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OWNER'S
MANUAL FOR SWIMMING POOL IONIZERS
OWNERS’
MANUAL SYNOPSIS
for
SWIMMING POOL IONIZER
1.
MAINTAIN NORMAL WATER CHEMISTRY
a)
Keep
pH between 7.2 and 7.8. TEST WEEKLY-IF POSSIBLE!
b) Keep
total alkalinity between 80-120 ppm. TEST MONTHLY.
2.
MAINTAIN COPPER-ION LEVEL BETWEEN 0.2 AND 0.3 (some say 0.6 ppm)
Follow
directions inside “Ion Test Kit” to determine copper-ion level.
IF
READING IS TOO HIGH:
Lower
ionizer output level by turning the control knob counter-clockwise and
adjusting it to a lower output setting. Each notch will lower the reading
by 50 mA. Retest the following day.
IF
READING IS TOO LOW:
Raise
the ionizer level by turning the control knob clockwise and adjusting to a
higher output setting. Each notch will raise the reading by 50mA. Retest
the following day.
Note:
The digital readout tells you how many milliamps of power are going to the
electrodes at any given moment. It is not an indication of the amount of
copper and silver ions that are in the water. Once proper setting is
obtained and stabilized, the output should remain on the same setting the
entire season.
3.
ADD AN OCCASIONAL OXIDIZER
An
occasional oxidizer is necessary to burn off body oils, suntan lotion and
particles that get into the water and can cause cloudiness. Always add an
oxidizer whenever water loses its ‘sparkle’. Don’t wait for the
water to get cloudy, or an extra dose will be required.
THERE
ARE SEVERAL OXIDIZER OPTIONS:
Non-chlorine
shock-
Add one pound of potassium monopersulphate (non-chlorine shock) per 10,000
gallons once a week during the warm weather season; less frequently during
the cooler weather, or when water loses its ‘sparkle’.
Household
bleach-
Add two quarts of regular household bleach per 10,000 gallons once a week
during warm weather season, less frequently during cooler weather, or when
the water loses its ‘sparkle’. You may also use liquid chlorine, but
only half the amount. This small amount will dissolve and evaporate
rapidly and you will have chlorine-free water in a few hours.
Tablet
in skimmer-
Put a 3 inch trichlor tablet in the skimmer for continuous oxidizing. This
is ideal for pools with heavy swimmer use or if the homeowner is away
frequently.
Add
ozone to your system, by adding a corona discharge ozone generator, you can virtually
eliminate the need to add any oxidizers to your pool. Contact dealer for
more information.
4.
MAINTAIN NORMAL POOL MAINTENANCE
Always
keep filter cleaned and backwashed on a regular basis, skimmer and
strainer baskets cleaned, and keep the pool vacuumed. Good circulation is
extremely important.
FULL
OWNER'S
MANUAL FOR SWIMMING POOL IONIZERS
THIS
DOCUMENT
Many
years of scientific research and experience have been invested into
acquiring the knowledge contained in this unique document. Our research programme still continues and much of our income
is invested in further improvements.
Your donations to our research efforts would be appreciated,
especially to our purified drinking water project.
FIRST,
BALANCE THE POOL’S WATER
Before
installing the Biophysica Pool Purifier, the pool’s water must be clear
and balanced properly. It is extremely important that the following
guidelines are implemented, so please read thoroughly.
PREVIOUS
SANITIZER USE
If
the previous sanitizer used was Baquacil, you will need to remove every
drop of it, as Baquacil is not compatible with any other sanitizer
including the Biophysica Pool Purifier. The best way to remove it is to
drain the pool completely and refill with fresh water. You should also
change the sand filter, acid wash the cartridges, or change the DE in a DE
filter. There is also a product that removes it, but sometimes this
process needs to be repeated over and over.
If
the pool was using an automatic chlorine generator (where salt is added to
make chlorine at the site), the water should be drained at least half way
and refilled with new water. Usually the TDS (Total Dissolved Solid) level
is very high and should be lowered.
If
the pool was using chlorine, it is all right to go ahead and install the
ionizer, as the two work well together.
