I had a Phin for 4 years. The device and software were amazing. The customer service was AWFUL. Chemicals were late and they always messed up the orders. It went out of business in January 2022. I was looking for a replacement. Looks like a perfect replacement. The cartridges that you need to replace each month and recharge the battery sounds like a drag. The rest is good and I am looking forward to receiving it.
@@handydadtv So glad to hear that. Going to a chemical pool store is a total rip off. They make you buy thousands of dollars of chemicals for the summer that you don't need. I am putting this first on in my hot tube. I bit big I think. Then this summer I will purchase another one for the pool. Thanks for the positive feedback.
I never owned a hot tub but I would think the chemicals don’t move that quickly because it’s usually covered. Wouldn’t the chemistry be fairly predictable? Sutro tests 3x a day and that might be overkill for a hot tub.
Yes, a subscription is required. You can’t buy the test cartridges in stores, and they can’t be refilled. So the subscription pays for the cartridges and service. The cool thing is that you can pause it when your pool is closed.
Hi, I would have loved for you to open the old unit and see how much liquid were left in the test tubes, also can you return the old units for refilling or are they waste, that would be a shame.
They should come up with one that is smaller and more aimed at hot tub users as well. 3 tests per day on a 400gal tub that's covered unless being used is a bit much, plus the unit is a bit large to be bobbing around in a tub.
@Rossman812 thank you for the feedback! We are working on additional hardware solutions in the future. Our focus in the beginning was to perfect the measurement process and build the foundation for future development. We are at the iPhone 3 stage now and gaining speed.
looks much nicer than the phin but i think i may still go with the water guru sense since it is in the skimmer and doesn’t need a bridge or chemical subscription.
I haven't tried Sense yet, but you still need to buy the cartridges. However the cartridges last 8 weeks, not monthly. So in NJ, we would need 2 per season. The downside of Sense for us is that we don't have a chlorinator so we put chlorine tabs in the skimmer, which I know is a bad practice but a floater doesn't dissolve them fast enough.
The main and arguably most important difference is accuracy. Liquid reagents are the gold standard for water testing and Sutro is the only fully automated liquid reagent testing solution in the market, and we use professional grade liquid reagents from Lamotte. WaterGuru uses test cassettes that rely on dry pads (like test strips) and aren’t as accurate. The next difference impacting accuracy is how water samples are taken, they should be taken about 12 inches below the water line in order to get a true representative sample of the body of water. The Sutro monitor’s shape was designed to allow for that whereas the WaterGuru sits in the skimmer basket and is measuring water that’s coming from the surface of the pool. Aside from accuracy there are a few other differences that people have observed as well: The WaterGuru sits in the skimmer and anything that comes through like pollen, bugs et cetera ends up in the mesh bag that the WaterGuru is in and you have to clean that out when you empty the skimmer. Sutro is easier to remove from the pool if needed, no need to dig around in the skimmer basket Sutro connectivity from the hub to the monitor is exceptional. We use a proprietary communication protocol that allows you to get excellent connectivity. Although we don’t necessarily recommend it, some users have stated that they have solid connections through garage walls/cars and even basements. Of course that all depends on the exact scenario for each user’s environment. Sutro comes with 2 batteries and the hub holds one and keeps it charged so that you always have a fresh battery, no need to worry with having to buy more all the time or not having one on hand.. We test 3x/day and WaterGuru tests 1x/day (and only FC and pH). We use machine learning and algorithms to take advantage of the data from your pool and will be able to predict treatments based on weather events, pool use et cetera. We aren’t doing that today, but as we build our repository of measurement data there are some powerful things we will be able to do to make pool care even easier. We are all about our users and their pools and spas so we wholeheartedly recommend for our users to have full water tests at least monthly as well so that they have the full picture of their chemistry. We want to be a key link in the circle of pool care that helps keep water clean and clear and do not want users to think that they only have to measure 3 parameters. We have a blog that actually highlights the need for that as well -> blog.mysutro.com/diy-pool-pro-tip-water-quality/ We currently test for pH, total alkalinity, and free chlorine and we chose those because they are the ones that change most often and pH/FC are key to maintaining clean water. The others are most certainly important, but they don’t need to be measured as frequently. In order to get the other tests we have an integration with the LaMotte spintouch. So if your local pool store uses their system to test then we also incorporate the other measurements such as CYA, Calcium Hardness, metals et cetera. The pool store can also see your Sutro history and have a better picture of your water health. WaterGuru does have an interesting model to get the samples tested, we just don’t like the time delay and subsequent age of the sample in that scenario so we are trying to identify a better way to do that so we can have more accuracy. Lastly, we are also looking at adding other tests as well, and/or using the existing data to calculate them (CYA as an example, we can measure the burn rate of your chlorine during the day and extrapolate CYA concentrations). We are at the iphone 3 stage right now and moving at light speed so the future possibilities are huge!
