Automate to Dominate: How Smarter Pool Control Helps Pros Win More Business

Today’s pool owners expect more than dive-in ready water. They want simplicity, efficiency, and control at their fingertips. For pool professionals, that shift presents a powerful opportunity. Automation isn’t just a feature… it’s a business advantage that can differentiate offerings, streamline service, and strengthen customer relationships long after the build is complete. That’s the focus of Automate to Dominate, our new article series exploring how modern pool automation helps pros work smarter, sell bigger, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

To kick things off, we sat down with Rodney McCall, Product Line Leader of Automation at Pentair Pool, to unpack how automation delivers real-world value for pool pros, from remote monitoring and energy efficiency to meeting rising customer expectations in 2026 and beyond.

Question: How can carrying pool automation systems help pool pros amp up their businesses?

McCall: From a customer perspective, having automation makes the pool much easier to operate. Automation itself is built so pool owners can operate their swimming pool equipment from their smartphone. So, in other words, if I’m setting up a filtration schedule, I can set my chlorinator output through the automation system, saving me a trip out to the pool equipment pad. Automation is all about the convenience of doing this all from your phone, which pool owners love.

For the pros and service companies, our remote monitoring is a huge perk of pool automation. If a pool professional is set up with our remote monitoring and their customer has an issue with their pool, that pro can go in and look at that customer’s account and troubleshoot without taking a trip to the backyard. For example, a new pool owner might call their builder and wonder why their heater is not firing or a chlorinator is not making chlorine.  This could be due to a flow issue, and with Pentair’s flow technology, the pro can see if minimum flow rates are being met remotely. Remote Monitoring may also allow pros to diagnose an issue early through notifications, ensuring they show up with the right equipment on their truck. The notification might even allow a pro to know about an issue before the customer does!

I think it’s also worth mentioning that homeowners today often are more tech savvy, and they’re often looking to have cutting edge tech in their homes and pools. If I’m a homeowner having a pro come talk to me about a swimming pool and they’re not offering the ability to control the pool from my phone, but another dealer is, I’d think of the latter as being more with the times. More trustworthy and reliable. Truthfully, tech has just become table stakes for many consumers in this day and age.

Question: How do we make remote monitoring approachable for pool pros who have never worked with this kind of technology?

McCall: The remote monitoring is set up as a dashboard, and it’s very easy to get set up on. Plus, we have resources like on-demand learning and YouTube videos to help our pros get settled in.

I do want to add that I know new technology can feel overwhelming to learn, but I always go back to the efficiency piece with automation. Having the ability to remotely monitor customer pool pads can save you trips to the backyard or make visits that much more efficient by ensuring you’re bringing the right equipment. It can truly transform the way you work day to day.

Automation isn’t just about convenience. It’s about smarter systems, stronger service relationships, and better business outcomes for pool professionals. And this is just the beginning.

Stay tuned for more insights in the Automate to Dominate series, coming monthly from Pentair Pool.