CIRCULATION
Before
testing the pool’s water chemistry, make sure the filtration system and
circulation is good. Check the filter to make sure it is cleaned. The
filter pressure gauge should give you an indication right away. If the
customer has been using a sand filter, and the sand is several years old,
you may want to change the sand for better results. If it is a cartridge
filter, check the canister inside to make sure the polyester fabric or
corrugated paper is in good shape. If the customer has a DE filter, change
the DE.
Good
circulation is important because you will no longer be dumping chlorine in
the pool to ‘cover-up’ a bad filtering system.
CHLORINE
Always
make sure there is some chlorine in the pool when first starting up the
system, as it may take 1 to 4 days to fully ‘ionize’ a pool. Never add
granular chlorine (like HTH) directly undiluted into the pool’s water
with the ionizer on. It MUST be dissolved first, or poured directly into
the skimmer with the pump on. Always make sure the water is clear before
installing the ionizer by using chlorine. THE IONIZER BY ITSELF WILL NOT
CLEAR UP CLOUDY WATER.
pH
READING
TEST
WEEKLY AND MAINTAIN BETWEEN 7.2-7.8. VERY IMPORTANT!
IT
IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE pH OF THE WATER IS BETWEEN 7.2-7.8. This is
standard pool chemistry. If the pH is over 8.0 (more alkaline), the
Biophysica Pool Purifier will not work properly as the ions become
ineffective. If the pool’s pH tends to go up (more alkaline), balance
the pool so that the pH is on the LOWER side (more acidic)- 7.2. If the
pool’s pH tends to go down, balance the pool so that the pH is on the
HIGHER side- 7.8.
IF THE pH IS
ABOVE 7.8
Using
an acid demand test with your regular test kit, determine the amount of
muriatic acid needed to lower the pH down to 7.2. Add the acid and check a
few hours later to make sure it is in the correct range.
IF THE pH IS
UNDER 7.2
Using
a base demand test with your regular test kit, determine the amount of
soda ash needed to raise the pH to at least 7.2. If the pH tends to go
down, add enough soda ash to raise the pH to 7.8.
TIPS ON
BALANCING pH
When
adjusting the pH, don’t wait for the pH to reach 8.0 before adding acid.
Go ahead and add a little acid if the pH is over 7.6.
For
best results, keep the pH 7.2-7.4.
If
you use the non-chlorine shock as an oxidizer, this will lower the pH and
may eliminate acid use completely.
OPTIONAL
EQUIPMENT
Biophysica
sells a product called the “Ion-Mate”, an electro-magnetic descaler
that simply plugs alongside the ionizer. This unit simply snaps right on
the pipe and has a signal cable that is wrapped around the pipe. No
plumbing or cutting into pipes is required. This device helps to stabilize
the pH over a period of time, removes the scale build up in pipes, pool
walls and tile, as well as pool equipment. It will also help remove
calcium and other stains in the pool over a period of time. THIS PRODUCT
IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ON GUNITE OR MARCITE TYPE POOLS.
TOTAL
ALKALINITY
TEST
MONTHLY AND MAINTAIN BETWEEN 80-120 PPM
Using
a normal Total Alkalinity test kit, determine the reading and adjust.
IF
THE TOTAL ALKALINITY IS UNDER 80 PPM
Raise
the Total Alkalinity to about 100 ppm by adding sodium bicarbonate (baking
soda). Consult chart on amount needed.
IF
THE TOTAL ALKALINITY IS OVER 120 PPM
Lower
the Total Alkalinity to about 100 ppm by adding muriatic acid. Consult
chart on amount needed.
TROUBLE
SHOOTING
CLOUDY WATER
OR ALGAE
Brush
the algae with a brush. Add chlorine to the pool. Check the filtering
system and backwash or clean two times a day until the water clears up.
Check the water chemistry—especially the pH and Total Alkalinity. Check
the Copper-Ion level. The amount of chlorine needed depends on how cloudy
the water is and how much algae there is in the pool.
CAN’T
OBTAIN PROPER COPPER-ION LEVEL
- High
algae growth and cloudy water may be using up all available
copper-ions the unit can produce. Balance pool water and turn ionizer
current control knob up.
- Correct
sizing of pool. Is the pool more than 50,000 gallons? You may need
extra ionisers. Is there
a leak in the pool?
- Correct
input voltage. Are you using the power supply provided with the
ionizer?
