I am new to this arena, and don’t know if it has been discussed. But what about just having several on/off switches for each individual piece of pool equipment? (mine would need about 10 for pool, heater and lights) Completely abandon all automated controls that came with the pool. Aren’t they all just a bunch of switches? I currently have a Jandy Aqualink System, and we haven’t ever been pleased with it’s functioning. Setting it up completely through the Vera, couldn’t I create scenes to manage schedules and also be able to control what I want when using it or doing maintenance? Please let me know if I am way off base or if there is something to this.
A lot of us use an Intermatic Multiwave. This unit has built in functions for pump/lights/variable speed pumps and aux/heater equipment. It is somewhat limited but is a place to start. It mostly integrates with Vera but you need to read the threads in this forum. Comes with a remote that can control zwave switches. That is the only native zwave pool controller that I know of. The other path is to get a bunch of relay on.off switches and a Heavy Duty contactor (or CA3750 Intermatic) and develop the logic yourself. The nice thing about the multiwave is that it has built in logic for temp control/freeze protection and probes to support them.
How well does it work? I want to control one 2-speed Pump + one actuator. Will it do this from the Vera? Will I need anything specific/additional with the Multiwave unit?
I think it works very well, where can i buy Vera?
I use an Autelis [url=http://www.autelis.com/wiki/index.php?title=Pool_Control_Universal_Devices_ISY_2-Way_Integration#How_To_Setup_2-Way_Integration_With_Vera]Welcome to autelis.com with my Jandy pool system. With a little bit of LUA and a couple virtual devices it works quite nicely (and i use the Homewave iPhone app for remote control). Not quite as elegant as if there were a plug-in, but it gets the job done and alas i don’t have the coding skills to make one.
Where is the difference between Autelis and Vera?
I have an Intermatic Multiwave installed on one of my pools. The MultiWave device is a great thing, but it is almost useless with Vera. Vera doesn’t support it and doesn’t understand it. I can control my heater with MultiWave through Vera, but not my variable speed smart pump. The MultiWave is a brick as far as Vera is concerned when it comes to smart pump control.
On my other pool, I have control of the pool heater with a fairly simple set-up. I have a standard 110 volt outdoor z-wave on-off module plugged into a regular outlet. It powers a relay, which turns on and off the 220 v power to the pool heater.
Intermatic used to sell a direct 220 V z-wave switching device, but it is no longer currently manufactured and sold. They can still be found online for sale occasionally. If your pool heater does not draw more amps than it can supply, it would be a good choice as well. I have one of these controlling my hot water heater and it works well.
Note that these two approaches only give you on and off control of the pool heater, they do not give control of the temperature. The MultiWave does give control of the temperature setting, but by taking it over from the heater, not by communicating with the heater. When using MultiWave with a heater, MultiWave uses its own setting and its own temperature probe to decide when to turn the heater on and off, and the heater must be put in ‘dumb’ mode (ignoring its own temperature probe and settings) to follow the instructions received from the MultiWave.
Hopefully that is clear as mud!
To summarize: 3 choices; MultiWave, Std 110 V z-wave outdoor appliance module connected to relay (best done by electrician), 220 v z-wave appliance module from intermatic (no longer available).
I have a vacation rental home. Guests pay if they want to take advantage of the pool heater. I just bought a Linear FS20Z-1 module. Can I install that in my pool heater to control power to the heater? What else would I need if this can be done?
If you look in your pool manual, take a look for the fireman switch. It’s just a contact closure, I think. You’ll need to wire one side to power outlet and the other to the fireman switch.
Nevermind, my memory failed me. It’s not the fireman’s switch, but it’s do have a contact closure switch in there for power. I can’t remember on mine, but that tpgoes over to my control system. The zwave module would go there