Wireless Weatherproof Temperature Sensor for Hot Tub

[smithlevenson]

Hey,

Wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations for a Wireless Temperature sensor to accurately monitor the temperature in my Hot Tub? It's too old to have any smart features. I have an ISY but haven't see anything that would work with it. 

 

Here is something a quick google search turned up, but I have no clue if it will work how I want. 

https://www.amazon.com/YoLink-Enabled-Automation-Monitoring-Devices/dp/B07TQLKQLJ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=yolink+hub&qid=1638723975&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/YoLink-Weatherproof-Temperature-Sensor-Required/dp/B08Z3XH313/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=yolink+hub&qid=1638723975&sr=8-11

 

Seems pretty affordable if it actually worked. I prefer home network instead of cloud and internet based, but I am flexible too. 

 

[MrBill]

3 minutes ago, smithlevenson said:

Hey,

Wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations for a Wireless Temperature sensor to accurately monitor the temperature in my Hot Tub? It's too old to have any smart features. I have an ISY but haven't see anything that would work with it. 

 

Here is something a quick google search turned up, but I have no clue if it will work how I want. 

https://www.amazon.com/YoLink-Enabled-Automation-Monitoring-Devices/dp/B07TQLKQLJ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=yolink+hub&qid=1638723975&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/YoLink-Weatherproof-Temperature-Sensor-Required/dp/B08Z3XH313/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=yolink+hub&qid=1638723975&sr=8-11

 

Seems pretty affordable if it actually worked. I prefer home network instead of cloud and internet based, but I am flexible too. 

 

The wirelesstags.net outdoor temp sensor with waterproof probe is what I use as a backup to the pentair automation.

The advantage is that there is a nodeserver already in existence to get the temp value into your ISY.   Unfortunately while your Polyglot instance is talking to an address on your local network the system doesn't work without the cloud server.   It's up 99.999% of the time but there have been a couple glitches.  I wish it was entirely local.  

Sometime next year I'm going to be experimenting with zigbee temp sensors in hopes of making the system 100% local.

[smithlevenson]

57 minutes ago, MrBill said:

The wirelesstags.net outdoor temp sensor with waterproof probe is what I use as a backup to the pentair automation.

The advantage is that there is a nodeserver already in existence to get the temp value into your ISY.   Unfortunately while your Polyglot instance is talking to an address on your local network the system doesn't work without the cloud server.   It's up 99.999% of the time but there have been a couple glitches.  I wish it was entirely local.  

Sometime next year I'm going to be experimenting with zigbee temp sensors in hopes of making the system 100% local.

Awesome! I am going to check them out. I don't like data going to the cloud, but this is pretty minor and I don't need 100% uptime, just would like an alarm if the heater quits and the temp is going to be low. 

[smithlevenson]

1 hour ago, MrBill said:

The wirelesstags.net outdoor temp sensor with waterproof probe is what I use as a backup to the pentair automation.

The advantage is that there is a nodeserver already in existence to get the temp value into your ISY.   Unfortunately while your Polyglot instance is talking to an address on your local network the system doesn't work without the cloud server.   It's up 99.999% of the time but there have been a couple glitches.  I wish it was entirely local.  

Sometime next year I'm going to be experimenting with zigbee temp sensors in hopes of making the system 100% local.

One other question, Where did you mount the temp sensor?

[MrBill]

18 minutes ago, smithlevenson said:

One other question, Where did you mount the temp sensor?

both my pool and spa are in-ground, I used nylon wire ties to clamp the sensor housing to the underside of the skimmer cover (though the finger holes) and just dropped the sensor into the skimmer.  It's not the greatest, or elegant, I've considered switching to a pipe mounted sensor, but haven't compared the specs to see if this one or similar is compatible.

[smithlevenson]

Awesome Thanks!

[jds31]

I have tried wireless tags for this but found the device with remote sensor to be unreliable.  I switched to an Ambient Weather system but my hot tub uses a salt chemistry that caused the supposed water proof sensors to fail.  Ambient has no replacements and no specs but I found some that looked the same and were a perfect replacement only needing about 1 degree calibration.  I now have the sensor inside a small piece of stainless pipe connected to pex pipe.  Thermal grease is sealed up with the sensor.  This works with no calibration drift.  The Ambient Weather app offers graphical presentation of the data.  I monitor spa heater performance as the heater cycles and can correlate the cycle frequency with outdoor temperature.  Ambient Weather hub can be linked to Eisy or Polisy and all the measurements appear as nodes.  Ambient is in the business of making tough outdoor sensors.   Pricey to begin with but they do just work.

[drprm1]

Yolink now has a pool temp probe. Been using a regular probe for pool for the last few years. Works much much better than wireless tags did. Yolink is solid and not expensive

[Guy Lavoie]

One thing I did for pool solar pool heating automation is to make a waterproof temperature probe to use with a supported thermostat (used for temperature sensing only). My first version was with a spare Venstar T7900 , connecting a 10k thermistor, configured as an external temperature sensor. I used a stainless steel drinking straw, pinching one end closed and sealing it with JB weld. I soldered a two conductor wire to the thermistor leads, put it in the steel tube, and then sealed the wires coming out with JB weld. I put the end of this "probe" in the pool skimmer, where it's shielded from sunlight, and it's provided very reliable temperature reading.

Next summer, I want to make a new version using two Insteon 2441TH thermostats (that I got as part of used lots of Insteon devices, they literally cost me nothing). One will measure the water temperature, and the second one the air temperature in my rooftop solar heating boxes. I was using a on/off fixed setting baseboard thermostat for that. Now I'll be able to use program logic to decide to switch on the solar heat based on temperature differential. An added bonus will be the ability to ask Alexa the water temperature.

[stevehoyt]

I gave up on the wireless tags as they were unreliable. I switched to yolink 2 years ago. Long range, reliable, great battery life. I have 35 of them now all over the house. On the pool they monitor the water level, pool temp, and incoming and outgoing solar panel temps

Edited Monday at 02:21 PM by stevehoyt

[roblombardo]

3 hours ago, stevehoyt said:

I gave up on the wireless tags as they were unreliable. I switched to yolink 2 years ago. Long range, reliable, great battery life. I have 35 of them now all over the house. On the pool they monitor the water level, pool temp, and incoming and outgoing solar panel temps

Same experience here. Wireless tags not that reliable and battery life just OK. Yolink is the way. There is a polyglot plugin and HA integration, dead reliable and battery life is amazing.

As far as mounting the probe, above ground hot tubs generally have a hose bib for drainage, I extended mine with a few brass nipples and a T. Off the T, I bushed down to a 1/4" compression fitting. Use a nylon ferrule, the probe is close enough to 1/4", and you'll have the probe in the water and the whole thing can be concealed inside the skirting.

[Administrator]

Locking this thread. It was a dead thread (3 year old post) until a random reply came up. If assistance is needed please start a new topic.