How to use Amazon Alexa to maintain your pool
Alexa can already help people maintain their home, from dropping in with people around the house, to automating smart home routines, like one for the night time, by turning off lights, locking doors and lowering thermostats just by asking aloud. Amazon's voice assistant can also help pool owners maintain their pool's health, and even check the temperature of the water, when connected to pool devices that work with Alexa.
That quick check can be valuable for those who use their pool daily, particularly during the summer months, or those who may be away and want to make sure their pool is swim ready.
There are certainly ways to put these together through DIY set-ups. But these five devices have easy ways to connect to Alexa, and can help simplify how people operate and run their pool all year round. Do note that you do need an Amazon Echo device, or one that is Alexa-enabled, to connect the voice assistant to these pool systems.
Hayward OmniLogic Skill
Hayward makes pool automation and cleaning products from pumps to cleaners. The company also has an automation system called OmniLogic which can control pumps, and set up and maintain lighting and water features. OmniLogic also works with Amazon's voice assistant through one of the Alexa Skills — the Hayward OmniLogic Skill for Amazon Alexa.
Once the skill is added, you can ask Alexa to manage simple tasks in your pool — as long as you're near an Amazon Echo device such as an Echo Plus. You do need an Alexa-enabled speaker or device already working in your home to make this skill work.
Once you've connected your Hayward OmniLogic system to Alexa in the Amazon Alexa app, you'll need to download the Hayward Alexa Skill which acts as the link between the two.
pHin Smart Water Monitor
The pHin Smart Water Monitor — made by Hayward — is a separate product that reads the pH, sanitizer and also temperature readings of your pool. People can use the monitor to basically create a proper recipe for what the water needs to maintain its balance. Now, you can use one of the Alexa Skills so people can ask specific questions of pHin including whether the water monitor deems the pool safe to swim.
With the pHin Smart Home Skill, Alexa will read back details if everything is fine in their pool or hot tub, as long as someone has an Alexa-enabled device, or if someone needs to take steps, and what they are. You can also ask the temperature as well.
Blue Connect
Those using Blue Connect water analyzers can connect to Alexa as well. The device monitor water, and reads back details including salinity, pH and temperature. The analyzers works in tandem with the Blueriiot app, which in turn can connect to Amazon's voice assistant, Alexa, through one of the Alexa Skills, Blue Connect.
iAquaLink
The company iAquaLink works as an interface to manage pumps and systems that control in-ground pools — whether that's one in your backyard, or even one at a hotel. The app works with both Apple and Android devices, and then can control the temperature, a water pump, and start a feature like landscape lighting.
One of the Alexa Skills works with this app, which can then be used to control AquaLink's systems, as well as a pool cleaner. You can ask specific questions including around the water's temperature. The iAquaLink Skill is what you're looking for, and once you've connected this specific skill to the iAquaLink app, you'll also need to ask Alexa to discover the specific devices to gain voice control.
iAquaLink
Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility checker to see the other compatible products that work with Amazon Alexa enabled devices.
