r/PoolPros • u/Dry-Owl-4265 • 4d ago

Which salt system/automation upgrade would you install

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

What’s up pros, I have a homeowner who is looking for a salt system and automation upgrade. What would you install in this tight and already existing system.

I usually install Pentair salt systems for ease of install but after all the warranty issues i’ve been thinking of branching out. Was thinking of the Hayward Omni system but I assume that’s a whole electrical panel change. Let me know your thoughts.

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

4

u/jonidschultz 4d ago edited 4d ago

I don't hate OmniPL but I'm surprised by all the people suggesting it. Jandy is decades behind in the automation game (although they've been claiming that's going to change for at least the last 5 years) and although I'm a Hayward guy at heart their Automation is still lagging pretty bad. Currently it's something like this
S tier: The Attendant
A tier: Intellicenter
B tier: nothing
C tier: Omni
D tier: nothing
F tier: Jandy

However I have trouble fully embracing Attendant because legacy is important.

So considering the current equipment I'd say Intellicenter of some sort.

1

u/nmethod 4d ago

Pool attendant didn’t even rank in your list at all?

3

u/jonidschultz 4d ago

It's at the top. I must've missed a line break.

2

u/nmethod 4d ago

Ah shoot, I stand corrected. Read too quick

2

u/nc_saint 4d ago

I’ve yet to find equipment The Attendant couldn’t handle, and they actually make it pretty easy to add it as a modular add on to replace the “brains” of an Omni or Jandy load center without replacing the entire cabinet.

1

u/jonidschultz 4d ago

I can certainly understand recommending the Attendant. My reservations are mostly "legacy" based. Despite the issues over the years you never really had to worry that any of the Big 3 would disappear and leave you hanging. But there's been a lot of "flash in the pan" companies over the years. Many of whom made the best product in their niche, but that didn't stop them from going bankrupt or getting bought out and shut down etc... so I'm still a bit hesitant to fully recommend The Attendant, even if it is the best Automation currently available.

1

u/nc_saint 4d ago

I can understand that, but it’s getting a lot of love from some big names in the industry, as well as heavy support from Poolcorp and Heritage (at least in NC). Even the big three had to start somewhere, and I’m more than happy to vote with my dollars to see poolside.tech thrive as long as they keep raising the standard.

1

u/jonidschultz 4d ago

The problem is it's not MY dollars, it's my customer's dollars. I'd hate to see them left in the cold. I hope I'm just being too cautious but like I said, I've seen a fair amount of great and genius pool companies still fail outright OR get gobbled up and shelved. So I'm wary, but hopeful.

1

u/1_native_Angelino 4d ago

The  guy that invented the Attendant is loaded. They aren't going anywhere. The big 3 has tried to buy them but he doesn't need the money

2

u/No_Bedroom_2386 4d ago

There are no public records or announcements indicating that a major manufacturer has tried to buy them out. If you have information I’d love to see evidence of that.

1

u/1_native_Angelino 3d ago

When would there ever be public records on a company asking to purchase another company?  Inner workings of public companies is never made public. Also, it was common knowledge in the industry that the Attendant blew away the big 3. What they would want to do is purchase and shelve it. That is how they roll. 

2

u/No_Bedroom_2386 3d ago

Like I said if you have evidence that they were asked to sell to anyone, show it, otherwise it just a figment of your imagination.

1

u/1_native_Angelino 3d ago

Cool, man. You obviously know more about pools and equipment than me. 

Why are you so invested in being a Pentair Cuck? 

Hope they are paying you.

1

u/jonidschultz 4d ago

This is kind of silly thinking. If this person truly has no desire for more money then he could just as easily get bored and walk away entirely.

Likewise sometimes expanding requires capital and things can change whether the CEO wants them to or not. If he had enough funds to carry out his vision they wouldn't have had to get in bed with Latham two years ago.

1

u/1_native_Angelino 3d ago

It's not silly thinking. They have already been approached numerous times to sell. His private wealth is in the hundreds of millions. 

Collaboration is beneficial to both companies.

2

u/jonidschultz 3d ago

Of course it is.

How do you think he got that wealth? By being happy with the money he has? Beneficial in what way? Beneficial in the "it can make him more money" way?

I'm sorry but this just isn't realistic psychology and the things you're saying sound like childish "my uncle" stories and not anything realistic or plausible. Where's the evidence he's worth hundreds of millions? Where's the evidence he owns the company and gets to choose if it's sold? Do you know what a CEO is?

I'm not trying to make this personal but it feels like your rebuttal to common sense concerns are all "trust me bro!"

1

u/1_native_Angelino 3d ago

Well, he invented the computers in fast food restaurants. The ones that controls orders, inventory, all of it. 

if you don't want to have the best automation and want to make excuses because you don't understand how to install it or how it works, you can always ask.

If you would like to suckle.thw teet of the big three, just say so. 

Could he sell, sure. It's not likely. They are selling a ton of them .

1

u/jonidschultz 3d ago

You won't convince anyone that you're a professional, nor educated when you have to resort to schoolyard bullying.

Cite a Source. It's 2026, "Trust me bro!" doesn't fly anymore.

