ECOsmarte blog

"Hi Wendy,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. You by far have given me more in depth answers than ANYONE I have talked to so far. A couple of questions, what do you mean about circulation and turnover 1.5 to 2 times daily? Does that mean you run your pump say twice daily for 4 hours each? Also, another concern I have is how would you know the system is killing everything it says it does (as far as bacteria and deadly viruses) I know with any pool that could be a concern. If the copper component was not working correctly could there ever be a problem with releasing too much into the water and be harmful to you? How is it corrected. How would you correct if your copper test weekly showed it was low?
Thanks for all the input
Tina"

Glad to help, Tina.

1) Circulation is the ability of your pump to circulate the water effectively. 1.5 to 2 times refers to the number of times that the entire volume of your pool water would run through the pump and be filtered. This is dependent on your flow rate, which is a product of your pipe size, pump size and filtration size/type. Pool builders know this stuff. So, for example, it might take your filter 4 hours to filter 30,000 gallons and you have a 30,000 gallon pool, so you would want to run it 6 hours a day to get a pool turnover of 1.5.

2) How do you know it's killing all the nasties? As I mentioned in another post, Larry (our CEO and founder) is digging up a water test done on an ECOsmarte pool water that showed no bacteria present, even after a good sized bather load as well as the water looking a little cloudy. i will make sure that gets posted ASAP. The only way for you to have proof is to do a water test on your own pool.

3) Testing the copper weekly prevents copper levels that are too high. If you mis-programmed the copper and too much was put into the pool, it is not dangerous for you at all. It might precipitate out a bit in your pool or turn blond hair a bit green, but it is certainly not dangerous. To correct too much copper, you just wait it out, as the copper level will naturally go down with time.

4) Correcting too little copper is the easiest of all - you just program the box to have a longer run time to put more copper in the pool. Another reason that you might be having trouble getting enough copper in the pool is that your electrodes need cleaning. Once a year you take the entire ECOsmarte chamber and soak it in one part muriatic acid and 3 parts water, to clean the electrodes. If the electrodes get coated with stuff over time (I wish I knew what they get coated with, but I don't!), they don't produce as much copper.

Hope this helps!

Wendy

"Hi Wendy,
I've read when someone has too small of a filter that can cause problems. Is there a certain size I need to make sure I have? I'm not exactly sure how the sand fiter and glass go hand in hand. Are you replacing the sand with the glass? Since the website says you can install it yourself would I need to have someone on the phone when my pool co. was ready to put it on? Thanks for all the input.
Tina"

Yes indeed, when the filter is undersized it can definitely be a problem. The size you need will be dependent on the other factors, i.e. pump size, pipe diameter, and pool gallons. The glass media does indeed replace the sand. You place a small layer of pea gravel on the bottom of the filter and then put the glass media over that. We even have an on-line video to show you how to do it. Best to call the folks at 800-ION-SWIM, because they know the formula with sand filter sizes and can help you select the appropriate one for your pool. Of course they would be happy to give you phone support when the glass media is being put in the filter, or any other time you have specific questions about the ECOsmarte installation or system. They are available Mon - Sat, just remember they are on Minnesota time

"Hi Wendy,
When salt water pools came out they seem to be a huge hit. More so because I think people thought they no longer had a chlorine pool. Now a few years later, we are seeing the effects of the salt and what it does to your pool. Some builders will not even install them unless you sign off saying they are not responsible for what it can do to your decking, etc. My husband's concern is that down the road what problems will arise from this system. Also, I know the parts are under warrantly, but where could you find the small print to really see what that covers? Also, once put on your pool you said you have a six month telephone support, what after that? If there was a problem with it who comes to service it?
Thanks,
Tina"

Tina, I so appreciate your thoroughness. You are asking all the best questions. ECOsmarte has been installing pool systems (and home water purification systems) for 13 years now. There are no problems that have arisen from our products such as corrosion of pool equipment from a chlorine drip system or corrosion of everything form a salt system. We have eliminated the need for corrosive chemicals to keep the pool clean, and best of all we have eliminated hard water scaling problems, which extends the life of your pool equipment and further reduces the need for corrosive chemicals to clean off the scaling. We have seen this proven in pool after pool.

