I installed the system in my fiberglass pool a little over two weeks ago. while waiting for the system to rid my pool of chemicals, it was cloudy. As it started to clear my ph rose above 7.5 and I got an algae bloom. very frustrating when I am trying a new system. I put a yellow out in it and it made it worse. I drained off some of the water and refilled with new in order to help it clear. Ironically, the water is clear, not hazy, but it is still a lovely green color. I have been told that my chemicals don't necessarily have to match what a concrete pool numbers are because of the general make up of the pool, but what about with the ecosmarte system. How close should I keep my numbers compared to the book?... David Gall
David,
Welcome to the ECOsmarte blog! Thanks for taking the time to write.
The guys at 800-ION-SWIM are the experts, not just on how a fiberglass pool would be different but on everything - so please call them with your questions and they will help you. In evaluating a system, it's important to take all factors into consideration, i.e. filtration system, pump size, pool size, flow rate, and a water test.
Here are some general rules about ECOsmarte pools/spas:
It's a great idea to take your water and have it tested at a pool store. Most stores will do it for free because it's not labor intensive; they have a cool machine that gives them a printout. Besides, they know they will probably be selling you chemicals - so they are happy to provide that service.
There are three critical factors in the results of that test: calcium, phosphates and TDS (total dissolved solids). This is assuming you have already followed the instructions and made sure there is little or no chlorine in your pool, which is usually required before installation.
1)Your calcium needs to be at least 400 for optimum oxygenation and ionization. This can be adjusted upwards if necessary by adding calcium hardness increaser.
2)You need to make sure phosphates are not in the water and treat them if they are present.
3)TDS needs to be no more than 2300. This number can only be changed by changing out water in your pool.
Once the above factors are checked and handled, the general maintenance is this:
The PH and copper are the critical factors, and are handled as follows:
1) first check the PH and adjust it as necessary before you test the copper, because if your PH is off, your copper reading will not be accurate. Try to keep your PH on the low side of the 6.8 - 7.2 range, because from your own experience you can see that when the PH gets too high, the pool can get out of balance pretty quickly.
2) check your copper and make sure it is between .4 - .7 as stated in the manual. Try to stay on the high side of that range, so that sufficient copper is in the pool.
As far as how long to program your pool to oxidize/ionize - again, corporate has a better feel for that than I do as far as pool size, where you live, do you have dogs in the pool a lot, filter size, pump size, etc., so give them a call.
Enjoy your pool and let us know how it goes!
