PiPool: Automate Your Pool

The 30-second version

• What it is: A DIY pool automation system built with a Raspberry Pi that lets you control your pool pump, heater, and lights remotely.

• What problem it solves: Eliminates the daily chore of manually walking outside to flip switches, prevents expensive equipment damage from unsafe conditions (like running a heater without water flow), and gives you visibility into what's happening with your pool from anywhere.

• Who it's for: Pool owners who want smarter control without paying $2,000+ for commercial systems—especially those comfortable with basic DIY electronics (or willing to learn).

• What you can do with it:

  • Turn the pump on/off from your couch, your bed, or when not at home
  • Set the heater to reach a target temperature and automatically stop
  • Change pool light colors through an app or voice assistant
  • Monitor water temperature trends over days or weeks
  • Integrate with Home Assistant for endless automation possibilities!

• Current status: Production-ready—actively running real pool equipment with safety watchdogs, web dashboard, and Home Assistant integration.

• Code: Check it out on Github!

The problem (in human terms)

Pool ownership comes with a hidden daily tax: the equipment shuffle.

What's frustrating today?

• Walking outside multiple times a day to flip switches
• Manual timers that are inflexible and hard to program
• No visibility into water temperature without sticking your hand in
• Forgetting to turn off the pump and wasting electricity
• Accidentally running the heater when the pump is off (very dangerous—can destroy the heater)
• Your significant other wants to heat the pool, but you are not home!

What's expensive or error-prone?

• Commercial pool automation systems cost $2,000-$5,000+
• They lock you into proprietary apps and ecosystems
• Basic "smart plugs" don't understand pool safety requirements
• Equipment damage from operator error can cost hundreds to repair

What constraints matter?

• Pool equipment runs on high voltage—safety is critical
• You need reliability (the system runs 24/7 outdoors)
• You want local control even when internet is down
• Integration with existing smart home systems is a must

What it does

PiPool gives you remote control and intelligent automation for your pool equipment:

• Integrates with Home Assistant as a control dashboard accessible locally or remotely.
• Turns equipment on and off from anywhere—your phone, tablet, or computer
• Monitors water temperature continuously and shows trends over time
• Prevents dangerous conditions automatically (heater can't run without pump)
• Runs timed cycles—"Run the pump for 2 hours, then stop"
• Heats to a target—"Get the pool to 84°F and then shut off"
• Changes light colors with 17 preset colors and light shows
• Logs everything so you can see usage patterns and catch problems early
• Sends real-time updates so you always know the current state
• Runs locally without requiring cloud services or monthly fees

A quick example

Scenario 1: Weekend morning

• Situation: It's Saturday morning. You're having coffee inside. Friends are coming over at 2 PM to swim.
• Before PiPool: Walk outside, check the water temp (feels cold), turn on heater, set a timer to remember to check it, walk back out in an hour, check again, maybe turn off heater, definitely forget to turn off pump later.
• With PiPool: Open the app on your phone. See the water is 72°F. Tap "Heat to 82°F". Go back to your coffee. Get a notification when it's ready. The pump and heater manage themselves.

Scenario 2: Vacation worry

• Situation: You're on a week-long trip. Your pump needs to run periodically to filter or chlorinate the water.
• Before PiPool: Hope your neighbor remembers to check on things, or accept you'll deal with problems when you return.
• With PiPool: Use HomeAssistant automations to turn the pump on for 12 hours during off-peak time. Start at 19:00 and stop at 7:00 in the morning!

Scenario 3: Evening swim with ambiance

• Situation: You want to swim after dark with nice lighting.
• Before PiPool: Walk to the equipment pad. Flip the light switch. Walk back. If you want a different color, walk back again and toggle power repeatedly (seriously—that's how color-changing pool lights work).
• With PiPool: Tap "Emerald" from your phone. The light changes. Tap "Slow color wash" while floating in the pool.

What's new/different about it

Compared to doing nothing (manual control):

• You stop being the "human automation system"
• The pool heater literally cannot run in a dangerous state
• You have data about your pool you never had before

Compared to commercial systems ($2,000+):

• Costs under $100 in hardware (if you have a spare Raspberry Pi)
• No monthly fees or cloud subscriptions
• Works with any smart home system, not just one vendor
• You can customize and extend it however you want

Compared to basic smart plugs:

• Understands pool-specific safety rules
• Knows that heater + no pump = danger
• Provides coordinated control across multiple devices
• Logs data for insights over time

What this enables:

• "Heat the pool every Saturday at 6 AM"
• "Run the pump for 15 minutes when the filter pressure drops" (with additional sensors)
• "Tell Alexa to start the pool heater" (via Home Assistant)
• Actually knowing how long your pump runs each week

What it does NOT do (yet)

• No chemical monitoring—doesn't measure or adjust pH, chlorine, or other water chemistry (you still need test strips or a separate system)
• No automated chemical dosing—can't add chlorine or acid for you
• No solar heating integration—can't control solar panel valves (planned for future)
• No filter cleaning alerts—doesn't know when your filter needs backwashing
• Requires DIY hardware assembly—you need to build the relay enclosure and wire it (no plug-and-play kit)
• Requires intermediate Linux knowledge—installation involves command-line setup on a Raspberry Pi and ability to debug

Behind the scenes (condensed "how")

This section is for the curious—skip if you just want to know what it does.

• A Raspberry Pi (small $35 computer) acts as the control plane, running 24/7 near your pool equipment
• An 8-channel relay board (about $15) lets the Pi safely switch high-voltage/amperage pool equipment on and off
• Waterproof temperature sensors (about $5 each) measure water going into and out of your heater
• 110V or 220V high amp Contactor Pool pumps require lets say 110V 10A power feeds, you must use a contactor module switched on and off by the relay board.
• Waterproof enclosure you'll need a place to hold all the hardware!
• MQTT messaging (a lightweight IoT protocol) sends commands and status updates instantly between devices
• Safety watchdogs run every second to verify safe conditions—if the pump stops, the heater shuts off within 1 second
• A PostgreSQL database logs every temperature reading and event for later analysis
• A web dashboard (built with Streamlit) provides the point-and-click interface for easy local debugging and control
• Home Assistant integration uses MQTT and provides a remotely accessible dashboard. This is what I use in practice, locally or remotely.
• The whole system is open source—you can inspect, modify, or extend any part

Where this is headed

Future improvements planned (subject to change):

• Chemical monitoring—add pH and chlorine sensors with recommendations
• Solar heating control—manage solar panel valves for free heating
• Smart scheduling—adjust pump runtime based on weather forecasts
• Filter pressure monitoring—know when backwashing is needed
• Energy tracking—see exactly how much electricity your pool uses
• Voice control refinements—more natural Alexa/Google commands
• Plug-and-play kit—pre-assembled hardware option for non-DIYers

Credits / references

• License: Private project—not currently open for redistribution
• Built with: Python, Raspberry Pi, MQTT (Mosquitto broker), PostgreSQL, Streamlit
• Works with: Home Assistant, any MQTT-compatible system
• Hardware diagram: See docs/hardware/pipool-hardware-diagram.png
• Integration guide: See docs/HOMEASSISTANT.md for Home Assistant setup

Last updated: January 2026