The Sutro unit itself is $500.00. Then you get roped into a $30.00 minimum to $40.00 per month maximum membership charge. Which equates to $360.00 up to $480.00 Annually. So 1st year cost = $860.00 to $980.00 depending on which plan you decide on. For those wondering I do own the Sutro as well as WaterGuru. Readings are the same plus the WaterGuru reads pump flow & does not require a subscription. Cartridges for the WaterGuru 3 for $60.00 or $20.00 ea. Sutro cartridges are $30.00 to $40.00 ea. The one thing the Sutro has is a rechargeable battery but for the subscription hassle & price I prefer the WaterGuru. Keep in mind that the WaterGuru sits in the skimmer. As for as people getting wild readings I can't speak to except maybe their pump isn't running at the time of a test. My WaterGuru is about 2 feet from my Sutro & readings are almost identical. I am on my 2nd season with WaterGuru & 1st with Sutro. Will narrow down to 1 at end of season.
@@sutro7787 I must have missed when you originally replied. I just opened my pool and am looking at grabbing a sutro. As the years go by I’m happier with automating even this simple task. Lol. You mention possibly adding CYA. Would this necessitate an entire new unit or an upgrade and new cartridge?
Loving my sutro so far this year. Couple of issues. Looks like it may possible run out of chems and called for a shipment too late. It shipped yesterday USPS but reporting nothing today saying there is an anomaly with your sutro. Hopefully that’s all that is wrong and when it shows up in a couple of days and I replace it all will go back to normal. Maybe the starter cart was old or not full? Also the alkalinity always show high in the yellow but my manual testing shows just right as well as my testing when I’ve brought it in to Leslie’s and they use the automated testing they do now. Again I don’t panic and really chlorine is my main use as well as pH to a lesser extent. Saves me the hassle. I do wish they would allow me to input CYA so they could account for that in the chlorine recommendations. I think that’s important. Perhaps even allow me to input borates as well but I know most people don’t aren’t aware of using borates to help. Hmmm maybe the borates are throwing it off but that’s just a wild guess.
Great video! In the video you show screen shots of the app. It shows a range for alkalinity, not an actual value. Does sutro tell you exactly what your alkalinity is like the ph and chlorine?
As an owner yes. You have to pay $40 a month for that privilege. Also own the WaterGuru which does not require a subscription plus monitors pump flow. Historical graph on all levels free.
Will this handle salt water? I wonder if mounting it in one location, possibly closest to the wireless point, will help with stability. Not buying the 100 yards.
Interesting product. There are some issues I have concern about... 1. The website says "Initiation fee". That gives pause because "initiation" doesn't mean "buy" but you seem to be buying the unit. 2. The plan options say "on demand cartridges"...for $29/mth. That technically means you are paying $29/mth regardless of whether you need a cartridge or not. 3. Your promo code for $50 off the product does not work... This company basically seems a bit shady. They are structuring their words and their plans to LOCK you in at a later time. Right now, they might let you skip monthly payments when you need to forego cartridges (like when you have your pool closed), but they can easily make this a continuous monthly charge regardless of whether you need a cartridge or not. Or, they can ask you to send the unit back to them because you are actually just renting the unit and being charged an "initiation" fee to activate the unit and access its features and functionality (like the app). I have reached out to the company via chat regarding these issues...it has been a few hours and there has been no reply. So, they don't have dedicated 24/7 service at the moment even though it has been almost a year since your review of this product. If you can give an update on the promo code from your end, I would appreciate it.
