Putting a feeler out there for how much interest there would be in integrating Balboa WiFi powered Hot Tubs.I am from the UK but have a MasterSpas HL8 (branded in the UK as a MasterSpa Evolution S2), which came with the Balboa WiFi module. I naturally wanted to integrate it into the SmartThings platform. It has been a real pain to get it to work. My tub has 3 pumps, a circulation pump (on 24 hours) a one-speed jet and a two-speed jet…
In order for this to work, you must be able to connect to your hot tub via the Balboa outside your home network (where it has the little cloud icon)
I have so far written the ability to:
Read current temperature
Read / set target temperature
Check if LED lights are enabled
Enable / Disable LED lights
Determine heat mode (Ready or Rest)
Check status of jet 1 and jet 2
Set speed of jets 1 and 2
There are additional functions which I can code for but haven’t had time yet.
I have written a proxy app which runs on a computer on your local network which takes the hard work out of the device handler / smart app- if there is enough interest, I could look at removing the need for a proxy app and extend the device type / smart app. Speaking of which, I also wrote a device type which allows you to control the above functions of your balboa hot tub.
By adding the appropriate capabilities to the device type, I have been able to integrate this with things like SmartTiles and Rule Machine
The original app and backend for cloud integration is… lackluster. It was poorly implemented. I cannot change how the backend works- but I can put a prettier, more reliable, better connected (SmartThings), and with a little logic, more intelligent.
Unfortunately, you need the device id of your hot tub to make this work. There is no way for you to obtain this information easily. I’m currently trying to figure out a way that I can mine this out for you. I may even be able to write a Connect smartapp which will discover your hot tub on your network. But it’s in progress
Good news, i have just overcome the problem of device id- the proxy app now discovers your hot tub(s) for you - i’ll try and get some code / binaries available ASAP for you to test.
Great! I would love to be able to view/control our WiFi Hot Tub with SmartThings routines. I will look forward to working with you on the development/testing aspect when you are ready!
In short:
Water Capacity 1,483 Litres/392 US Gallons
Jets 64 Two Tone Stainless
Filtration 100 sq ft
Heater 4Kw
Jet Pumps Two 5.0SPL Dual Speed
Electronic Controls Balboa BP Series with Spa Touch
Complte specs on the hot tub is described in detail here:
OK cool. The issue is that the tub returns the status of all the jets as a single hex value. My tub has two pumps for the jets, but only one is dual speed. So for example:
hex 00 = all jets off
hex 01 = jet 1 speed 1 only
hex 09 = jet 1 speed 1 & jet 1 speed 1
I had to work out what these values were by trial and error… I think I’ll write an app which you can run on a windows PC which will perform various different tasks (press jets 1 button, record raw data, press jets 1 again, record raw data); this way I can get the info I need without much fuss. I will of course send you the source as well, so you can verify I am not doing anything you are not happy with.
I am a bit confused on the role of the tub. Is it not the actual Balboa wifi Spa module you are interfacing with? Would that not be (basically) the same regardless of which tub it is connected to? I understand that the module may send more data for a tub with more jets/features,
You are correct- I communicate with the Balboa WiFi module. The issue is that i do not know what the hex value is for some of your jet configurations. I have 6 configurations… but you would have more. But once I know what they are for one, it will work for all Balboa systems with that configuration. I know that these balboa systems support up to something like 6 different jet pumps, but so far 2 jet pumps seems normal.
To give you an idea, this is what the combinations look like for my spa, which has two jet pumps, jet 1 is 2 speed, jet 2 is 1 speed:
case "00":
_jet1 = JetSpeed.Off;
_jet2 = JetSpeed.Off;
break;
case "01":
_jet1 = JetSpeed.One;
_jet2 = JetSpeed.Off;
break;
case "02":
_jet1 = JetSpeed.Two;
_jet2 = JetSpeed.Off;
break;
case "08":
_jet1 = JetSpeed.Off;
_jet2 = JetSpeed.One;
break;
case "09":
_jet1 = JetSpeed.One;
_jet2 = JetSpeed.One;
break;
case "0A":
_jet1 = JetSpeed.Two;
_jet2 = JetSpeed.One;
break;
Costco sells a spa in the US that has the same wifi module and it’s on sale right now here. I’m shopping for a spa…would it be ridiculous to make a buying decision on whether the spa works with ST or not? It seems there are other threads where people complain about the module falling off their wireless network and not joining again without a full power cycle of the spa. Does anyone else experience the same? Is it just their cloud connectivity that sucks? Reading the Balboa official app reviews such as these don’t bode too well and wondering if this just uses local connectivity and alleviates whatever the network issues are.
I have received/sent back/received/sent back numerous modules that supposedly fixed connectivity. All get 1 star because I couldn’t rate it zero. Works for a few days (sometimes, if you are lucky, week(s)) then fall all the network. Only way to bring it back on line is the “reboot” the tub. Eventually Balboa got fed up with me and no longer responds to my emails. So…
I cut the existing module wire and added a 25 foot extension. I connected one end to a z-wave relay switch then back to the module. Every hour I run a routine that turns off the relay for 3-5 seconds then back on. The module now stays connected for weeks on end, It sometimes still acts up. It connects but the data is wrong and cant be modified. When this happens only a tub reboot will fix it.
I got this module free from the dealer where I purchased the tub. I would never pay for it!
I developed it a few weeks ago, but didn’t get a huge amount of interest in it. Currently testing it with @kurtsanders hot tub. If it continues to be a success, I may package up the proxy app into an installer to make life easier for people.
Also tied it into Alexa, so it’s now voice controlled.
Mine also came bundled with the wifi module, and fortunately, I’ve had no issues- but my tub is a 2016 model, so perhaps it has some fixes in it?
It is my belief that Balboa had the module and app developed, and further development is dead.
- i’ll try and get some code / binaries available ASAP for you to test.
It seems there are other threads where people complain about the module falling off their wireless network and not joining again without a full power cycle of the spa. Does anyone else experience the same? Is it just their cloud connectivity that sucks? Reading the Balboa official app reviews such as