Solar Eclipse AOP for Pools

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wil

0
Nov 18, 2013
18
North-Dallas Texas
New to the TFP and have already gotten some very helpful information and research through the forums on the DelOzone units but have not found any details on the new one. It combines Ozone and Germicidal UV integrated in one simple and compact unit providing the benefits of both technologies plus the advanced oxidative reaction known as AOP for optimal water clarity and increased removal of contaminants in the pool water.

http://www.delozonepool.com/lp/announci ... clipse.php

Ofcourse the manufacturer proclaims this to be great but would like some expert feedback from a consumer point of view. My pool is an outdoor pool with 15000 gallons. I have a Pentair WF-28 pump and (based on my calculations) will pump the entire pool water through in a 3 hour period. DelOzone recommend running the pump 6 hours a day to effectively sanitize and also maintain .5-1 ppm of chlorine level to manage contaminants. I have 2 boys and usually don't have a ton of people in the pool.

Below are more details from the site and would really like feedback if this could be a decent direction to reducing chlorine levels. Thanks for your time.

About Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP)
The defining characteristic of AOP systems is the production of hydroxyl free radicals, the most powerful oxidizer available to disinfect pool water. The Solar Eclipse uses DEL’s proprietary corona discharge Plasma Gap Ozone Technology (patent pending) combined with high output, low-pressure germicidal UV lamps to make a potent AOP system small enough for residential pools.

Maximum Disinfection Synergy: O3 + UV -> AOP
The oxidation and disinfection potential of the Solar Eclipse is greater than the ozone and UV installed separately. This synergy is the power of AOP systems, and it is due to the fact that the ozone and UV work together in line to produce hydroxyl free radicals. The strong oxidation created by the Solar Eclipse results in much greater reduction of organic and inorganic substances in pool water than either ozone or UV alone, and certainly far more than chlorine.

Environmentally Safe – Reduced Chlorine Consumption
The Solar Eclipse produces no hazardous byproducts in pool water, even while it oxidizes microorganisms, waste and disinfection byproducts from other sources. It allows the lowest chlorine level (0.5 – 1.0 PPM) while maintaining better water quality.
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

We generally believe that for residential outdoor pools there is no reason to have ozone or UV systems. Maintaining adequate chlorine (which you would still have to do anyway) is all that is required to ensure a safe clean pool.

Their recommendation of a FC between 0.5-1ppm would be fine if there was no stabilizer present ... in fact that would be all you needed to maintain even without the ozone or UV. BUT, once stabilizer is added to the water to protect the FC from loss to the sun ... then that low level of FC is no longer adequate. See the FC/CYA Chart.

I would suggest saving your money. Or investing in a way to automate the chlorine addition instead.

I am sure other experts will chime in on your specific questions though.
 
Jason, thanks for the info. When I go to Leslie's pools they always recommend I stay within the 2-3ppm for FC so maybe that is where I am going wrong. I'm only a pool owner for 3 months so learning my way still. A few question if you have time:

? Would the UV system keep me from having to shock the pool as often or would I still have to do this once per week in the summer months ?
? I currently have a manual turning option that access chlorine tablets which doesn't see, very accurate to maintaining the proper chlorine levels. Maybe I should invest in a better chlorine management device? Do you have any recommendations ?

Thanks again.
 
The required level of FC to maintain is a function of the CYA level ... see the chart I linked to previously. The problem is that most of the pool industry and probably (99+% of Leslie's employees) do not understand that relationship ... even though is was proven in the 1970s.

If you ALWAYS maintain adequate FC, then you NEVER need to "shock" your pool on a schedule because algae just can not start. UV or ozone will not change this. Being in TX, don't you think your pool is exposed to enough UV from the sun?

If you are exclusively using trichlor tablets, then you are heading for problems. They add FC which is consumed by 2 things: the sun and organics in the water. The problem is they also add stabilizer (CYA) that is NOT consumed and builds up and as the chart shows, the higher the CYA level gets, the more FC you need to prevent problems. Once the CYA gets too high, then the only way to lower it is through replacing water ... which can be a problem if you have water restrictions.