Hey Sam, thank you for the feedback. The term “initiation” was confusing and it was removed during a recent website update. You are actually paying for the hardware. It’s similar to the concept that some printer companies are offering. You buy the hardware and can pay monthly for toner. We differ from that as we provide additional services such as the weekly water health report and monthly consultation for example. The monthly charge is for the monitoring, services defined in each plan, and the replacement cartridge and shipping fees. We want to disconnect the ‘service charge’ from the ‘cartridge’. This actually allows us to send you multiple cartridges in a month given there may be issues with a particular cartridge OR if we decide to open a plan where people can test less or more given their needs. The cartridge is a means to an end, not the end. We’ll look into the promo code, which is the exact one that you’re using so we can debug. Our intent isn’t to be shady or set people up for additional charges, we are looking to provide a service that makes sense for multiple different pool and spa segments (year-round users, seasonal users, et cetera) and we wanted a pricing model that made sense for everyone. Apologies for the delayed response to your comments, we have been backlogged with new users and existing customers opening their pools and reactivating their systems. We have added additional staff to help with the growth and are working hard to return to our normal response times. Like many pool or technology products, we do not have 24x7 support hours to date. Once we begin to expand internationally, that may be an option going forward. We take all feedback as a gift and it is reviewed by the teams regularly so that we can continually improve on our service and make our product better and our customer’s lives easier.
The Sutro unit itself is $500.00. Then you get roped into a $30.00 minimum to $40.00 per month maximum membership charge. Which equates to $360.00 up to $480.00 Annually. So 1st year cost = $860.00 to $980.00 depending on which plan you decide on. For those wondering I do own the Sutro as well as WaterGuru. Readings are the same plus the WaterGuru reads pump flow & does not require a subscription. Cartridges for the WaterGuru 3 for $60.00 or $20.00 ea. Sutro cartridges are $30.00 to $40.00 ea. The one thing the Sutro has is a rechargeable battery but for the subscription hassle & price I prefer the WaterGuru. Keep in mind that the WaterGuru sits in the skimmer. As for as people getting wild readings I can't speak to except maybe their pump isn't running at the time of a test. My WaterGuru is about 2 feet from my Sutro & readings are almost identical. I am on my 2nd season with WaterGuru & 1st with Sutro. Will narrow down to 1 at end of season.
What an ass clown question and a bunch of clowns.😅😅😅 If you are that stressed about that you all need to get some mental health assistance before you do something harmful to yourselves. 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
Use code HANDYDAD for 10% off your Sutro purchase.
This code does not work, just FYI
Thanks for letting me know. Let me check on that!
@@handydadtv Actually I figured it out! You have to put in your email first. Then it works. Thanks again for the in depth video!
Oh good!
Great video. Seems like the best smart pool solution at this time.
We used it all summer and really like it.
What a great review! Thank you.
Thanks so much 😊
Excellent work ❤
Thanks 😊
I had a Phin for 4 years. The device and software were amazing. The customer service was AWFUL. Chemicals were late and they always messed up the orders. It went out of business in January 2022. I was looking for a replacement. Looks like a perfect replacement. The cartridges that you need to replace each month and recharge the battery sounds like a drag. The rest is good and I am looking forward to receiving it.
I used pHin for two years. Sutro is far superior.
@@handydadtv So glad to hear that. Going to a chemical pool store is a total rip off. They make you buy thousands of dollars of chemicals for the summer that you don't need. I am putting this first on in my hot tube. I bit big I think. Then this summer I will purchase another one for the pool. Thanks for the positive feedback.
I never owned a hot tub but I would think the chemicals don’t move that quickly because it’s usually covered. Wouldn’t the chemistry be fairly predictable?
Sutro tests 3x a day and that might be overkill for a hot tub.
Is the monthly subscription mandatory? I want to purchase it but it’s telling me to sign up for a monthly subscription.