- Scaled,
dirty or worn electrodes. Ionising current will show a low level and
cannot be increased due to blockage of the electrical current flow.
Check electrodes for cleaning or replacing. Clean electrodes with
steel wool to a shiny finish.
- TDS
level too low. If the digital readout cannot at least reach the
‘average’ setting required, you will need to increase the TDS
level. See beginning chapter of this manual under ‘Total Dissolved
Solids’ on how to increase the water’s TDS level.
- Improper
Copper Ion Test Kit readings. Make sure you are following the proper
Copper-Ion test kit procedures. Many people look at the side of the
test tubes when testing instead of looking down from the top.
- Improper
pH reading. The main problem of low or no copper-ion reading. Make
sure the pH is under 8.0 and over 7.0. When the pH is over 7.8, the
copper ions fall out of solution.
- Too
much chlorine in the pool. If the pool was just shocked with a lot of
chlorine, this can give you an improper test reading. Always test the
copper-ion level before adding anything to the pool. The chlorine
reading would have to be at least 5.0 ppm for it to affect the
copper-ion readout of the test kit.
- Metal
out removers. As mentioned in the Sequestering Agent Level section of
this booklet, there are a few metal out removers or stain removers
that can reduce the copper-ion levels. Test with a Sequestering Agent
test kit, or send water sample to Biophysica to confirm. If the pool
does have a metal out remover that is affecting the system, simply
shock the pool with a lot of chlorine to ‘burn it out’.
- Steel
plumbing. Never install the electrodes, pH probe or the Ion-Mate on
steel piping. Cut out a section of this and replace with PVC pipe.
- Improper
installation. Sometimes people install the electrodes on a return
line, or bypass line that actually has no water flow going to it. Also
check all wires for proper connections.
- No
readout on the microprocessor control box. See next section.
TIPS ON
BALANCING THE TOTAL ALKALINITY
Never
add acid to the pool when the pH is 7.2 or below, regardless of what the
Total Alkalinity reading is. Acid will lower both Total Alkalinity and pH
at the same time.
With
a high Total Alkalinity, the pH will bounce up the next day. Continue the
daily addition of acid until the Total Alkalinity drops to the 80-120 ppm
range. It may take several days of repeating this process before the Total
Alkalinity reaches the proper range.
When
increasing the Total Alkalinity, add 1 ½ pounds of Sodium Bicarbonate
(baking soda) per 10,000 gallons to raise the Total Alkalinity by 10 ppm.
The
optional ‘Ion-Mate’ will help stabilize the Total Alkalinity (see pH
section).
CALCIUM
HARDNESS
TEST YEARLY
AND MAINTAIN BETWEEN 150-350 PPM
We
recommend that the calcium hardness reading should be between 150 and 350
ppm. If the reading is below 150 ppm, the chances are the pool was filled
with softened water. The water may also be cloudy often.
IF
THE CALCIUM HARDNESS IS UNDER 150 PPM
If
the calcium hardness is under 150, add calcium chloride, available in any
pool store. One and ¼ pounds will raise the calcium hardness by 10 ppm
per 10,000 gallons. Follow instructions on container if needed.
IF
THE CALCIUM HARDNESS IS OVER 350 PPM
If
the calcium hardness is over 350 ppm, the water should be partially
drained and refilled with fresh water, unless you are adding the
‘Ion-Mate’ to the system. The ‘Ion-Mate’ will actually stabilize
or lower the calcium hardness level over time.
CYANURIC
ACID
Cyanuric
acid is not required with the Biophysica Pool Purifier. If the cyanuric
acid level is over 150 ppm, the pool should be partially drained and
refilled with fresh water.
TOTAL
DISSOLVED SOLIDS (TDS)
The
Biophysica Pool Purifier requires some conductivity in the water for
ionization to take place. For the system to perform on maximum
capabilities, the TDS needs to be at least 300 ppm. Most pools already
have this level because the TDS always goes up every time something is
added to the pool. Only when new fresh water is added to the pool is when
the TDS may be below 300 ppm.
If
a TDS meter is not available, all pool stores can do this test for free,
or simply install the Biophysica Pool Purifier and turn the control knob
clockwise until the digital milliamp readout on the control box reaches
its highest number. If the TDS is over 450, the reading should reach 600
milliamperes.
