ECOsmarte blog

Wendy, If you are using the system excessively (watering outside) can you cause the water pressure to be reduced? I have been having a problem with my water pressure, when I bypass the backwashing system my water pressure problem goes away. I have installed a lot of new grass and have had the sprinklers going crazy outside. Is there something wrong with the backwash part of my system or am I overworking it? Joe

Hi Joe,
Thanks for visiting the blog. Our water systems are specifically designed to make sure you do not have problems with water flow - so something is not quite right here.

When you say "when I bypass the backwashing system" do you mean that you are bypassing the filtration system? Do you mean that you are turning the valve at the back of the head on top of the tank to the position that says "bypass"? If the answer is yes, that could indicate an undersized system for your level of water use, or a problem with the media.

Questions I need answers to to determine your problem:
Well water or municipal?
To make sure your unit was sized correctly for your level of water usage, how many sq ft of home, how many people live there, how many bathrooms and how much outside irrigation (in acres)?
Diameter of incoming pipe?
GPM flow rate? (you can determine this by taking a 5 gallon bucket and using a hose nearest your incoming water line, see how long it takes to fill up the bucket and do the math)
How old is the system? (It might be time to replace the media)
Have you installed significantly more landscaping/sprinklers since purchasing the system?

These answers will help me figure out what the problem is.

Let me know! (And if you want answers immediately - you can always call 1-800-466-7946 and talk to the answer guys at corporate)

Wendy

We're building a house and setting up a new pool that is a fiberglass inground pool. It holds about 22,000 gal. Our water in a pool in the same general area seems always to have a rather high ph - I'd say 7.8 - 8.2. When the ph needs to be lowered it requires Muriatic Acid. If you use that to lower the ph then you're adding things that I understand should not be used with the copper. We also have a Prozone Ozonator to install when we set up the pool. which I think eliminates the need for large amounts of chlorine. So my question is will this work for us? Thanks, Eileen

Hello Eileen,
Thanks for visiting the blog. First let me answer your question about the compatibility of muriatic acid with our copper ionization system - there is no problem there. Since the pH of an ECOsmarte pool needs to stay between 6.8 and 7.2, you will need to use a pH reducer. Muriatic acid is the most common one, and although it is nasty stuff (it is an acid) and you must be careful using it, once you put it in the pool it adjusts the pH and does not leave any kind of toxic by-product that I am aware of. Muriatic acid is completely compatible with the ECOsmarte pool system. (Chlorine is not compatible - but that's another story.)

Another choice for pH adjustment is to use CO2 gas, which is the pH reduction mechanism used by our top of the line fully programmable pool system. CO2 gas is bubbled into the water for set amounts of time every day and keeps the pH where it needs to be - all fully automated. And CO2 gas is not as touchy to handle as acid, obviously.

As far as the Ozonator you mention - we do not recommend combining our system with any other - ECOsmarte eliminates the need for chlorine, bromine, and ozone. The oxidation produced in the ECOsmarte chamber will take care of your organic materials and the copper ions will be your residual; what stays in the water killing bad things. An ECOsmarte system will work fine for your pool - you do not need the ozone.

Typically, ozone pools need to run 24/7 because the oxidation is only temporary - there is no residual killing agent. That is why ozone pools are chlorine reduction pools - not chlorine free. As I mentioned above - chlorine is incompatible with an ECOsmarte pool...and you will be thrilled to swim in a truly chlorine-free pool - it is heaven!

why do you have to use pea gravel. i believe my installers did not use the gravel , but just used the glass media???thanks in advance

I believe pea gravel is used to ensure the stability of the media base and prevent channeling of the media. The pea gravel covers what are called the "laterals" in the filter - sort of arms that fan out and feed the water into the bottom of the filter. Pea gravel is heavier and more stable and will allow the flow of the water to occur without channeling of the glass media.

Wendy: Regarding C02 usage for PH control, how long does an average canister of C02 last? Do your local dealers refill the cartridges or are you required to find your own source? Additionally, is there any disadvantage to using C02??

Wow, the mailbag is pumping lately - probably because it's pool season...

Michael,
It will vary in relation to pool size and environmental factors, but in my experience, a 25 lb cannister of CO2 lasts about 3 weeks to a month for a 40K gallon pool. Your local dealers should have a referral to a CO2 supply place in your area, but you (or your pool maintenance person) will need to change out the tanks and take them to be refilled. If you get larger tanks, most supply houses will deliver them, and then they will last longer.
Disadvantages to using CO2? The only one I can think of is the time it takes to change the tanks out and taking them to be refilled. CO2 is far safer than handling Muriatic acid and extremely effective at lowering pH in a completely natural and non-toxic manner.

Thanks for visiting the blog, Michael!

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.

Mark,
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!

I am installing cartridge for new year and wonder if I can or should clean the copper buildup off titanium plates . The loose stuff flakes off easily but the hardened copper is what I was wondering about. How does one know if the titanium plate is still good. It is obvious when the copper is no longer good as it is sacrifices itself.

Gerald,
You need to remove the chamber and clean it periodically, about once a year, to ensure optimal performance. Take the entire chamber off using the hand-tightened PVC sleeves (whether this is for your pool or for your whole house system). Be sure to turn the water off or shut off your pool filter first! Then remove the wires from the electrodes, and place the chamber in a bucket of 1 part muriatic acid (available at any pool store) and 3 parts water. Make sure both sets of bars (copper and titanium) are submerged. About 20-30 minutes later your bars will be clean. Replace the chamber, reattach the wires to the electrodes and you are ready to go again. The titanium plate should last basically forever, and you are correct in that you will be able to see when to replace the copper bars because they are self-sacrificing. Let us know how it goes!