Listen to this articleThe ePool desktop software will allow you to see graphs of your pH, Sanitizer and temperature for the last week, the last month, and all time. There are reminders that will pop up on the left side that tell you things like how your water’s chemical levels need to be measured at the pool store so that your ePool monitor can be properly calibrated. As long as the receiving sensor stays plugged into your computer, and as long as your computer remains turned on, your ePool software will continue to gather and save information about how your pool is doing.
The ePool allows you to use a picture on your PC or the satellite image of your home (supplied by an address search on Google maps), so you can see something other than the standard gray ePool greeting when you check your levels.
disclaimer: this is not a picture of my house or pool 😉
The desktop software can be programmed to use email or twitter to notify you (or perhaps your pool service, if they are the ones who keep up with it) when things occur like the sensor and receiver are out of range of each other for more than a day (for whatever reason), pH goes out of range, Sanitizer is out of range, or calibration completes. You can also set the system to send reminders when the system needs to be calibrated. The desktop app will also let you know how the batteries in the floating sensor are doing.
The ePool system is pretty much brilliant!
Of course, my experience wasn’t completely without snags …
The issue I ran into occurred when I realized that our pool was located too far away from the house for the sensors to properly and consistently connect with each other. The floating sensor must be within 150′ of the receiving sensor, which has to be connected to a computer (that’s running) to work. It turns out that the table where the receiving sensor sits connected to Kev’s MacBook is about 200′ away from the closest edge of the pool — and if the sensor travels around the pool any, that will add an additional 30′ to the distance. We did manage to tether the floating sensor to the edge closest to our house, but that’s still a bit too far for a consistent reading unless we move the computer … which is what we wound up doing.
I’ve been using the ePool wifi pool thermometer system for about a month, and other than the 150′ between sensors issue, I haven’t had any problems. Kev likes knowing how the pool is doing without having to go outside and use test strips, but I have still seen him using the pool thermometer. I think he just likes to check that manually. 😉
The Smart System Swimming Pool Monitoring System is available from various retailers; it’s a great wifi pool thermometer, and it is just $208 if you purchase here through our Gear Diary Affiliate Store.
FAQ
MSRP: $229
What I Like: Access to pool chemical and temperature stats from computer; updates via twitter or email when chemicals need attention; calibration allows you to properly offset the sensor to measure your pool based on manual testing done at a pool store; no more test strips; Twitter or email alerts when chemicals are out of their proper ranges
What Needs Improvement: Pool sensor MUST be within 150′ of sensor attached to computer for readings to work