You
can very easily raise the TDS level, if you need to . Remember, the TDS
level always goes up whenever anything is added to the pool, and a reading
at least 300 ppm may be obtained over a period of time. The TDS level
never goes down because dissolved solids are not volatile, so if you do
have to raise the TDS, it would only be for this one time. You may not
have to raise the TDS because of the small size of your pool. The unit is
designed to handle 50,000 gallons of water easily. Generally, a milliamp
reading of 100 will handle 10,000 gallons of water. So, using our example
of a 425 milliamperes readout, this should handle about 42,500 gallons.
You would really only need to raise the TDS level if the pool was a large
one and the purifier was unable to put the proper amount of copper-ions in
the water.
To
raise the TDS, you would need to add one pound of regular salt to raise
the TDS by 12 ppm per 10,000 gallons. Do not worry about turning the pool
into salt water; the TDS of salt water is 33,000 ppm!
Only add salt if necessary when you cannot obtain the desired
copper-ion level. Low TDS levels are actually desirable.
The
Biophysica Pool Purifier will work on any TDS level including salt water.
This is because of our proprietary Constant Current Circuit which
maintains charging current at the preprogrammed level regardless of
electrical conductivity of the water.
However,
a reading over 2,000 ppm should be lowered because more of an oxidizer
will be required. To lower the TDS, partially drain the water and add
fresh water. Chances are that if your TDS was over 2,000 ppm your water
was often cloudy, or required a lot of chlorine.
COPPER
LEVEL
The
level of Silver ions follows as an exact percentage of the Copper
ions. Because Silver is harder to measure, we measure only the
Copper. Before
installing the Biophysica Pool Purifier, you should test the copper level.
There may be a level of copper sulphate in the water from leached copper
piping, or from a copper-based algaecide. If the reading is over 0.1 ppm,
corrections may have to be made. You want to have a proper balance of
copper and silver ions in the water, so you need to find the source of the
copper salts already in the water. Remember, this is not the same copper
ion that is produced by our ionizer/purifier.
If it is from a copper pipe, the copper was leached from a low pH
(acidic) of 7.0 or less. Make sure the pH level is maintained over 7.0 to
prevent further copper leaching from the pipes. You will only find copper
piping near a heater or in very old houses. If the source is from a
copper-based algaecide, you can try shocking the pool with an abundance of
liquid chlorine to ‘burn it out’, or simply start the ionizer up very
low and do not allow the level to go over .40 ppm. Eventually the copper
algaecide will dissipate.
HINTS
FOR BALANCING WATER & COPPER ION LEVELS
Make
sure you have a reliable test kit for these important factors in
maintaining a well-balanced pool. For best results, keep the pH on the low
side; between 7.2-7.4. You should test the pH weekly or more often after a
rainstorm or after a heavy swimmer use in the pool.
Always
keep the copper-ion level between 0.2 ppm and 0.3 ppm as noted on the
chart included with the Ion Test Kit. In very hot, humid areas, you may go
slightly higher to 0.4 ppm. If the reading gets too high, turn ionizer to
“OFF” and test daily until the reading is at 0.3 ppm, then set the
ionizer to its regular setting. Always keep the ioniser generator and test kit indoors and out
of direct sunlight.
The
only part of the purifier that will need maintenance or replacement are
the electrodes. They should last 1 to 4 years depending on the milliampere
current level, pool size, length of the swimming season, water
temperature, and how well the water was balanced.
If
you are unable to maintain a normal copper-ion level, check the electrodes
for cleanliness. Simply unscrew the electrode chamber with your hands and
visually inspect. A blue-greenish coating is normal, however a
build-up scale should be cleaned off by using an old toothbrush and lemon
juice or muriatic acid/water solution or steel wool. If the electrodes are
worn down, they need to be replaced. Contact your dealer.
If
the pool is made of Marcite or a Gunite finish, we strongly recommend that
you add a sequestering agent to prevent any type of staining in the pool.
There are two types we recommend:
- Pool
Stain Treat,
by United Chemical. Contact your dealer or call United Chemical for
the dealer nearest you: 1-800-524-5550 or fax: 1-805-521-1018.
- Jack’s
Magic Product Line.
