Ecosmarte Pool

The water for your swimming pool must always be above your skimmer inlet. While this may be stating the obvious some not so obvious issues can occur.

Autofills

Automatically introduce water to the pool, often tapped into the irrigation or misting system. If a leak is suspected the first step is to disable the autofill by unplugging it or turning the valve.

Evaporation

Based on an eight five foot perimeter pool, a week without rainfall, with high heat of 100°F-120°F (TX, AZ, and NV), and a 3″ minimum – 6″ maximum water loss. Without an autofill, add one or two inches of water. With moderate heat of 95°F-100°F the water loss is ½” minimum to 1½” maximum. With low heat of 70°F to 90°F the water loss is 0″ minimum to ½” maximum.

A daily loss of ⅛” or less is hard to qualify but if the pool requires hose filling in moderate temperature or rainfall weeks it is likely leaking.

Plaster Pool: Look for holes, they often have brown/black stains
Fiberglass Pool: Look for cracking
Vinyl Pool: Watch for stair frame screws, skimmer, light gasket, and main drain gasket

Leak to Level

In freeze climates the owner is logically afraid of a broken underground pipe. These are relatively rare and can be confirmed by allowing the pool to leak to level, with and without the pump running. A pressure test is ordered from a pool company after it is determined the pool will leak below the skimmer.

Traditional methods of pool and spa sanitation, including the use of chlorine and bromine for water treatment, are less than ideal for many pool operators. Chlorine is a toxic, caustic, corrosive chemical. It is an eye and skin irritant for bathers; it corrodes pool equipment and accessories, and is harmful to the environment. Chlorine exposure has been linked to certain cancers, including bladder and colorectal. There are alternatives available to chemical pool treatments. Pool operators are more often turning to more natural methods of water sanitation to reduce the levels of toxic chemicals used in water sanitation.

Ionizers are one alternative to chlorine use. Ionizers use the natural bacteria and algae killing properties of several minerals including copper, silver or titanium. This helps eliminate microorganisms in the water. Ionization can help to eliminate the requirement of adding corrosive chemicals (like chlorine). This, in turn, will help to eliminate the most common chemical-based side effects. Ionization means fewer eye problems and fewer skin irritation issues. Moreover, you won’t notice as many problems with your pool equipment when you switch to ionization. Ionization is both eco and people friendly. Pool water treated by copper ionization is akin to swimming in bottle water.

One alternative sanitizer that is popular today is the salt water chlorine generator. But this is not truly an alternative, as chlorine generated on site is introduced into the pool. None of the side effects of using chlorine are eliminated, and the water still has the feel, taste and smell of chlorinated water.

Ionizers will eliminate those side effects. There is no chlorine taste or odor to the water in a pool sanitized by ionization. Ions will not negatively impact the pool equipment or accessories, and indeed will prevent calcium scale from forming. Copper ionization converts calcium to bicarbonate, unlike the chlorine from salt water chlorine generators. Copper ionization systems are easier to maintain since they work within a calcium hardness range of 200-2,000 parts per million (ppm) as opposed to salt water chlorine pools, which function in a much narrower range of 200-400 ppm.

The effectiveness of chlorine, whether added by hand or generated on site, is hindered by such factors as temperature, bather load, sunlight and rainfall. Copper ionization systems are not effected by these factors and function equally as well with twenty children in the pool as the function with two adult bathers.

Salt water chlorine generators do not offer a truly chlorine free swimming pool environment. They come with all the side effects of regular chlorine use, and an increased cost. For the health and environmentally conscious pool operator, ionization is a better alternative and best to have a chlorine free pool.

Most people buy salt water pool systems in order to reduce operation costs. They quickly they discover that salt water pools are usually in the end not much cheaper then chlorinated pools. A large part of this cost is associated with the damage to both equipment and the environment.

Equipment

Salt is corrosive. Everyone knows that. It seems though that people are always surprised by the fact that salt water pools must deal with corrosion. Any parts that are constantly exposed to salt water will have to deal with corrosion at some point. Replacement of these parts is not cheap and usually requires the work of a professional. The most common parts that need replacement are the gears and part of pumps. While they are stainless steel and are meant to repel rust, people often discover that in just a few short years, impellers and gears are corroded. This is largely due to the salt water.

