Pool professionals are discovering how the right combination of automation and lighting can elevate every backyard experience, from the first moments of evening twilight to the final tap on a touchscreen before bed. For Rodney McCall, Category Manager – Pool Automation & Lights at Pentair Pool, the synergy between systems like IntelliCenter® Pool Control System and IntelliVibe™ Pool Lighting isn’t just about convenience — it’s about creating smarter, more immersive environments that delight customers and simplify service. While automation brings brains to the equipment pad, lighting adds the magic that makes a pool truly shine. To explore how offering both can please customers, we asked Rodney to unpack the value of pairing these technologies and why it’s a win-win for pros and pool owners alike.

Question: Can you tell me a little bit about why it is beneficial for dealers to carry both an automation system and pool lighting? 

McCall: I think the number one thing that pool owners use their automation system for is turning the pool lighting on and off conveniently from anywhere using their phone. It’s great to offer both! But in the background, there’s a whole lot of things going on that really make the automation system the brain of the pool. 

What do I mean by “the brain”? There are certain things on your swimming pool equipment pad that need to be operated at different speeds. So you have your heater that needs to run at its maximum efficiency, and the rule of thumb used to be 10 gallons per minute per 100,000 BTUs. If you have a 400,000 BTU heater, that’s about 40 gallons per minute that you would need to run your pump for to satisfy the flow for your heater. 

But as you know, the heater turns on and off, and maybe you don’t need it running throughout certain times of the year. So for energy efficiency, you want to run the pump at the lowest speed possible to get the filtration done. But when things like a heater turn on, then it ramps up. Before automation, you had to run everything at whatever the thing that needed the maximum speed of your single speed pump was, and that satisfied all the requirements for the flow for that particular pool. But with the advent of variable speed, you needed automation to really take full advantage of the energy efficiency of your variable speed pump. 

The automation system really helps make the operation of your pool smarter. It makes it so your customer doesn’t have to think about all those things. Automation just makes pool ownership easier. It starts with lights, but it goes well beyond that. Offering both can really transform your offerings and boost a customer’s desire to go bigger – with an automated pool, there are just so many possibilities.

Question: What’s all the fuss about IntelliVibe lights? 

McCall: I’ve always been drawn to the way light plays on water in nature – how it highlights the drip from an icicle, the dew on a flower, or the sparkle of the sun on a lake. That shimmer is pure magic.

With IntelliVibe lights, builders are bringing some of that magic to backyard pools and landscapes.

IntelliVibe lighting gives you four-zone control, so you can light up different areas independently – pool, spa, steps, even dry features. You can customize 15 million colors. It’s dimmable and offers seven new light shows, so it’s easy to create the exact vibe you want. You can even select any shade of white, from crisp cool tones to a warm glow.

The smallest IntelliVibe light, the Nano, doesn’t have to be submerged. It’s perfect for lighting up rocks, steps, or features outside the water but can also be used for shallow steps. The Micro fits snugly into 1.5-inch fittings for spas and sun shelves, and the Mezzo is about the size of a spa light, packing a powerful illumination for larger pool areas.

IntelliVibe isn’t just about lighting – it’s about creating an experience. It’s how you make your backyard feel like a destination.

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