Yes, a subscription is required. You can’t buy the test cartridges in stores, and they can’t be refilled. So the subscription pays for the cartridges and service. The cool thing is that you can pause it when your pool is closed.
Hi, I would have loved for you to open the old unit and see how much liquid were left in the test tubes, also can you return the old units for refilling or are they waste, that would be a shame.
Someone else asked about recycling. I’m not sure if they plan to implement something like that.
They are not as of today but we are looking into ways to either refill or recycle the cartridges in the future.
@sutro7787
Maybe a little discount on refills over new. Might get that moving.
They should come up with one that is smaller and more aimed at hot tub users as well. 3 tests per day on a 400gal tub that's covered unless being used is a bit much, plus the unit is a bit large to be bobbing around in a tub.
I don’t disagree
@Rossman812 thank you for the feedback! We are working on additional hardware solutions in the future. Our focus in the beginning was to perfect the measurement process and build the foundation for future development. We are at the iPhone 3 stage now and gaining speed.
Cheap fk
my guy listening to Hanson... 12:35 MMMBOP lol havent heard that in a couple decades...
Probably “Summer hits of the 90s” on Pandora 😉
Good video watch from France
Thanks so much! 🇫🇷
looks much nicer than the phin but i think i may still go with the water guru sense since it is in the skimmer and doesn’t need a bridge or chemical subscription.
I haven't tried Sense yet, but you still need to buy the cartridges. However the cartridges last 8 weeks, not monthly. So in NJ, we would need 2 per season.
The downside of Sense for us is that we don't have a chlorinator so we put chlorine tabs in the skimmer, which I know is a bad practice but a floater doesn't dissolve them fast enough.
The main and arguably most important difference is accuracy. Liquid reagents are the gold standard for water testing and Sutro is the only fully automated liquid reagent testing solution in the market, and we use professional grade liquid reagents from Lamotte. WaterGuru uses test cassettes that rely on dry pads (like test strips) and aren’t as accurate.
The next difference impacting accuracy is how water samples are taken, they should be taken about 12 inches below the water line in order to get a true representative sample of the body of water. The Sutro monitor’s shape was designed to allow for that whereas the WaterGuru sits in the skimmer basket and is measuring water that’s coming from the surface of the pool.
Aside from accuracy there are a few other differences that people have observed as well:
The WaterGuru sits in the skimmer and anything that comes through like pollen, bugs et cetera ends up in the mesh bag that the WaterGuru is in and you have to clean that out when you empty the skimmer.
Sutro is easier to remove from the pool if needed, no need to dig around in the skimmer basket
Sutro connectivity from the hub to the monitor is exceptional. We use a proprietary communication protocol that allows you to get excellent connectivity. Although we don’t necessarily recommend it, some users have stated that they have solid connections through garage walls/cars and even basements. Of course that all depends on the exact scenario for each user’s environment.
Sutro comes with 2 batteries and the hub holds one and keeps it charged so that you always have a fresh battery, no need to worry with having to buy more all the time or not having one on hand..
We test 3x/day and WaterGuru tests 1x/day (and only FC and pH). We use machine learning and algorithms to take advantage of the data from your pool and will be able to predict treatments based on weather events, pool use et cetera. We aren’t doing that today, but as we build our repository of measurement data there are some powerful things we will be able to do to make pool care even easier.
We are all about our users and their pools and spas so we wholeheartedly recommend for our users to have full water tests at least monthly as well so that they have the full picture of their chemistry. We want to be a key link in the circle of pool care that helps keep water clean and clear and do not want users to think that they only have to measure 3 parameters. We have a blog that actually highlights the need for that as well -> blog.mysutro.com/diy-pool-pro-tip-water-quality/
We currently test for pH, total alkalinity, and free chlorine and we chose those because they are the ones that change most often and pH/FC are key to maintaining clean water. The others are most certainly important, but they don’t need to be measured as frequently. In order to get the other tests we have an integration with the LaMotte spintouch. So if your local pool store uses their system to test then we also incorporate the other measurements such as CYA, Calcium Hardness, metals et cetera. The pool store can also see your Sutro history and have a better picture of your water health. WaterGuru does have an interesting model to get the samples tested, we just don’t like the time delay and subsequent age of the sample in that scenario so we are trying to identify a better way to do that so we can have more accuracy.
