Are you sick of dripping chemicals into beakers or dipping test strips into your pool water to see whether you have a pH issue? The good news is that there are several alternatives available to you for automating the process of monitoring the chemistry in your pool.
The Crystal Smart Water Monitor is a new addition to the market. It comes from General Galactic Systems, whose CEO invented pHin, another smart pool monitor device.
Specifications
Although Crystal and pHin both use similar sensor technology and have a subscription-based business model, their overall designs and testing methodologies differ significantly. In terms of functionality, it combines the deck-based mounting of the Water Guru Sense, which we have already tested, with the near-real-time findings and independent operation of the previously reviewed ioPool. As swim season approaches, I’ve been testing it for over a month to see how it stacks up against the competition (we’ve also evaluated the Sutro before).
The distinctive feature of the Crystal Smart Water Monitor hardware is that the central processing unit, a disc-shaped gadget that runs on three AA batteries, is located on your pool deck or nearby. It is up to you to select a convenient location for the WaterGuru Sense hardware, which is mounted in the lid of your pool skimmer and must also remain dry. It can be fastened to a railing or fixed to the deck itself using tape or screws, however in either case, the Crystal’s main flaw is immediately noticeable: Finding a location for the gadget that is both safe and unobtrusive is difficult.
If, like me, your pool lacks railings above the waterline, this is very troublesome. After the hub is in position, a probe that is connected to a long black cord hangs from it and into the pool.
Performance
When I first had the hub fastened to the deck, I didn’t think it was very secure, and I was always afraid the tape would break away and push it into the water. Later, the business offered a better concept that it claimed other clients had already adopted: After setting the hub above the skimmer, insert the probe wire into the pool through the skimmer entrance and one of the access holes in the lid.
By doing this, chemical measurements from the skimmer’s water are avoided, which the business claims may not be typical of the pool as a whole. The image below shows how this installation appears.
The Crystal Smart Water Monitor takes readings every 10 minutes, 144 times a day, so you are always getting a close-to-real-time look at your pool conditions. Measurements include temperature, pH, and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), which is the same “total disinfection power” measurement that ioPool uses in lieu of measuring free chlorine. Measurements of cyanuric acid and water hardness are also stored in the app, but these are drawn from test strips that you are prompted to periodically dip into the pool and use for calibration. Ten strips are included in the box.
Thankfully, the Crystal mobile app connects to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network without the need for a second bridge that is plugged into a nearby outside outlet. The software is a little strange because its main screen just shows the water’s temperature and a color-coded representation of the general conditions. Orange or red indicates that at least one reading is off, whereas blue is good. Chemical conditions can be viewed by drilling down from there, however, by default, pH and ORP are only displayed in a graphical history chart that you must scroll down to view.
Costs up front and throughout
Subscriptions are available for the Crystal Smart Water Monitor. The hardware and your first year of support are available for $449. The initial cost for a saltwater pool is $479. After the initial year, both cost an extra $99 annually. Support, replacement probes as necessary (every two years), and any other hardware replacements you might require—everything except new AA batteries for the hub—are all included in that price. Those ought to last a year or so. If you need guidance on how to address a specific chemical issue, crystal techies can even check the history of your pool’s state.
It soon becomes complicated to determine whether this is less expensive than Sutro ($499, plus $29 every month), WaterGuru ($300, plus about $25 per month), or ioPool (about $329 every other year). However, depending on how long your ioPool lasts, Crystal may be the most affordable alternative available, despite its high upfront fee. (After two years, mine passed away.)
Unfortunately, Crystal’s monitoring solution isn’t even close to being the most appealing one available. The black probe that slithers into the pool is a true eyesore that is tough to conceal against a white pool wall, however, the hub itself isn’t awful. Making the probe and connecting cable white rather than black would have greatly helped Crystal address this issue; however, at this time, there are no color alternatives available.
Is a Crystal Water Monitor something you should purchase?
Just the Crystal Water Monitor’s appearance makes me wonder how long I’ll leave it in the pool. Nevertheless, I’ll probably leave it in place during the summer to see how it performs in the long run when it becomes (very) hot. This product may be less obtrusive to those who have pools with dark surfaces.
