For any business, growth is important. In today’s fast-paced world, technology is playing a role in that growth… And it can feel intimidating. But it doesn’t have to! Whether you’re a pool builder or a service tech, automation isn’t just a luxury; it’s becoming an expectation. Customers want to streamline pool care, and professionals are just beginning to dip their toes into the benefits that come with automation and remote monitoring. To dive deeper into this shift, we spoke with Jeff Verplaetse, Field Application Specialist at Pentair Pool, to explore why automation is more than just a trend – it’s a game-changer for professionals in the field.

Question: Why should pool industry professionals adopt automation? What are the benefits?

Verplaetse: From builders to service companies, there are a lot of really big benefits that come with adopting automation. Number one, you have the ability to remotely monitor and keep an eye on your customers’ pools from afar. This gives pros a connection they’ve never had before without having to drive out, waste a trip, and waste money. Having the ability to see what’s going on with customer pools or just to make sure that everything’s exactly the way it should be from your desk gains the company a lot of efficiency and really impacts the bottom line. 

The other reason why they should adopt and become familiar with automation is because this is the trend of the world right now. When you buy a product, it comes with an app. And I think our demographic has really changed from wanting a single speed pump and a sand filter to, “I want the best of what’s out there, and I want to be able to control it as easily as possible. I want a pool that takes care of itself.” And ultimately? Automation brings that to the party. It gives them that connection and peace of mind that everything’s going to be fine. If they leave for vacation, for example, and they forgot to turn their pool heater down, they can pull it up on their phone and turn it off or set it to a different temperature remotely. That kind of control is what the market wants these days.

Question: Can remote monitoring help pros grow their business?

Verplaetse: Remote monitoring is one of the greatest perks of systems like the IntelliCenter® Pool Control System. If the automation system has an IntelliChem® Water Chemistry Controller on it, for example, that gives pros the ability to maintain consistent chemical levels throughout the week without having to over-apply products. Say a pro knows when they have to go out to one specific house to fill a tank or address a problem. Having the ability to pull up a pool from the comfort of their office allows them to plan their routes better. If they know for sure that everything’s perfect at a customer’s pool because they can see it from their phone, maybe they don’t have to go out there for standard Tuesday maintenance. Maybe they can push that off until Friday when it meshes with their calendar a little bit better. Stuff like that gains a lot of efficiency while they’re on the job. 

Turning on water features, for example, for weekly service can be done with the tap of a finger on your phone. Really, what you as a pool pro gain from bringing pool automation into your offerings is the ability to look in on your work from afar and know that your customers’ pools are operating as they should. Or, in the inverse, you’ll know if you need to revisit something. Maybe the heater’s not keeping up with the temperature. Maybe the pump is working a little too hard and you need to bring some new cartridge filters out there next time. Having the ability to see small problems and correct them before they become a weekend party destroyer makes you better at your job with less effort and, ultimately, it gives your customers what they want: a problem-free pool.  Of course, anytime you’re fixing something on a job site, you also have to hand it back over to the automation after. So there’s always that extra step. But what you gain out of remote connection is that the benefits outweigh that extra step. With the IntelliCenter system, these interactions have never been easier on the technician.  Automation is a business-boosting opportunity.

Want to dig into something more specific for our next article? Let us know and stay tuned for more in the Ask the Experts series.

Don’t miss our giveaway!

If you don’t mind asking, we’re ready to answer your most pressing questions… And we have a cool prize package ready for one lucky participant! Swing by our Ask the Experts page to submit questions for upcoming articles in this series and to view the terms of the Ask the Experts Giveaway.