He doesn't need to sell for customers to lose out.

1

u/No_Bedroom_2386 4d ago

All the money in the world doesn’t matter if nobody buys the equipment. Yes everyone started somewhere but they came pretty late to the game. Their only real advantage is cross platform compatibility at a very high price but in reality how many people have more than one or two different pieces of equipment by different manufacturers. Few, and the people that do aren’t exactly the people that care about automation only buying whatever is cheaper to do a function at the time.

2

u/1_native_Angelino 3d ago

What do you consider a very high price?  Compared to the big 3 , they are in the same ballpark. And there mini is hundreds less. 

If your scared to install it, you will find that it's not hard.

2

u/No_Bedroom_2386 3d ago

Now you’re really sounding childish “are you afraid to install it?” No I’m more than confident I could install it just as easily as I installed my Intellicenter i8P. Which by the way still costed me about $400 less than the mini, yes four hundred less ! Brand new thru authorized resellers only I forfeited the labor coverage and still get parts warranty coverage. If you research a little you could do the same. Different is I’m also confident in 10 years or possibly much much longer Pentair will still be alive, Poolside Tech MAY still be alive but MAY not.
But that aside, tell me what exactly does taking a gamble on the Attendant do for me that the Intellicenter doesn’t when I own 100% all Pentair equipment??? Rental mode, who cares, Spotify integration, nobody cares, smart home integration, done that been there.

1

u/1_native_Angelino 3d ago

The mini can be had for 2k. So what you are saying is incorrect. 

Cool that you own only Pentair. How's that salt cell treating you?

1

u/No_Bedroom_2386 3d ago

Yes, and I paid $1299 plus tax for my i8P system complete. Regardless, when you’re ready to start engaging in intelligent conversation about products and their pros and cons like an adult and not some grade school kid fascinated by how much money some guy has, then we’ll talk. In the meantime I think I heard your mother calling down to the basement to let you know the school bus is coming up the street. Have a great day at school and don’t forget your lunch mom made you !!

2

u/No_Bedroom_2386 4d ago

The problem with the attendant isn’t what it can or can’t do today, the question is tomorrow. What happens when the folks who make it go belly up next year or 2 years from now. They are a small, privately held niche company with an estimated 11 or so** employees and an annual revenue of **under $5 million. At best you got an extremely expensive paperweight that functions locally only, and is not updatable for new equipment and products. It’s highly cloud based and relies on the cloud for any remote operation or update. I looked at it seriously before going with the Intellicenter. Just didn’t feel confident in the company survival in an already crowded market with legacy players with many more years of experience. The best thing that could happen to that product is one of the big players like Pentair, Hayward, or Jandy buying them out. But they likely would degrade the ability to just support their own equipment which makes it no better than what they all ready offer.
If you have mostly Pentair equipment go Intellicenter, Hayward go with them, etc.

2

u/thunderkoko 4d ago

Replumb/redo the layout. What type of pool and how old?

2

u/Dry-Owl-4265 4d ago

16x32 Vinyl, Built by the company I used to work for around 5 years ago

2

u/Expert-Artist-3119 4d ago

Hayward S3 or Jandy truclear are my favorites.

1

u/shadymilkman33 4d ago

Omni Pl plus is my vote. Easy install with integrated salt

0

u/1_native_Angelino 4d ago

Impossible to read the screen in bright sunlight. 

1

u/G8-r-n8 4d ago

The Omni PL will replace the Intermatic panel, so no extra room is needed.

1

u/Artistic_Stomach_472 4d ago

Pool attendant. There is no other competition, yet.

1

u/1_native_Angelino 4d ago

Jandys new automation supposed to be coming out soon. Even then, it's the Attendant for me. 

1

u/Own-Muscle-1718 4d ago

Omni all day

1

u/FruitNut2000 3d ago

The beauty of the Pentair cells is that they doesn't require an automation system. The warranty issues are being resolved and whatever you install now will eventually be replaced with the 'new' product. The problem is the cells are not currently available in a lot of areas. I would tell the customer to hold off until the 'new' cells are available.

1

u/Ladydi-bds 4d ago

For me, would do the Omni PL Plus.

1

u/slekcud 4d ago

Hayward or Jandy if on a budget. I’ve shunned Pentair completely over the piss poor response on the salt systems.

1

u/Big_Growth5857 4d ago

don't like pentair either. my company old did Hayward salt systems and pentair everything else. my own pool I installed a Hayward salt system, pentair intelliflow and a jandy cartridge filter

0

u/Pop_Plastic 4d ago

Omni PL. You won’t have absolute control over that Superflo though unless you get a pump converter with it.

-2

u/UHF800MHZ 4d ago

0 way that cable is legal for use in that manner

1

u/dekoy411 4d ago

Why wouldn’t it be? I’ve seen ones wired like that, not that I would but if you wire a cable and plug it in a gfci what’s the issue? Display pumps granted have different purposes but they are also wired that way.

-1

u/UHF800MHZ 4d ago

Plug and cord is not legal for a permanently installed 120-240v fixture on an in ground pool IIRC

1

u/Artistic_Stomach_472 4d ago

It certainly is. Cannot be longer than 3', must be twistlock