If you want to take control you need to get one of the Recommended Test Kits and stop trusting Leslie's for testing. And you need to read Pool School to start to understand the chemistry. Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

There are 3 good ways to add chlorine:
1. Chlorine gas, not available to the public
2. Liquid chlorine which is the same as bleach
3. A SWG, which "produces" the chlorine from the salt in the water ... not a good idea if you have natural stone though.

If you go with liquid chlorine, then there are 2 methods of adding it automatically: the Liquidator and a peristaltic pump.
BUT, once you understand the testing and chemistry, it is easy to maintain your pool manually in only 5-10 minutes a day.
 
Thanks Jason and I've read up on what you recommended. As a newbie I appreciate your patients as I'm going through the learning process. Considering I failed Chemistry :? I think I might consider investing in SWCG as it will ease the maintenance and keep the chemistry in balance better for me.

I'm a bit confused on exactly what levels are needed in FC. The recommended FC levels in the pool school was 2-3ppm and for SWCG it states 3-5ppm. The Solar Eclipse claims it will only need .5-1ppm and you had mentioned to maintain 1ppm in FC regardless. Would you mind expanding on this?

When FC turns to CC, does the CC chlorine get filtered or does it just stay in the pool?

I'm going to purchase the Leslie's Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit today and test the CYA levels. Last time I brought in sample to leslies, they tested the CYA levels and said it probably was time to drain the pool and they recommended it every 5 years or so. I recently found out the pool has never been drained in its 10+ years. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks again for your guidance. :cheers:
 
What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
It will depend on your test results. There is no real reason to ever drain a pool unless your parameters get too far out of normal.

Your CYA might be too high, your CH could be too high, etc.

Posting those results and comparing them to normal ranges will be your next step.

Read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School.....it contains the ranges as well as a ton of useful information.
 
wil said:
I'm a bit confused on exactly what levels are needed in FC. The recommended FC levels in the pool school was 2-3ppm and for SWCG it states 3-5ppm. The Solar Eclipse claims it will only need .5-1ppm and you had mentioned to maintain 1ppm in FC regardless. Would you mind expanding on this?
Click to expand...
I am confused by your numbers. The Recommended Levels article in Pool School states a FC range of 3-7ppm for a regular pool and a range of 3-5ppm for a SWG pool. I am not sure where you saw the 2-3ppm recommendation. Oh, unless you were looking at the top of the tables in the FC/CYA Chart. That is really the best place to look as it shows the required MINUIMUM FC level as a function of the CYA level. The Solar Eclipse claims are bogus ... there are a lot of stars that would have to align to keep your water clear with that low of a FC level ... and that is not what we teach. We teach a method that will work for 99+% of all pools, thus a trouble free approach.

When I mentioned a FC of 1ppm, that would only work if you had a no stabilizer in the water which is never a good idea.

wil said:
When FC turns to CC, does the CC chlorine get filtered or does it just stay in the pool?
Click to expand...
FC does not turn into CC like you think it does. CC are a byproduct of the FC breaking down the organics. The FC and the sun will then break down the CC as well.

wil said:
I'm going to purchase the Leslie's Chlorine FAS-DPD Service Test Kit today and test the CYA levels. Last time I brought in sample to leslies, they tested the CYA levels and said it probably was time to drain the pool and they recommended it every 5 years or so. I recently found out the pool has never been drained in its 10+ years. What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
You only need to drain the pool if the CYA or the CH (calcium) get too high. The CYA is easy to avoid by using liquid FC or a SWG. The CH will rise due to evaporation and top-off water. How fast it rises depends on how much CH is in your tap water and how much rain you get. It is certainly possible to NEVER have to drain the pool.
 
Be aware that it is very rare to find the FAS-DPD test kits locally ... do not let them tell you the DPD test kit is the same thing.
Some larger commercial supply houses may have them, although ordering the TF-100 is a better deal.
 

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