Call 1-800-348-1656 or fax: 1-727-532-0250 for a dealer nearest you.
IF
YOU DEVELOP ANY TYPE OF STAINING IN YOUR POOL, THESE PRODUCTS WILL REMOVE
AND PREVENT THEM FROM OCCURRING AGAIN.
To replace
electrodes
Wrap
Teflon tape around the threaded adapter cap containing the electrodes and
screw into the charging chamber. Attach the white and green
wires to the thicker threaded electrode studs. Either one is satisfactory
since the electrodes reverse polarity every few minutes. Attach the red
and black wires to the thinner ultra-violet threaded studs,
observing correct polarity. Red is positive.
Air
pockets
Mount
the charging chamber with inlets and outlets upwards so that no air
bubbles can become stuck, thus preventing water from fully contacting the
electrodes.
CHOOSING
THE POWER SOURCE
When
locating the power source, it should be one that turns on and off as the
pump and motor does. The
ionizer should not be powered ON when no water is flowing.
The best location is the pool’s timer box. If no timer box
exists, your unit can use the pump motor as its power source by removing
the back plate.
CONNECTING TO
THE TIMER BOX
The 24 volt power supply provided with the ionizer
can be powered from any line voltage at any line frequency in any country.
It is internally electrically isolated and is already approved for
international use. This means
that in most countries no government agency electrical approvals are
necessary for the ionizer. The
power cable comes with a North American plug for which you can likely
obtain an adapter in your local electrical store for your country for a
much lower price than we would be able to obtain for you.
Alternatively have a local electrician cut off the plug and wire
the cable directly with a plug of your country or wire directly into the
pump motor box as follows. Direct
wiring removes the flexibility and transportability of the system.
220
VAC-
Connect the black (3 stranded) wire cable to the 220 VAC timer box by
splicing the 3 wires and connecting the black and white wires to the LOAD
side on the timer box. It makes no difference which colored wire goes to
the two load screws. Connect the green wire to GROUND. When installed
correctly, the unit should come on and off when the power comes on and
off. If this fails to happen, you have installed the unit incorrectly.
110
VAC-
Connect either the white wire or black wire to the LOAD side on the timer
box. It makes no difference which colored wire goes to the two load
screws. Connect the green wire to the ground. When installed properly, the
unit should come on and off when the power comes on and off. If this fails
to happen, you have installed the unit incorrectly.
CONNECTING TO
PUMP MOTOR
Disconnect
the back plate to the motor where electrical connections are.
You will notice two connections where the power source is
connected. Connect the ionizers black, white and green wires to the same
as the motor. If connected properly, the ionizer will come on and off with
the motor.
YOU
MUST FOLLOW ALL LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL
OR INTERNATIONAL CODES WHEN INSTALLING NEW WIRING. A CERTIFIED ELECTRICIAN
MAY BE REQUIRED.
Once
all this is complete, open up all valves and turn the power on. Check for
water leaks and all electrical connections for proper and firm
connections.
OBTAINING THE
PROPER COPPER-ION LEVEL
All
units include a Copper-Ion Test Kit.
Follow directions on the inside label of the test kit. When
testing, YOU MUST ALWAYS LOOK DOWN FROM THE TOP THROUGH THE TEST TUBES;
NOT FROM THE SIDE.
WE
RECOMMEND A COPPER-ION LEVEL 0.2-0.3 PPM. IN VERY HOT, HUMID AREAS, YOU
MAY GO SLIGHTLY HIGHER.
ALWAYS
MAKE SURE THE pH LEVEL IS BETWEEN 7.2-7.8
When
starting up the system, test the copper ion level every 8 hours or so
until you have obtained 0.2-0.3 ppm.
Once
that reading is obtained, turn the control knob DOWN OR COUNTER-CLOCKWISE.
For
pools of capacity greater than 50,000 gallons, we recommend that you
install one or more ionisers at different locations around the pool.
THE
ABOVE READINGS ARE ONLY A GUIDELINE OF WHERE THE IONIZER NEEDS TO BE SET.
WHERE
FISH ARE IN THE WATER AN EXPERIENCED EXPERT SHOULD BE CONSULTED.
The actual setting is determined by many factors
including water temperature, weather conditions and chemistry.
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