On our most recent IoT Podcast, Steven called into the podcast hotline with a question about his pool. He’d like a device to monitor his pool’s temperature and then be able to ask a digital assistant what that temperature is. There is a range of options although some are expensive and only a few work with either Alexa or Google Assistant.
Phin, not the company that makes a water leak detection system, offers a $350 smart product that is mainly focused on monitoring the water quality in a pool or spa. When your pool water’s pH balance is low, for example, Phin will notify you that it’s time to put in the appropriate chemicals and, based on the water capacity of your pool, how much of those chemicals to disburse. It does also offer real-time water temperature data. The downside is that all of the notifications and data are limited to the Phin mobile app. There are no smart assistant integrations available, even at this price.
If you want smart assistant integration on the cheap, Qubino has a product line of pool modules that use Z-Wave. Many of the modules are used to automate or control your pool lights or pumps but only one $45 to $50 module is needed for this specific project. You’d just need to add the available $15 external temperature probe from Qubino.
Since this is a Z-Wave product, it can be used with Samsung SmartThings. Just not natively. There is a custom device handler that reportedly shows the water temperature, however, so with a little effort, this could be a viable option. Once the device handler is working, you can then access the temperature with a voice assistant.
We did find many other temperature monitor options while researching Steven’s question, but none of them were what we consider “connected” or smart. So these are the best recommendations we could find. Chime in if you know of another product that would work!
To hear Steven’s question in full, as well as our full discussion, tune in to the IoT Podcast below.
Hayward has discontinued the Phin Pool Water chemistry monitoring system and immediately shut down the servers effective December 20th, 2021. Luckily, the engineers at iopool.com have figured out how to make the Phin hardware work with their app: https://iopool.com/en/connect-phin-xxxx-to-the-iopool-app/
Announcement from https://www.phin.co/ :
Dear pHin Customers,
Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to end the pHin monitoring service on December 20, 2021, and close the pHin business. We are grateful to the customers who have been so supportive of pHin. We understand this news is abrupt and would like to help provide answers to your questions.
Will I still be able to use my pHin?
No, the service will no longer be available once it is shut down on December 20, 2021. Your pHin monitor will no longer be actively measuring your pool chemistry. The pHin app will no longer be active but will have information on the end of monitoring services.
What about my subscription?
If you are due a refund, we are offering pro-rated refunds for the remaining portion of your current subscription. Simply click on the link below to request your refund before March 31, 2022. https://www.phinrefund.com
What should I do with my pHin?
We recommend recycling your floating pHin monitor. Best Buy stores accept most electronic devices or you can search for a local drop off location at Recycle Nation http://www.recyclenation.com/find
Again, thank you for your support. Please contact customer care with any questions.
Ugh. Thanks for letting us know.