union comment is well taken, if I'm adding actuators I'm not doing it without unions on both sides, learned that lesson on other equipment already, pulling anything off a fixed run without a union is miserable. So yeah pad gets squared away first, but I don't think that makes the controller an afterthought, mine's going to be the thing actually running the show once the plumbing's not fighting me.