Calcium deposits are also an issue that must be faced. Since most water contains higher amounts of calcium then a salt water system can deal with. Additional chemicals are needed to keep calcium from building up on surfaces. Calcium also builds up on the chlorine generators eventually rendering them useless. Constant maintenance is needed. This can add up to higher then normal pool maintenance fees or your free time if you are doing it yourself.

Vinyl pool liner and pool covers can also have their lifespans drastically reduced by the use of both chlorine and salt. The same goes with pool furniture. Constant splashing and exposure to the salt and chlorine will require regular replacement.

Most salt water installers refuse to work with natural stone because of the harsh effects from exposure to salt water. In just a few short years, beautifully cut limestone can be transformed into jagged and discolored slabs of rock. Since this is the most commonly used stone around pools it has become an issue for many.

Environment

Salt water pools also affect the environment in many ways. First of all consider the amount of electricity required to run a chlorine generator 24 hours a day. Many sources will tell you that you do not need to run your generator unit all day, but the amount of chlorine actually created by the process requires constant electricity. Large amounts of electricity are passed through the cells and so are anything but cost effective. Some owners have been very surprised by how much more their electricity bill is once they have started operating a salt water pool system.

Many owners are also starting to find that backwash from salt water pools is actually illegal. Constant exposure to salt water will sterilize your soil. Increased sodium will keep all plant life from being able to root. The salt water pool that should have accented your garden may now be responsible for killing it.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR COMPUTERIZED WATER ANALYSIS

There are several factors for running a swimming pool that is balanced.

PH: Potential hydrogen is important for sanitation to work properly. For chlorine or bromine pools the ph needs to be maintained between 7.4 and 7.8. For Bacquacil the ph needs to be between 7.2 and 7.6. For alternative sanitizers like ionization 6.8 to 7.2 is appropriate. In all three of these cases you are actually running at neutral as chlorine raises the neutrality to 7.4.

Calcium Hardness: Calcium is also very important to running a swimming pool. For this reason, pools should not be filled with soft water. All pools should maintain a minimum of 200 ppm, with 400 ppm being ideal for ionization.

Chlorine/Bromine: Chlorine/Bromine needs to be measured for a chlorine/bromine based pool. The ideal level of sanitation is 1.5 ppm (one important note, chlorine loses its effectiveness if the temperature goes over 90 degrees).

Copper: Copper needs to be measured for ionized pools. The ideal level of sanitation is between 0.4 and 0.7 ppm if there is zero chlorine can be maintained at 0.4 ppm if free chlorine is 0.5ppm. Either number being higher can result in staining of the pool.

Biguanide: The ideal level of Biguanide for a Bacquacil pool is 30 to 50ppm. Hydrogen peroxide shock and algaecide also need to be added weekly.

Alkalinity: Alkalinity is a factor for chlorine, bromine or bacquacil pools. Proper alkalinity levels can help to stabilize the ph of the pool. Typically, this should measure between 80 and 120ppm.

Phosphates: Phosphates these can cause significant problems to running a pool properly. They ideally should measure 0ppm. If they measure less than 1000ppm then a product like Zero-Phos is effective at removing them. If over 1000ppm, then aluminum sulfate should be used to remove them. (See page 10.)

TDS: Total Dissolved Solids are measured as anything solid that can dissolve in water. If this level reaches a level of over 2000ppm then the pool needs to be drained and refilled.

CYA
Cyanuric Acid (cyanide) is a stabilizer used to extend the life of chlorine. 35 is the ideal level. Not compatible with ozone or oxygen based sanitation. At a level of 100ppm there can be significant health effects so this level should be monitored.

Regardless of what sanitation method you choose, you must test the water every week and in desert climates at least twice per week between May and September if you wish to operate a crystal clear pool. The number of swimming pools that operate crystal clear 52 weeks in southern climates or 26 weeks in northern climates may be zero, but certainly 95 percent of them experience six to eight consecutive week runs of crystal clear water on a regular basis.

