As I sit in the tranquility of my tea room, my gaze often drifts through the sliding glass doors to the backyard. There, amidst the beauty of the pool, the inviting patio, and the cacti my wife and I lovingly planted, stands an eyesore that has long haunted my aesthetic sensibilities: an ugly pool filler.
Before becoming a pool owner, I was oblivious to a rather obvious fact—pool water evaporates. Our pool loses a staggering 50 – 100 gallons of water each day. While most people simply grab a hose and top up the pool occasionally, I have an aversion to non – automated solutions. So, I opted for a mechanical pool filler, a simple contraption consisting of a hose with a float valve attached, perched on the pool’s edge. It functioned well, but its very visibility was like a constant itch I couldn’t scratch. It occupied my thoughts, driving me to search for ways to eliminate it from my view. Newer pools come with built – in fillers, but retrofitting our existing pool with such a system would require plumbing a separate pipe, an expensive and arduous task.
Some might say I have a penchant for fixating on seemingly trivial matters, but once I set my mind on something, my tenacity knows no bounds. This month, I was determined to bid farewell to the unsightly pool filler once and for all.
The challenge presented two fundamental problems: accurately detecting the pool water level and devising a way to refill the pool. Without the option of running wires or pipes to the pool, the solutions were far from straightforward.
I began my quest by focusing on water level detection. My first attempt involved using an ultrasonic sensor. I mounted it on the eave of the house closest to the pool, connected it to an ESP32, a versatile $7 computer. Despite painstakingly measuring angles and testing various configurations, I couldn’t get it to accurately read the water level. Perhaps my measurements were off, or maybe ultrasonic sensing requires a flat surface for proper reflection, something the pool’s angled surface couldn’t provide. After two days of frustration, I reluctantly abandoned this approach.
Next, I briefly entertained the idea of computer vision. But upon examining the camera feed, I quickly realized it was too poor in quality. I couldn’t even discern the water level myself, let alone rely on a machine to do so accurately. The potential headaches and unreliability made me discard this option just as swiftly.
Then, a stroke of genius struck. I remembered the conduit running from the pool equipment to the light fixture. It entered the pool area a few feet above the water but surely extended down to the water level underground. I thought I could place a water sensor in the conduit at the right height to detect when it was full. I crafted a water sensor, but it proved to be temperamental. It worked fine when placed in water outside the pipe, but inside the conduit, it would give false readings. I made several modifications, but reliability remained elusive.
I had a more elaborate idea in mind, though it was a project more complex than anything I’d attempted before. After three failed attempts, I decided to take the plunge. Over the course of two weeks, through countless trials and errors and with the help of large 3D – printed parts, I created a solar – powered device. This ingenious contraption replaced the pool deck’s skimmer cover and extended a probe into the water. I even added a thermometer, eliminating another eyesore—the floating thermometer in the pool.
Surprisingly, the electronics, especially the battery and solar management, were less challenging than I anticipated. However, the complex 3D – printed parts presented their own set of problems. Each print on my fast Bambu P1P printer took over 4 hours. When a cable was too tight or the probe shaft too narrow, I had to reprint and rebuild, adding to the project’s time and frustration.
With the water level detection sorted, I now had to figure out how to get water into the pool. My initial idea was to create an arc of water that would fly over the fence hiding the pool equipment and into the pool. It was a bit of a wild concept, and I knew there had to be a more elegant solution. But part of me secretly hoped this outlandish idea would be the only option left.
The most practical solution seemed to be tapping into the pool pump’s pipes. But as I considered drilling holes, I realized the pump would need to be running constantly when injecting water to prevent back – flushing the filter. The more I thought about it, the more worried I became about potential unintended consequences. So, I decided against this risky approach.
Just as I was about to start building the water arc, inspiration struck again. Why not use the same conduit that carried the wire to the pool light? I attached a hose adapter and a piece of 1/4″ PEX pipe, turned on the hose full blast, and watched as debris flushed out, leaving clear water flowing through. It was the perfect solution!
I purchased a 12v 1/4″ valve, connected it to a relay, and programmed the necessary logic in Home Assistant. Then, I waited for the pool to evaporate enough to trigger the sensor. After all the obstacles I’d overcome, I felt a wave of relief when the sensor stayed charged by the sun, accurately reported the water level, and the valve functioned flawlessly.
Today, as I sipped my tea and looked out at the pool, the absence of the old pool filler was pure bliss. This experience taught me a few valuable lessons. Firstly, I’m often amazed at how easily some people give up. When I have a vision for something I believe is achievable, I persevere until I find a way. The pool filler may seem like a trivial example, but my tenacity has been the driving force behind many of life’s greatest rewards. At the very least, this project was excellent practice in seeing things through and overcoming obstacles.
Secondly, I always try to come up with my own solutions before researching what others have done. The process is not only fun but often leads to innovative ideas. It turns out that a company had created a similar sensor, even one that checks water quality, something I’d considered. But as far as I know, no one had ever used the light conduit to fill a pool. Of course, I’m not stubborn; if I can’t find a solution on my own, I’m more than willing to learn from others.
This pool filler project was more than just a quest for aesthetic improvement. It was a testament to the power of persistence and the joy of creative problem – solving.
