copper ionizer pool advice please

[bloodog]

Hi
New member and first post, apologies if this topic is often asked.
I have moved to Cairns QLD and along with my new home i now have a 50,000 litre solid rendered painted ionised pool. Not being a pool owner before the journey begins. After 8 months and talking to 4 different pool shops I understand looking after a cooper ionizer in the tropics is tricky.

My question is to the forums members is please any advice you have will be greatly appreciated.
I am now after a battle with the pool plating out, ( now I have my copper levels back to 0.25 and falling )
I have the ionizer turned off and using liquid chlorine adding a bout 1 lt per day.
I have stains on the bottom of the pool that I am told will dissipate in time
Sand filter ( will try and add photos )
Dontek filter system
Pump runs 6hrs per day on high
500 micron pool cover left on all day pool average temp 35 degrees
Pool is Cliff top, and ocean side, most vegetation falls on the heat mat so pool mostly stays clean of leaves
Cheers Bloodog

[Denniswiseman]

To add images
Click Full Editor & Preview
Click Attachments
Click Add Files or you can drag and drop

To get rid of the staining which won't dissipate over time use Ascorbic Acid Treatment which is vitamin C and can be purchased on Ebay
You will have to add a sequestrant (No More Metal) regulary to hold it in suspension unless you change your water or use reverse osmosis

[bloodog]

Hi Denniswiseman
To add images
Click Full Editor & Preview
Click Attachments
Click Add Files or you can drag and drop

I can find the Full Editor & Preview
But there is no Attachments to click
Files will not drag and drop

[Denniswiseman]

Look at the post from monkeyman here
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=44435&p=79150&hilit=attachment#p79150

[bloodog]

Thanks for you help DW
https://youtu.be/qj08TdFHwuk

[Denniswiseman]

That video gives a good idea about Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) but is a long prcoess to completely clean a pool bubbing tabs on the staining
Stick with the previous link using AA powder and bear in mind you need a sequestrant to hold it in suspension

[bloodog]

Thank you for the heads up on the loading of photos, and removing copper stains.
Noted cheers

The reason I have made the post is to understand Dontek copper ionizer filter system in the tropics

I have the ionizer turned off, and using 1 lt per day off liquid chlorine and also tried a full 1kg bag of aquabrite, but can not get the chlorine up Evan after adding 15 litres of liquid chlorine in 3 days "the reading is very low.
Today I have turned the Dontek copper ionizer back onto the lowest setting copper input 50.
The ionizer was turned off for 6 months because of plating out on the copper input setting 75 / copper reading is now 0.2
I am hoping to run the ionizer for a few days per week, add a bit of liquid chlorine now and then, fingers crossed!!!
I apologise if this post is a battle to read, writhing is not my strongest suit.
Cheers bloodog

[Teapot]

Don't just turn off the ioniser, remove it or the water flowing through will still add some copper. Aquabrite is non chlorine shock (peroximonopersulphate) it will test as combined chlorine and you really need to stop using it as well. Just get back to chlorine, it will take at least 2 weeks before free chlorine will show.
I would never sell or use a copper product, ioniser or liquid in a pool made of concrete, plaster or tile as you will get stains at some point. Copper doesn't kill pathogens very quickly and non chlorine shock is just an oxidiser and not a sanitiser like chlorine which does both for less money.
The Australian government APVMA banned the sale of any alternative sanitiser or ioniser that could not meet the same pathogen kill time as chlorine, All the products failed to pass this test and could only be used with a low level of chlorine. That meant the manufacteres looked abroad for new sales and that isn't good.

[bloodog]

Cheers TP

[bloodog]

Quick question!
Is it ok to run my ionizer, and when the copper levels get to high, use a sequestrant to remove the copper
Then repeat or is using sequestrant repeatedly bad for my water and my family
Cheers

[Teapot]

Short answer as before remove the ioniser. In plastic and vinyl pools with a much lower risk of staining they are usable but still not really necessary as good filtration and chlorine are both lower in cost and have no risk factors. In plaster, tiled etc the walls are made from lime/cement which has a very high pH, copper drops out of solution and can stain when pH is is 8.2 or higher which although may not happen in the bulk water it does at the surface of the walls and floor especially when brushed clean.
Sequestration does not remove anything, just binds metal to the sequestrant. However chlorine tries to oxidise anything in the water including sequestrant so you end up in an expensive and pointless cycle of buying sequestrant and using more chlorine as it gets used up quicker burning up sequestrant, replacing the sequestrant adding more chlorine, replacing the sequestrant adding more chlorine and you get the picture.
In my own pool I ran a similar system for around 8 years successfully ( its a vinyl lined pool) I maintained ionised copper at 0.8ppm throughout and when I bought my super tester I found out there are two form of copper an active ionised version (thats what I had been measuring) also a total copper which I was now able to measure and that level was an astounding 4.5ppm ! No wonder I never had algae but the same will happen in your pool and it will cause bad staining.
I hope you understand you just dont need this ioniser and all the trouble it can bring you.

[bloodog]

supper tester
I do take water samples to my local pool shop, I will ask next time about total copper
I believe I can simply keep a check on the copper levels in my pool and adjust by turning on the Ionizer to bring the copper up if required.
Very much determined to keep using the Dontek system, just a bit more work with checking levels for me.
Fingers crossed

[bloodog]

[attachment=0]124577507_465779504388153_2088332772240856973_n.jpg[/attachment]

[Teapot]

supper tester
I do take water samples to my local pool shop, I will ask next time about total copper
I believe I can simply keep a check on the copper levels in my pool and adjust by turning on the Ionizer to bring the copper up if required.
Very much determined to keep using the Dontek system, just a bit more work with checking levels for me.
Fingers crossed

If you are determined to continue to use the ioniser despite what I have written, I will bow out of any future comment.

[bloodog]

That would be disappointing as you are the first person to have used an ionizer I know and your input has been greatly appreciated. Surely me having a go at trying to make it work, not to mention $1000.00 unit just chucked into the bin, and the expense of buying a new unit. Also the water feeling when swimming plus water clarity is fantastic, please don't take your bat and ball.