Unfortunately during these six to eight week periods both homeowners and pool services become complacent, particularly in the area of water testing. You must own and perform the following weekly tests if you seek the 52 week elusive goal of crystal clear pool water. Categorized by sanitizer and frequency of the test per their manufacturers.

If you employ a pool service it is reasonable to request your weekly water test results, particularly if extra charges apply for chemical or extra maintenance issues. It is not reasonable to expect 365 days of crystal clear water, regardless of the price paid for weekly pool services or the sanitation method used.

If you seek the elusive 365 days be prepared to learn your pool, help your service, pay for or perform preventative maintenance and communicate with your suppliers regularly, not just when issues arise. The swimming pool industry has invested in water testing services which are excellent for problem solving but requires a weekly visit to the pool computer for best results. Use the inventory sheets in this book to receive the best advice and materials.

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The proper procedure for using aluminum sulfate on phosphate removal is as follows:
The ph must be at 7.4 or higher. Add 5lbs of aluminum sulfate per 10,000 gallons of water. Recirculate the water for 2 to 3 hours. Allow the pool to settle (approximately 18 to 36 hours), when the water is clear, vacuum to waste. Then rebalance your pool. This will knock the phosphates down to about 200 ppm so Phos Free will still need to be added when rebalancing.

They typically come from fertilizers in a variety of ways. They can be tracked into the pool by walking across a chemically treated lawn. They can blow into the pool from an airplane that is spraying a farmer’s field. With the new eased up restrictions on water quality, they can even be found in your water supply that you are refilling the pool from. In recent years the new “clean air act” has changed air quality requirements for burning coal or refining petroleum.

Phosphate will create all kinds of issues for the pool that may seem unexplainable. A murkiness to the pool that won’t go away, a fluorescent green pool, proper sanitation levels impossible to maintain, come and go algae blooms, these are all signs of phosphates in the pool.

Phosphates act as a food source for algae and will counteract all known sanitation methods. They also tend to load in certain types of Medias, like Zeolites, and can be very troublesome to remove. If you can locate the source of them, you have a chance of being able to eliminate them.

If they are found in your water supply, a carbon filter on the end of the hose, will keep them out of the pool. Avoiding walking on lawns that have been sprayed or covering the pool when fields are being sprayed will also help.

Whether your pool uses conventional chlorine or an alternative sanitizer, you must confirm phosphates at zero. There are 2 methods of removing phosphates from the water based on the level found. Phosphates are measured in parts per billion. At 1000 or less, a product like Phos Free will work on them. If they are over 1000 then aluminum sulfate will be required to knock them down to a level where Phos Free will work.

There are over 21,000 known varieties of algae! Algae spores constantly enter the pool, brought in by wind, rain or even contaminated swimsuits or equipment. When conditions are right, an algae bloom can occur seemingly overnight. These conditions include imbalanced water, warm temperatures, sunlight, and the presence of nitrates. Of course lack of proper filtration, circulation, and sanitation may be the primary causes of algae. A suction vacuum is highly recommended by most manufacturers, as is backwashing only after pressure rise.

Algae are living aquatic creatures that multiply rapidly in warm, sunny conditions. Containing chlorophyll, algae utilizes photosynthesis to grow. That is, they take in carbon dioxide and expend oxygen as a byproduct.

The two main problems with algae are, first, people do not want to go swimming, and second, it takes time and money to rid the water completely of algae. Algae itself is not harmful to swimmers, but pools with algae may also be residence to other pathogens.

Proper water balance and filter maintenance are necessary to prevent algae growth. Also regular brushing prevents dirt from harboring in the pores of your pool surface, where algae colonies like to start. The use of specialty chemicals or algaecides may be necessary as a back up to the sanitizer and existing filtration. Filtration upgrades will solve 99% of these problems.

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Hello everyone. As you may have noticed, we did a complete overhaul of our Ecosmarte website. We have changed the navigation, content, and have added some new FAQ’s and helpful pool related articles. We have also released a new Ecosmarte Support website that i hop everyone will like. It is in the BETA stage right now, but we should have it full running very soon. If you have any questions about our new website, content, or the new support website, please let me know.