Monitoring pool temperatures

[tmbrown97]

When mounting your temp sensor at the equipment, doesn't that basically make it so it's only accurate when the water is circulating? Otherwise water in the pipes can change temperature much more rapidly than in the mass of the full pool.

I thought about this a bit and wanted to do it; just never got around to it.

 

[fleetz]

my solar temp sensor is very similiar to temp probe Dan has found. It is installed in the pool return PVC pipe as Todd pointed out temps are only relavent when pool pump is running and the PVC pipe is primed with water.

I have been looking for a solution to get the pool temp into the M1 for a couple of years now as I have the solar system controlled by the M1. I manually change the running time based on the sun and temp on any given day it is a PITA.

Maybe one day there will be a solution for the M1 and pool temp monitoring.

Regards,

Fleetz

 

[Steve]

That Goldline probe is from a solar control, that's why it looks similar - its the same . If you go back a few years where I brought this up you'd find that the main reason this won't work in the M1 is because there is no way to get the temperature curve into the M1 by itself. A 10k thermistor correlates the temp to a resistance and the 'controller' needs to have this info. After alot of thought I am probably just going to bite the bullet and get a Datanab Ai32 with a cheap 485 to 232 converter and pull these into CQC. They also make all kinds of other 10k sensors like the nice flush mount ones which I will put throughout the interior. May be a little costly up front but will be alot easier to implement. I'd love to be able to use a 1 wire probe but there is no good one for a pool. These Goldline ones are made for this application and they work great.

 

[Monk]

Something like this does look interesting. I just need to figure out where to mount this.

I would not trust it to be a tight seal. Maybe dip it

http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip

 

[FrankMc]

Hi Guys

I wonder would this be suitable...Gives a 0 to 3v output....

http://vegetronix.com/Products/THERM200/

HTH
Frank

 

[ewelin]

I've been thinking about doing something similar, but I would want to monitor the temp in our fish aquarium. Curious to see what solution you end up with.

 

[electron]

Well I am dead set on going the Arduino route, I have been wanting to get one for a while, and this is a good excuse. I am still on the fence between the Goldline sensors and the 1-wire sensors, but only because the Goldline is made for pool applications and is easy to install, while I haven't found many examples of people using 1-wire.

 

[fabriziojoe]

Has anyone used HAI's water temperature sensor, HA14A008?
I was thinking about ordering one for my pool and one for the hot tub.



The 14A00-8 is a temperature sensor used to monitor the temperature of pools, spas, aquatic ponds, and greenhouses. The
temperature sensing device is potted in a stainless steel probe. It is designed specifically to monitor water temperature from the
return/source and then report that information back to an HAI Omni Family controller. If the temperature gets too high or low, the
controller can then take the appropriate programmed action to bring the temperature back to the desired level. The temperature can
also be displayed on the console, in PC Access, in Web-Link II, and spoken over the telephone.
The 14A00-8 electronics are mounted in a plastic enclosure and are coated with a sealant to withstand outdoor moisture.

 

[electron]

I'm guessing it's similar to the goldline probe, and the electronics convert it to a signal which the panel can understand. Interesting find tho.

 

[Steve]

The problem with EVERYTHING besides the Goldine sensor is simple - the MOUNTING!. There is no other sensor designed to fit on a pvc pool pipe like the Goldline and I think that is the most important thing. Any other probe is a hack trying to get it properly mounted. And the Goldline sensor is only available as a 10k thermistor which necessitates a curve and therefore is really only practically used with something like Arduino/Barix/Datanab. I also wish a less expensive alternative were available (vs Datanab) but the short truth is the Goldline sensor is the only one that mounts easily and reliably. It would be great if the Goldline sensor 'mount' was available separate and you could put your own sensor/probe in it but I have never seen that available. The alternative is to remove the sensor portion from a Goldline but I think you would destroy the casing/mount in the process.

 

[sic0048]

I know everyone's situation is different, but I've always planned on placing my temp sensor in my skimmer. It simply needs to hang in the water. It should also give good temp readings whether the pump is running or not. The problem with sensors placed in or attached to the PVC plumbing is the fact that the pump needs to be running to give good numbers.

Putting it in the skimmer basket also gets it out of the sun, so temps should be accurate. The only problem is that people need to be careful when cleaning the skimmer basket and make sure the temp sensor is hanging properly in the water after they are done.

Just my thoughts....

 

[JonW]

The problem with EVERYTHING besides the Goldine sensor is simple - the MOUNTING!.

How about adapting a thermowell into the plumbing. There are 2" PVC sections with a 1/2" NPT bung in them that you could place a stainless thermowell and then insert your probe there.

These are routinely used for the flow switches on a salt system.

 

[Steve]

Brian,

I agree with you in theory but there are too many practical issues with that at least here in Florida. Most pools here have a permanent deck like concrete all around them and its impossible to get a wire to the skimmer. I suppose if you had a raised wood deck or something you could run a wire under it but there's just usually no easy way to get a wire to the skimmer.

 

[electron]

So I am back on this project, and even ordered the parts, forcing me to actually finish a project this year

For various reasons, I'll be using the Goldline 10K sensors, so I guess the question is, is an Arduino based platform still the cheapest solution, or are there cheaper controllers out there now? I basically want to read the temps, and report them to the ELK M1 via ASCII over RS232 using a dedicated XSP. I could also go the IP route, and write an M1 driver, but I think that would drive up the cost of the hardware. Any suggestions?

 

[Quixote_1]

So to reiterate, you do not think that the Elk sensor with the 7' probel will do well in the pool because of the chemicals?
I'm using one in a freshwater aquarium and I have not found any problems so far, but there is not much in there that might degrade the plastic. Initially I found that the sensor was not accurate, but it seems to have somehow stabilized over time.
I especially like the way ElkDroid can be used to check the tank temperature.