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!
Comments (10)
This is great info, Wendy. I am getting closer to making my decision. Thanks!
Posted by Tyler | June 28, 2007 8:39 AM
Learned a lot at your blog.
Posted by Greenearth | July 5, 2007 1:30 AM
So glad you stopped by, Greenearth. Come back anytime!
Posted by Wendy Stroud | July 12, 2007 12:45 AM
I have an Ecosmarte filter on my pool. Until
recently, it was working great. Now my water
has become murky and I can't figure out how
to clear it up. My Ph is a little high - 7.2 -
copper about .7. Any ideas about how to get
clear water again? Larry
Posted by Larry Leshin | July 31, 2007 6:17 AM
Larry,
Welcome to the Ecosmarte blog.
Thanks for the questions. The best thing to do with a pool that needs help is to call corporate at 1-800-ION-SWIM. Here are some things you can check meanwhile:
First, lower your PH. Although 7.2 is "acceptable", a 7.2 measurement still requires action - muriatic acid - to bring it down to 6.8. This is even if you have the CO2 injection. You want to start your week with a 6.8 measurement, as PH will always creep upwards.
Get your water tested at your local pool store. Most of them do it for free because they know they will be selling you things to fix whatever problem you have. Confirm you have zero phosphates - if not, follow the treatment direstions for phosphates in your manual or from corporate over the phone.
Check your calcium level while doing the water test, too. Make sure that is at least at 400 - if not, add a water hardness increaser.
The missing details are:
How long have you had the system?
Because at the startup of a new Ecosmarte pool - up to 3 months after - the water can look murky because of the descaling effect of the copper.
What kind of filter do you have? Murkiness can sometimes be caused by backwashing too frequently with a DE filter.
How big is the pool and how big are the pump and filter? If you have an undersized filter it may not be able to keep up with the filtration needs of the pool.
Have used any product in the pool? Only compatible products should be used, and some non-compatible can cause murkiness.
Call home office - they are the answer guys. Let us know how it goes!
Posted by Wendy Stroud | July 31, 2007 7:33 AM
Hi
Please tell about : TDS (total dissolved solids).
Aren't they filtered away by the sand filter ?
Ad what is TDS really.
PS: Webmaster, please check how these pages are printing, here in a narrow left column.
TBN, dk
Posted by Torben | September 1, 2007 1:30 PM
Hello Torben,
My apologies for not replying sooner. (I discovered that switching from an old computer to a new one can be very complicated and a heck of a lot of work.)
TDS is, technically, a measurement of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid which are present in a molecular, ionized or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form.
The most common are calcium, phosphates, nitrates, sodium, potassium and chloride. Some people have called TDS Total Dissolved Salts, but this is a misnomer. Though the above chemicals are the most common, the measurement can also include pesticides and other contaminants.
The principal application of TDS is in the study of water quality for streams, rivers and lakes, although TDS is generally considered not as a primary pollutant (e.g. it is not deemed to be associated with health effects), but it is rather used as an indication of aesthetic characteristics of drinking water and as an indicator of presence of a broad array of chemical contaminants.
I found a website that measured TDS for a few different water samples, just to give you an idea:
Great Salt Lake - Utah 254,000 parts per million
Average Sea Water 35,000 ppm
Rainwater from Menlo park, CA 38 ppm
TDS also comes into play with bottled water regulations: Mineral water is water containing not less than 250 parts per million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS), coming from a source tapped at one or more bore holes or springs, originating from a geologically and physically protected underground water source. No minerals may be added to this water. If TDS content is below 500 ppm, the statement "low mineral content" must appear on the label. If TDS content is above 1500 ppm, the statement "high mineral content" must appear on the label.
For ECOsmarte purposes, TDS needs to be under 2000 for the pool to function well. This comes into play when a customer is changing from a salt pool to an ECOsmarte pool. Most times we advise draining the pool and refilling it with fresh tap water to reduce the TDS measurement. TDS can be quite high in salt water pools - salt is essentially sodium and chloride. TDS measurements will naturally be higher in areas with hard water (more minerals). As to the exact reason why these TDS restrictions apply to an ECOsmarte pool - that's getting into chemistry that's beyond my basic knowledge!
Hopefully I have answered your questions! Let me know if you have more...and thanks for the visit.
Posted by Wendy | September 10, 2007 6:44 PM
My salt runs at 3100 ppm which is good. I recently put in new filters and now my salt is running at 4000 ppm. This ever happen to anybody?
Posted by jerry | November 21, 2007 6:24 AM
Goodness jerry, you found your way to a ZERO salt pool system blog, so we don't have any answers for you...
Posted by Wendy | April 5, 2008 2:56 AM
Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Posted by Alan | August 23, 2008 8:22 PM