It is no coincidence that suddenly after salt water pools came out, the warranty periods on pool motors/filters/heaters suddenly shrunk to half as long as they used to be. They knew what was going on long before the information came out to the public, which, to me is reprehensible.
You can find the full ECOsmarte warranty here:
http://ecosmartewater.com/Guarantee.htm

Once the 6 month support period is over with, we will still assist you is finding a knowledgeable repair/service person to help you should problems arise. Most of the time that person can be located through the dealer who sold you the system - because we have installers and repair people we work with all the time. If necessary, home office will lead the person through repairs over the phone to make sure it is done correctly. There are very few details about our system that a plumber or pool repair person wouldn't have the skills to understand. Mostly, it's good plumbing skills, common sense and a little guidance, and we can solve virtually any problem.

Boy am I glad I didn't get a salt-water pool. Thanks, Wendy!

Why are there are essentially NO positive reviews of the products to be found anywhere except on EcoSmarte’s own pages? It seems "Wendy" refuses to engage in a discussion on one site [http://troublefreepool.com/viewtopic.php?p=13222&sid=377ef183a4c38354ca04f7e883e5095a] and there’s an FTC page about a similar sounding product [http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1996/08/caribb2.shtm]. I want to like this product, and was seriously considering buying but… And then I saw this - -Free University Classifieds -
SALES PERSON WANTED FOR ECOSMARTE WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM.COMM. ONLY.AVERAGE COMM 500-800 PER SALE.FULL TRAINING NO EXP. NEEDED. …
www.universityclassifieds.us/smclassifieds/ templates/template1.asp?action=addetail&adid=1959

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for visiting our blog. I see you have been busy posting this same message other places on the web, trying to discredit our product. We're not going anywhere. And I really can't understand what your objection is to the ad looking for sales people. That means we are busy and need help, dude, Read success.

As for the "similar" product, that has already been covered here. The similarity ends with copper ionization, which is used in many products, and invented by NASA. We combine ionization with oxidation and are indeed chlorine-free (and bromine, and Baquacil, and whatever other toxic chemical you want to try and keep your pool clean with).

As I stated on the troublefree pool boards, I have no interest in discussing the exact chemistry of our technology - I am not a chemist. I represent a product that works, and has worked for 13 years. We will still be here, and thriving, as more and more people discover how toxic chlorine pools really are, and start looking for viable alternatives.
Here's a good article:
http://www.respiratoryreviews.com/jul03/rr_jul03_pools.html

New pool owner with an EcoSmarte system. I am having problems with dark stains appearing on the bottom of the pool (painted concrete) after the system is on for a couple weeks. Water is nice and clear but the pool looks terrible. The Pool contractor thought it was a paint issue and drained the pool and cleaned the bottom with acid and the stains were gone. He painted the pool again just to make sure. Now that system is going again (for about a week) water is crystal clear but the stains are starting to come back. Any idea what is going on.

Michael,
Sorry to hear about the staining problems. More information is what is needed here, and the most timely method of doing that is calling the guys at corporate 800-ION-SWIM. They will be asking you the following questions, plus a few more:
What color are the stains?
What is the pH of the pool?
What is the copper level?
What is the hardness level?
Is anyone putting anything in the pool (like chlorine, stabilizers, clarifiers, etc.)?

A balanced pool will not have any staining problems, and the only issues I knew about with concrete pools have to do with pH - but the guys at corporate are the experts. Copper could be precipitating out due to high pH or too much copper or incompatible things added (like chlorine). Or the stains could be algae if they are a different color. Call corporate - that is why they are there, 6 days a week Minnesota time. Tell us how it goes!