Can't seem to stop algae in EcoSmarte Pool

[Fiona Walker]

I have real problems stopping algae in my EcoSmarte pool - may be high pH (since I'm yet to remotely get to grips with the difference with total alkalinity).... fill water is 8.2, test comes back at consistently 7 or possibly 6.8 yet still getting algae bloom. Any suggestions? I've tried dosing with HCl but not pooling - would that be the problem? Help! nb pool 9x3.5m, 2m deep. Good cover, consistent pool temp for several weeks between 29-33C.

[chem geek]

If you want to continue to use EcoSmarte, then I suggest you contact them directly. I can't help you with a pool that has no fast-acting disinfectant such as chlorine. The EcoSmarte system uses metal ions, specifically copper, to prevent algae growth, but they do not have anything that kills bacteria, viruses, protozoa quickly (copper kills slowly and is most effective with algae). Since you say your pool has algae, I suspect that their system has broken and is no longer adding or maintaining the proper amount of copper in your pool.

I'm not sure why you are using their system instead of using chlorine with Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in an outdoor pool. The actual disinfecting chlorine level in such a pool is so low as to not be any sort of health problem. The normal target level of Free Chlorine (FC) that is around 11.5% of the CYA level is equivalent to a pool with 0.1 ppm FC with no CYA and is far, far less than found in typical indoor pools that have 2 ppm FC with no CYA and are where ALL problems with asthma and respiratory illnesses have been found with competitive swimmers and small children. In other words, indoor pools have around 20 times higher chlorine levels than outdoor pools and that is why there are health problems (along with poor air circulation and no sunlight to break down disinfection by-products).

Richard

[Backglass]

My opinion? Dump the snake oil and use chlorine.

These type of products rank right up there with magnets in your shoes in my not-so-humble opinion.

[texanesone]

I changed from chlorine to EcoSmarte some time ago and am quite pleased. Two things are essential with this - read the owner's manual (their help line is quite good) and consistently maintain copper and ph.

Algae causes copper to decrease (owner's manual). Copper must be at or above .4ppm. I test for this weekly. PH is critical - help line said 6.6 is better than 6.8. Get above 7.2 and you have problems. I also test weekly.

I spoke with a longtime pool contractor - said (can't remember the Pool Chemical Association) said most chemical (ph) testers are way off. I went to a pool store that used computer tester - greatly different from my or pool store chemical tester. I bought a digital pen LCD ph tester at Leslie Pools - was within .1 of the store that used the computer tester. I tossed all the "match the color" testers. Ran around $55 (Hoch).

They are explicit on the chemicals to use and what not to use. The manual also says keeping your filter clean - esp after an algae attack - is critical. They tell you how to do this.

So in summary, keep the copper high, the ph at 6.6, use a sweep and brush your pool and the problems are nil.

BTW - I had major algae problems, recurring, before I changed to EcoSmarte. Yellow Out worked well (with chlorine - not with EcoSmarte - but since I changed over I've had no algae.

Good luck. And try the toll-free hotline to speak with people who are actually knowledgeable about the systems. Facts are much better than opinions in cases like this.

[chem geek]

BTW - I had major algae problems, recurring, before I changed to EcoSmarte. Yellow Out worked well (with chlorine - not with EcoSmarte - but since I changed over I've had no algae.

It sounds like you had yellow/mustard algae which takes a higher disinfecting chlorine level to kill and to keep away. Unless you kept your Free Chlorine (FC) level at 15% of the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level, then the yellow/mustard algae could grow though thorough shocking with an FC at 60% of the CYA level (and starting at a lower pH before the shocking) can get rid of the yellow/mustard algae. I suspect you were using Trichlor pucks/tabs in a floating feeder or inline feeder and that the CYA level went too high. That's usually what happens with chlorine pools that develop algae.

I'm glad you like your EcoSmarte system, but if you believe that the bacteria are killed fast enough from the fecal-to-oral route, you are mistaken. Even silver won't kill bacteria that fast. EcoSmarte has a lot of B.S. on their website (and EcoSmarte uses copper, which inhibits algae, and not silver which inhibits bacteria) and I talk about some of that here.

In practice, it's not like the probability of getting sick is high -- it's just that the risk is higher. In commercial or public pools, this would be unacceptable as one person shedding bacteria, viruses or protozoa can infect hundreds of others if there is no fast-acting disinfectant. Even with chlorine, you still get occasional outbreaks from chlorine-resistant protozoan cysts such as Cryptosporidium. In your own pool, you can try and make sure no one entering your pool is sick with diarrhea (even before first symptoms of it).

Richard