The Attendant by Poolside Tech goes beyond basic automation. It’s your pool’s intelligent chemistry manager. With support for advanced water quality sensors and integrated dosing control, The Attendant monitors, adjusts, and maintains perfectly balanced water automatically. Whether you’re using pH and ORP sensors or running a full setup with Free and Total Chlorine probes, The Attendant simplifies water care with precision and safety.
This article provides a high-level overview of the chemistry options available with The Attendant. To view the full table of contents on everything chemistry-related, click here.
What’s Being Monitored
The Attendant can monitor and manage the most important chemical levels for pool and spa water quality:
Standard Chemistry (residential)
- pH – Affects comfort, sanitizer effectiveness, and equipment longevity, and pool finishes.
- ORP – Indicates how effectively chlorine is working
Advanced Chemistry (commercial)
- Free Chlorine – Tracks the active, sanitizing chlorine in the water
- Total Chlorine – Helps identify when chloramines are present and shocking may be needed
Supported Sensors and Their Roles
Each sensor connects via the Chemistry Board or RS-485 and reports real-time water data Each sensor connects via the Chemistry Board or RS-485 and reports real-time water data for automated response:
- pH Sensor – Connects via Chemistry Board
Measures acidity - ORP Sensor – Connects via Chemistry Board
Measures oxidation-reduction potential to evaluate sanitizer strength. ORP is typically maintained between 650–750 mV depending on pool conditions. - Free Chlorine Sensor – Connects via RS-485
Measures available chlorine that’s actively sanitizing. Especially useful for commercial compliance or advanced monitoring. - Total Chlorine Sensor – Connects via RS-485
Measures all chlorine in the water—both active (free) and combined (used). Helps determine when superchlorination is needed.
All sensors are installed in a flow cell. The flow cell type is determined by the probe type:
- pH and ORP probes use the ATT-FLOW-CELL
- Free and Total Chlorine probes use the ATT-CHLOR-FLOW-CELL and ATT-CHLOR-FLOW-REG
Chemistry Equipment The Attendant Controls
The Attendant works with a variety of dosing and sanitation devices to manage water chemistry automatically:
- Muriatic Acid Pumps – To lower pH
- Base Feeders (e.g., Sodium Carbonate) – To raise pH
- Liquid Chlorine Pumps – To raise chlorine and ORP
- CO₂ Solenoids – To lower pH using carbon dioxide (an alternative to acid)
- Salt Water Chlorinators – To produce chlorine from salt in the water
- Advanced Chemistry Components – UV, Ozone, UVO3, DO
These devices can be set up per body of water, allowing precise control over each pool or spa.
How The Attendant Responds to Sensor Readings
The Attendant uses intelligent control logic to evaluate sensor data and trigger the appropriate chemical or device. Examples include:
- Low pH? Base is dosed to bring it back up.
- High pH? Muriatic acid or CO₂ is dosed to lower it.
- Low Free Chlorine? The system doses liquid chlorine or increases salt cell dose.
- Sends Alerts The system sends alerts when to notify of potential issues before they become catastrophic problems.
Dosing Logic and Safety Features
The Attendant is engineered with built-in safeguards and smart logic to keep your pool safe:
- Chemical Separation
Incompatible chemicals (e.g., acid and chlorine) are never dosed simultaneously. Dosing is staggered with enforced wait periods. - Mix Time Enforcement
After dosing, The Attendant waits a programmed amount of time to allow full circulation and accurate sensor readings before taking further action. - Pump Speed Protection
Dosing only occurs when The Attendant confirms that the pump is running at or above a minimum flow rate—both during and after chemical injection. It also checks for valid flow switch status(if configured) and verifies pump feedback (such as GPM or RPM) to prevent dosing during faults or errors. In some cases, The Attendant can also extend the filtration schedule to allow extra time for chemical mixing before shutting the pump down. - Setpoint Boundaries
Sensor readings are monitored continuously while the pump is running, but responses only occur when they fall outside of user-defined thresholds. This avoids overcorrection or reacting to momentary fluctuations. - Customizable Set Points
The Attendant allows you to set up a custom dosing table tailored to your specific pool setup. This lets you configure proportional chemical feed rates that are optimized for your pool’s unique needs. - Advanced Sanitization Equipment
Ozone, UV, and other advanced sanitizers will only turn on when The Attendant confirms the pump is running and, if there’s a flow switch, that water is actually moving.
Summary
The Attendant takes the guesswork out of pool chemistry. With real-time monitoring, automatic adjustments, and built-in safety, it maintains your water quality like a professional—without constant manual input. From simple acid injection to advanced chlorine control, The Attendant is a powerful tool for keeping your pool clean, balanced, and safe around the clock.
Need Help?
For assistance with chemistry setup, dosing tables, or sensor calibration, visit https://poolside.support or call 267-810-0800.