ECOsmarte blog

We have been using Ecosmarte in a new, in-ground 23,000 gallon pool for about six months. Overall, we're very happy with the system. My question involves "pH bounce". In order to keep the pH in the 6.8-7.2 range, I've had to add 1 gallon of muratic acid about every 4-5 days. Until recently I had not thought to check alkalinity because the Ecosmarte test kit advsises pH, copper, and hardness testing. (I do check phosphates and they are at 0.) Long story, short: a pool tech guy tested our alkalinity, it was at 0. I added 4 lbs baking soda for two consecutive days (total 8 lbs.), and alkalinity is now at 50. pH tested at 7.8 today, so I added a gallon of muratic acid. Now that the alkalinity is at a more desireable level, can I expect the pH to stay stable longer? How often should we expect to add muratic acid to keep pH in the 6.8-7.2 range? How often do you recommend checking alkalinity? Thanks! Al

In general, water with low alkalinity is very susceptible to changes in pH. Water with high alkalinity is more able to resist major shifts in pH. In theory, the pH should be a bit more stable if you raise the alkalinity - but it is not quite that simple.

The rule for an ECOsmarte pool is not to be concerned about alkalinity unless your pool is lime green with clear water - which means your alkalinity is too high. The usual mechanisms for measuring alkalinity do not take into account the bicarbonate minerals that the ECOsmarte chamber transforms hard water minerals into - so your alkalinity measurement will not be accurate.

I do not pretend to completely understand alkalinity; it's a bit complicated. Alkalinity relates to pH and the minerals in the water but is really a measure of the capacity of a solution to neutralize acid. Point being after being treated with the ECOsmarte system, the usual rules of alkalinity are no longer accurate.

To reduce the amount of Muriatic acid you use in your pool and stabilize the pH a bit more - this is the advice from home office: When you add the acid (which always needs to be liquid, btw) and you usually need, say, a half gallon to get the pH to 6.8 - go ahead and put in the whole gallon. Your pH will be lower than 6.8 for a day or so - but pH will always rise over time, so the pool will be fine. After doing this for a few weeks (putting in twice the normal amount) you will sort of "train" the pool to be a lower pH and you will need less acid. That's the word from corporate - if you want more info about this - do call them.

As far as how much muriatic acid is normal - it depends on so many environmental factors that it's hard to say. Depends on your fill water, level of pool use, dogs in pool, pH of rain, and other factors, too. There is a 20,000 gallon ECOsmarte pool just down the street from me here in Ventura County, California, and it needs less than 1/4 gallon per week.

Give it a go and let us know how it works, Al. Thanks for the great question - this is information many of our customers will benefit from.

I just got off of the phone with our people on the ground in Haiti. The orphanage is not damaged and our ECOsmarte donated (and logoed )water truck is saving lives by delivering water after the hurricane disaster!

If you can earmark donations to the fuel and maintenance of both of their trucks at www.buya.org it will give you the same goose bump reaction I had to this news after watching the CNN video last weekend. Faith based American volunteers are driving the vehicle.

I once again wish to thank the ECOsmarte customers, salespeople, resellers and stockholder who made the truck donation possible.

Larry Couture CEO

A week and a half ago I installed a new liner and ecosmarte system I have been running the unit on ionizer and high trying to get cu ions up my pH is correct and I have been adding ca. chloride crystals daily since my well water is very hard and we have had a lot of rain lately and there is quite a bit of algae developing what should I do now? thanks for the help Cary

Hi Cary,
Thanks for visiting the blog.

Since you mention a liner, I am not sure whether you have an above ground pool or in-ground pool, since liners are made for both. You are correct in running the ionizer constantly in the beginning to get the copper level up to .7 ppm. In the beginning this can be a challenge - there is a threshold you need to get beyond to get enough copper in the pool. Once you get to .7ppm, it will require ionizing to keep your copper level there.

I was a little confused when you mentioned "high" - if you have a turbo pool system with the high/low switch - you will want it on high all the time. The low setting is only used for water with high TDS (total dissolved solids) because it conducts electricity better and too much copper can get into the pool.

The calcium chloride crystals should only need to be used in the beginning, when you test the hardness of your water and add calcium chloride to bring it up to the right range (if necessary). They are not something you use on a consistent basis.

First off - call the ECOsmarte help line at 1-800-466-7946 and they will lead you through figuring out why you have algae. Phosphates are a possibility because it sounds like you live out in the country, where there are numerous situations in which phosphates could be introduced in the pool - so you will want to get your water tested at a local pool store to see what's in it - then ECOsmarte can help you treat it and get your pool back to sparkling clear.

In general, though I wish I could effectively diagnose each and every pool problem in this blog, it is much more time effective, thorough and just plain easier to call the guys on the help line. We have a new guy named Joshua who is really good at pool problems...you might want to ask for him!