Chlorine Free Pool Systems
The Clear Blue Ionizer above is similar to the Ecosmarte System below but is different in three key aspects:
1)It does not have an oxidizer chamber
2)The electrodes contain silver and zinc in addition to copper
3)Cost-about a third the price of Ecosmarte
I tried one it seemed to work on a very large pool however:
1)liquid chlorine was still being used as oxidizer
2)it was used on a black bottom pool which hides stains - on a white plaster pool,blue (copper) and black (silver) stains are possible
They come in the A-800 model for pools up to 25,000 gallons and the A-850 model for pools up to 45,000 gallons 695.00 and 895.00 respectively including shipping to your door! (contact me if you want one)
The chlorine free pool above runs on an Ecosmarte system with glass media filter
A common question I get all the time is: "do you recommend a chlorine free pool system such as a copper ion system like Ecosmarte or a salt chlorine generator?"....well it depends...it it was my personal pool,I would like an ion system in conjunction with UV/Ozone ,but a chlorine free pool requires more diligent attention to water parameters such as PH,phosphates,salt levels and more brushing and filter cleaning than a pool loaded with chlorine but the water is healthier and more like bottled water. But if you have no time or desire to deal with these issues a salt chlorine generator is an easier option...also I believe UV/Ozone gives you more bang for the buck over copper ion systems.
Shown below is manual control
This is the fully programmable model control
The 2" standard pool copper ion/oxygen chamber
Copper test kit
The chlorine free pool/spa system above uses copper ions and oxygen to keep the water clear. Its a fairly simple unit,converting high voltage 120 or 240 volts AC into 12-17 volts DC using an amp or less of power. On the top is a manual system and below that is the programmable system (programmable system switches to copper ions and controls PH with injections of CO2 gas on a timed basis.)
The unit above has two components in the clear chamber where the water goes through: a set of titanium plates and a set of thicker copper plates. The titanium plates run whenever the pump is running to produce oxygen to oxydize contaminants in water. The copper plates are energized when the copper ion level in pool needs to be raised. The copper acts as a residual to help keep water algae free. These units come with copper test kit shown to make sure a minimum residual of copper is kept. Also,another benefit of this system is the electrolysis helps to eliminate calcium scale.
Another option available is PH balancing using CO2,or carbon dioxide. CO2 can only lower the PH to a certain level so there is no danger of damaging the pool or swimmers by adding too much - also,another benefit to using CO2 is the elimination of muriatic acid so the water is like bottled water. Shown below is CO2 tank,CO2 controller which attaches to tank,and the CO2 injection chamber.
All Ecosmarte non chlorine pool systems carry a 5 year warranty and 60 day money back guarantee.
CO2 cylinder
CO2 control fits on cylinder
CO2 injection chamber
Shown below is the main controls of another type of chlorine free pool system similar to the one above-it uses a copper/oxygen chamber similar to the unit above and also uses CO2 to lower PH. However,there are notable differences:
1)These units have a PH sensor to control the CO2 injection,leading to more efficient CO2 use.(On the SWT-1000 only-I just installed one of these units {July 2008},and the owner may discontinue the PH sensor)
note: Ecosmarte originally came with a PH sensor but gave up on it after encountering too many problems and went with timed CO2 injection instead...possibly Silkwater has solved these issues.
2)The SWT-1000 system can be wired with a relay to control the pool pump.
3)These units are less expensive than the Ecosmarte system
4)The SWT-500 units come with optional flow sensor to protect the oxy/ion chamber if water flow is inadequate...(July 2008 I have heard Ecosmarte offers this too) and a timed CO2 injection at a considerable discount from the programmable version.
5)The ion chamber uses brass instead of copper and uses a few more amps of current...(double I have heard the amount of Ecosmarte which is 40 watts DC)
Down below is the Delzone AOP25 - water enters thru bottom and is exposed to UV bulb and also ozone is injected thru green hose...I have only installed two of these units but so far customers seem to like them.
I would also suggest using 25% hydrogen peroxide as a shock rather than potassium monopersulphate-I believe its much better on the skin. A brand called Baquacil makes an oxidizer thats 27% hydrogen peroxide I believe its around 14 bucks a gallon. There is also a brand called Revatop 36 that is 34.55% hydrogen peroxide for about the same price. (Shown below) But if you run the Ecosmarte unit long enough in the oxygen mode,you may not need a separate oxidizer.
Another thing about these units is they work better with a higher level of copper....however,the higher levels may stain white plaster with a blue marble like effect which I think looks attractive,makes the water look more blue,and the copper helps keep algae from growing on the pool walls. But if you are the type of person who wants his plaster bright white like a bathtub these systems are probably not for you.
So to sum this all up:
1)UV/Ozone gives you more bang for the buck than a copper ion systems (and UV/Ozone works well with chlorine salt systems) BUT copper ions give you a residual when equipment is off.
2)Ecosmarte has great customer support but is very overpriced (even for dealers)
3)A less expensive copper/silver ion system like clear blue in conjunction with UV/Ozone would be more cost effective and produce MUCH better results than Ecosmarte if you want to be completely chlorine free
The last thing I would like to say is that if you want the least amount of work as possible and do not care whether your pool is chlorine free or not,a salt chlorine generator may be the answer for you! More info on the link below:
