1. The ECOsmarte Pool system should run only when the pool is turned on
2. PH is the most important thing (make sure your PH is 6.8) check it twice a week to start
3. You must maintain a level of Copper at .5 ppm
4. Phosphates should be at zero
5. Calcium should be at 400, confirmed two to three times per year
6. Replace test kits every two years

1. Test PH and if the PH is high add Muriatic Acid to lower the PH to 6.8
2. Test Phosphates your are looking for zero
3. Test Calcium or also known as hardness you are looking for 400ppm
4. Test for copper you should get a zero reading before start-up. Pump and filter should run 24 to 48 hours in the ionize mode.

HOW TO LOWER PH

1. Fill a 5 gallon bucket about halfway with pool water. Then add acid to the bucket, creating a solution of about 2 parts water to one part acid.
2. Walk around the pool gradually adding the acid/water solution evenly to the pool.
3. Wait a day for the solution to mix thoroughly and then test the pH again. If the pH is still above 7.2 add another dose of water/acid solution.
   

PH needs to be 6.8 - 7.2 , 6.6 is better than 7.0

Tips for pH management:

1. The higher pH is, the more acid is required, exponentially, to bring it down. Err on the side of using more acid to bring the pH down more quickly. The pH will always tend to correct itself upward if it does get too low.
2. The trick to extreme stability is keeping the pH around 6.8, not letting it get above 7.0.
3. ECOsmarte only recommends using liquid muriatic acid or a product called Acid Magic to lower pH. Never use dry acid., as it raises sodium levels in the pool.

How to test copper

Test pH first. Adjust to 6.8-7.2, if needed, before testing copper.

1. With a clean, dry sample tube, take a sample of water about 18" below the water - away from return jets and skimmers.
2. Add 5 drop Copper A, cap, and invert tube to mix
3. Add 5 drops Copper B, cap, and invert tube to mix, wait three minutes.
4. With the color chart on a flat surface, hold the tube about 1" above the chart. Look down through the length of the tube and compare to the color chart.
5. Record Results. The pool must have between .4 to 7ppm. On a 20,000 gallon pool figure 4 hours of ?IONIZATION? on average for each .1ppm needed, 12 hours to move .3ppm

Phosphates

Phosphates are a fertilizer for algae. So, phosphates in the pool will cause recurrent algae blooms.
Phosphates are in the water supplies now because of farm runoff.
They are also in rain. Whenever water is added to the pool, phosphates might also being added.
Use a phosphate removal product to eliminate phosphates.

Recommended products

PR10, 000 is the BEST for pools that see very high numbers (1000 and higher)

Sea Klear Phosphate Remover is always best for over 300ppm
Phos-Free (Low Level)
Phos-X (low Level)
Zero-Phos
Follow the instructions on the bottle test every two months

Calcium Hardness

If the calcium test indicates that the calcium is below 400ppm, add calcium chloride flakes to raise the hardness. Any calcium hardness increaser will work.

1. Put 10lbs of calcium at a time in a leaf rake a pole with a net. Swish it around toward the middle of the pool until it dissolves. Repeat this process to add 50 - 100 lbs of calcium, often required at start-up or once a year
2. Wait a couple days before testing the water again - to make sure the calcium is thoroughly mixed into the pool water.
3. Retest the water.
4. Repeat this process until the water is at least above 400ppm.

Calcium is very stable in the water and only drops if there is a lot of rain. Test after heavy storms and about every six months.

Algae:

Whenever you have algae start by running the pool 24hrs a day till the pool clears up.
Make Sure the Algaecide has (NO COPPER) just ask the pool store for any algaecide with a 40 or 60 on the bottle algaecide Poly 60 is the most commonly used.

1. Begin lowering the pH to 6.8 - 7.2. (Aim for 6.8)
2. Apply 1 quart non-metal algaecide during daylight hours. If possible, apply the algaecide in the morning which is when algae feed.
3. Wait 12 to 24 hours. If the water is hazy, murky or cloudy put in non-chlorine shock (Potassium peroxymonosulfate), using the formula 2lbs per 10,000 gallons of pool water. Avoid the non chlorine shock if the pool is clear.
4. Wait 24 hours. If the pool isn't all the way clear add another dose of the non-chlorine shock.
5. Watch the filter gage pressure, backwash only between a 6lbs and a 10lbs rise.

How and When to Clean the Electrodes

The electrodes in a pool system need to be cleaned 2 times per year. Also clean them if there is visible build-up on the electrodes. Do not take the electrodes out of the chamber to clean them - the entire chamber is removed and placed in an acid and water solution, 5 parts water and one part acid.

1. Make sure the pump and filter are off and the valves are closed.
2. Slip the wires off of the metal tabs on the outside of the chamber and unscrew the chamber from the return line. If the unions don't loosen by hand, try a strap wrench. Be careful not to crack the chamber.
3. In a 5 gallon bucket, mix a solution of 5 parts water to 1 part acid. Pour the water in first and then the acid.
4. Place the entire electrode chamber in the solution for 10-15 minutes. Allow the solution to do the work.
5. If the chamber isn't clean after 10-15 minutes let the chamber soak longer, but not longer than about 1 hour.
   Do not scrub or scrap the electrodes. Using tools to scrape the electrodes will damage them.
6. Remove the chamber from the solution and rinse in fresh water.
7. Replace the chamber inline and hand tighten the unions.
8. Replace the wires on the chamber: red and green wires go to the copper electrodes and the black and while wires go to the titanium electrodes.

Pool Opening if Closed with ECOsmarte (Non-Chemical)

Every Spring clean the electrode chamber & open your sand filter drain it down to the top of the media pull off the debris run your hands or something in the media make sure it has no clumps.

1. Test the pH. If it is above of the 7.2, lower pH until it is 6.8 - 7.2 (aim for 6.8). Retest the pH and adjust further if needed until it is within - 6.8 - 7.2
2. Test the copper. If the copper is below the .3ppm range, ionize until it is .4 - .7ppm.
3. Test calcium. If it is below 400ppm, adjust calcium up to above 400ppm.
4. Test Phosphates. If the result is between 1-1000ppm use one of these phosphate removal products to remove them: Sea Klear Phosphate Remover, Phos-Free, Zero-Phos, or Phos-X. If the phosphates are above 1000ppm, use Sea Klear Phosphate Remover.
5. If the pool has leaves and debris - hand vacuum to waste - do not vacuum through the filter.
6. Brush down the sides of the pool to clean off any algae or other contaminants.
7. Inspect the filter, thoroughly clean the filter system.
8. Turn on the filtration system.
9. Test the pH again and adjust if needed.
10. Cloudiness should be expected 24 to 48 hours after vacuuming.

POOL CLOSING

1. Test the Ph lower to 6.8 or below
2. Two days prior to closing test copper and raise to .7ppm or even slightly higher
3. Make sure all leaves are removed and winterize W/O winter algaecide or chlorine.
4. For best results use a solid cover

Sand filter bleach wash and cleaning:

1. Shut off the pump and close the valves.
2. Take off the valve head.
3. Unscrew the drain plug.
4. Drain the water until the media is visible (this may take a while).
5. Inspect the surface of the media for clumps of debris and remove.
6. Replace the drain plug.
7. Pour in 2 gallons of liquid bleach, completely covering the media - let the filter sit for 12 hours, overnight.
8. Backwash to waste