Small in Name, Big in Features

Three years after introducing The Attendant, a pool automation system, Poolside Tech launched a new version in August — The Attendant Mini.

The Attendant and its mini version operate on a cloud-based system that monitors and controls pool equipment and features. The Attendant is designed to lower energy costs by finding the most efficient ways to manage water levels and temperature, making the pool easier to maintain and enjoy.

“It allows the homeowner, who may not understand much about how their pool works, to still enjoy it without all the scary stuff that turns a lot of potential pool owners away,” says Stan Reznik, chief technology officer of Poolside Tech.

Full automation

The Attendant, with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, determines the most efficient way to control the temperature and water level of a pool. It includes equipment diagnostics, dirty filter detection and a chemical monitoring system as an optional add-on. It can also control lighting systems, music and water features and integrates with Alexa, Spotify and other home automation systems.

Shasta Pools, in Phoenix, Arizona, has installed The Attendant on most pools it has built or serviced, says Skip Ast III, director of sales.

“The idea for this system was straight out of the minds and hearts of customers,” he says. “It truly was consumer-focused, and that’s what attracted us to the system.”

While The Attendant is designed to scale to any pool size, from a small home pool to a large water park, the new Attendant Mini caters to simpler pool systems, Reznik says.

“We quickly realized a massive opportunity at the lower end to midrange, where folks have simpler pools but still have all the same needs,” Reznik says. “They want to be able to use the pool in a way that’s not scary. The Mini was our answer to that.”

We quickly realized a massive opportunity at the lower end to midrange, where folks have simpler pools but still have all the same needs.”

Stan Reznik, Poolside Tech

Despite its name, The Attendant Mini is not small in features — it includes all the same automation and control components as its full-size counterpart with three main differences.

The Attendant Mini only controls three valve actuators instead of five and includes two bus ports instead of four. Additionally, the Mini is only controlled through a mobile app, while the original Attendant can be operated through a 6-inch touchscreen or the app. Ast, who uses The Attendant on his pool, says he doesn’t feel like this will be a deal-breaker.

“I can’t think of a time where I used the touchscreen,” he says. “[The Mini is] still a nice entry step into technology that is light years ahead of any other automation system we’ve seen.”

Open to every product

One of the biggest benefits of both versions of The Attendant is that it “opens the whole ecosystem” of pool equipment by working with virtually every brand, Reznik says.

“Today, there’s tremendous vendor lock-in,” he says. “Every main competitor goes out of their way to make sure that if you have one of their products, you must buy all their products. The Attendant exists to break through those barriers. This allows you to pick and choose the products you want. We’re not here to force you to buy a single brand.”

For this reason, The Attendant Mini is “the perfect answer to any retrofit project,” Reznik says. 

“If you’re a servicer and operating a pool with no automation, we come to the table being compatible with everything in the pool universe,” he says. “We make sure every single piece of equipment placed in the pool in the last decade or so is fully supported.”

Ast says this is another example of Poolside Tech’s customer-centric business philosophy.

“As far as we know, it’s the only company that was willing to go out on a limb and create something that talks to any piece of equipment,” he says. “We can legitimately tell customers that we’re not putting something on their pool purely because we have to. It’s because the customer gets to, and that’s a big distinction.”

Growth and service capabilities

The Attendant Mini can grow with the needs of the pool owner because regular software updates allow for the addition of new equipment compatibility. As manufacturers in the pool industry release new equipment, the Attendant constantly updates to work with those products. 

Additionally, pool owners can double the capacity of their Attendant Mini with up to four expansion modules. This feature will soon be available for the full-size Attendant, as well, Reznik says.

“If you add more equipment, you can add an expansion module,” he says. “You can have the same system that grows and scales as you add equipment.”

It also allows pool technicians to provide better, more efficient service. If a pool owner chooses, they can share their account for The Attendant with a service provider, allowing the servicer to see all the information. This helps identify a diagnosis, sometimes with a simple phone call, Ast says.

“Even if we have to visit the site, we’ve got 80% of the information we need to make it a very efficient site visit,” he says. “It gives us a great ability to serve customers beyond what we’ve seen in the industry.”

User-friendly information

Ast says the Attendant is the most user-friendly automation system he has experienced. Not only is it “as set it and forget it as you can get,” but it also provides pool owners with all the same information as a pool service provider, he says. 

To make it more user-friendly, this information is provided in percentage metrics that are easier to understand than traditional pool industry measurements and terms, he adds.

“It’s leveled the playing field between the pool company and the customer,” Ast says. “We’re all pulling the same information. No one has an advantage over the other. The family gets to see what we’re seeing, and we’re talking the same language. That brings such peace of mind to the customer.”