Lastly, we are also looking at adding other tests as well, and/or using the existing data to calculate them (CYA as an example, we can measure the burn rate of your chlorine during the day and extrapolate CYA concentrations). We are at the iphone 3 stage right now and moving at light speed so the future possibilities are huge!
The Sutro unit itself is $500.00. Then you get roped into a $30.00 minimum to $40.00 per month maximum membership charge. Which equates to $360.00 up to $480.00 Annually. So 1st year cost = $860.00 to $980.00 depending on which plan you decide on. For those wondering I do own the Sutro as well as WaterGuru. Readings are the same plus the WaterGuru reads pump flow & does not require a subscription. Cartridges for the WaterGuru 3 for $60.00 or $20.00 ea. Sutro cartridges are $30.00 to $40.00 ea. The one thing the Sutro has is a rechargeable battery but for the subscription hassle & price I prefer the WaterGuru. Keep in mind that the WaterGuru sits in the skimmer. As for as people getting wild readings I can't speak to except maybe their pump isn't running at the time of a test. My WaterGuru is about 2 feet from my Sutro & readings are almost identical. I am on my 2nd season with WaterGuru & 1st with Sutro. Will narrow down to 1 at end of season.
@bigkahuna114 Let me know if you find a cheaper one that works as well.
@@sutro7787 I must have missed when you originally replied. I just opened my pool and am looking at grabbing a sutro. As the years go by I’m happier with automating even this simple task. Lol. You mention possibly adding CYA. Would this necessitate an entire new unit or an upgrade and new cartridge?
Loving my sutro so far this year. Couple of issues. Looks like it may possible run out of chems and called for a shipment too late. It shipped yesterday USPS but reporting nothing today saying there is an anomaly with your sutro. Hopefully that’s all that is wrong and when it shows up in a couple of days and I replace it all will go back to normal. Maybe the starter cart was old or not full? Also the alkalinity always show high in the yellow but my manual testing shows just right as well as my testing when I’ve brought it in to Leslie’s and they use the automated testing they do now. Again I don’t panic and really chlorine is my main use as well as pH to a lesser extent. Saves me the hassle. I do wish they would allow me to input CYA so they could account for that in the chlorine recommendations. I think that’s important. Perhaps even allow me to input borates as well but I know most people don’t aren’t aware of using borates to help. Hmmm maybe the borates are throwing it off but that’s just a wild guess.
CYA is the missing link in every chlorine test.
Great video! In the video you show screen shots of the app. It shows a range for alkalinity, not an actual value. Does sutro tell you exactly what your alkalinity is like the ph and chlorine?
Yes it gives actual readings for chlorine, pH and alkalinity.
Do you have to purchase the more expensive subscription to get the historical graph?
Not sure. Ask the company.
As an owner yes. You have to pay $40 a month for that privilege. Also own the WaterGuru which does not require a subscription plus monitors pump flow. Historical graph on all levels free.
Will this handle salt water? I wonder if mounting it in one location, possibly closest to the wireless point, will help with stability. Not buying the 100 yards.
support.mysutro.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047628553-Does-Sutro-work-with-Salt-Water-Systems-
Is there anything that Sutro does not test for that is important? Like salt in a normal chlorinated pool.
Really good video,
Thanks! Go to handydad.tv/shopsutro and use code POOLOPEN50 for $50 off right now.
Sutro looks amazing, but that price is STEEP! You didn't mention if you have to pay for the additional cartridges
I don’t mention prices because they change all the time.
Chris, did you purchase extra batteries?
No. It came with two and that’s all you need.
Interesting product.
There are some issues I have concern about...
1. The website says "Initiation fee". That gives pause because "initiation" doesn't mean "buy" but you seem to be buying the unit.
2. The plan options say "on demand cartridges"...for $29/mth. That technically means you are paying $29/mth regardless of whether you need a cartridge or not.
3. Your promo code for $50 off the product does not work...
This company basically seems a bit shady. They are structuring their words and their plans to LOCK you in at a later time. Right now, they might let you skip monthly payments when you need to forego cartridges (like when you have your pool closed), but they can easily make this a continuous monthly charge regardless of whether you need a cartridge or not. Or, they can ask you to send the unit back to them because you are actually just renting the unit and being charged an "initiation" fee to activate the unit and access its features and functionality (like the app).
I have reached out to the company via chat regarding these issues...it has been a few hours and there has been no reply. So, they don't have dedicated 24/7 service at the moment even though it has been almost a year since your review of this product.
If you can give an update on the promo code from your end, I would appreciate it.
I’m going to have someone from Sutro respond.
Hey Sam, thank you for the feedback.
The term “initiation” was confusing and it was removed during a recent website update. You are actually paying for the hardware. It’s similar to the concept that some printer companies are offering. You buy the hardware and can pay monthly for toner. We differ from that as we provide additional services such as the weekly water health report and monthly consultation for example.
The monthly charge is for the monitoring, services defined in each plan, and the replacement cartridge and shipping fees. We want to disconnect the ‘service charge’ from the ‘cartridge’. This actually allows us to send you multiple cartridges in a month given there may be issues with a particular cartridge OR if we decide to open a plan where people can test less or more given their needs. The cartridge is a means to an end, not the end.
We’ll look into the promo code, which is the exact one that you’re using so we can debug.
Our intent isn’t to be shady or set people up for additional charges, we are looking to provide a service that makes sense for multiple different pool and spa segments (year-round users, seasonal users, et cetera) and we wanted a pricing model that made sense for everyone.
Apologies for the delayed response to your comments, we have been backlogged with new users and existing customers opening their pools and reactivating their systems. We have added additional staff to help with the growth and are working hard to return to our normal response times. Like many pool or technology products, we do not have 24x7 support hours to date. Once we begin to expand internationally, that may be an option going forward.
We take all feedback as a gift and it is reviewed by the teams regularly so that we can continually improve on our service and make our product better and our customer’s lives easier.
@@sutro7787 Got it. Thank you. I am seriously considering your product. It looks like a great device to save time :)
The Sutro unit itself is $500.00. Then you get roped into a $30.00 minimum to $40.00 per month maximum membership charge. Which equates to $360.00 up to $480.00 Annually. So 1st year cost = $860.00 to $980.00 depending on which plan you decide on. For those wondering I do own the Sutro as well as WaterGuru. Readings are the same plus the WaterGuru reads pump flow & does not require a subscription. Cartridges for the WaterGuru 3 for $60.00 or $20.00 ea. Sutro cartridges are $30.00 to $40.00 ea. The one thing the Sutro has is a rechargeable battery but for the subscription hassle & price I prefer the WaterGuru. Keep in mind that the WaterGuru sits in the skimmer. As for as people getting wild readings I can't speak to except maybe their pump isn't running at the time of a test. My WaterGuru is about 2 feet from my Sutro & readings are almost identical. I am on my 2nd season with WaterGuru & 1st with Sutro. Will narrow down to 1 at end of season.
Have you tried the Waterguru sense? Wondering how it compares if you have.
I haven’t.
looks good but doesn't work in canada :( so not clue what smart pool monitor to go for
Sorry
Are the cartridges recycled by the manufactorer?
I’m not sure. Check the website.
Great question! They are not as of today but we are looking into ways to either refill or recycle the cartridges in the future.
What an ass clown question and a bunch of clowns.😅😅😅
If you are that stressed about that you all need to get some mental health assistance before you do something harmful to yourselves.
😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
How's the battery life? Thanks for the review.
We swap the battery each month when we replace the cartridge. More than enough power for a month of service.
@@handydadtv Thank you..
Question: can you print out chemical history somehow?
You can screenshot the chart. I don’t know of any way to export the data for printing.
$500!!!!! 😮
Use code HANDYDAD for 10%.
never seen 5 ads in a 4k views video
Wow that is a lot
Did u do this...ON ACID HAHA LOL
No. Why?