Summer is fast approaching. It was pretty warm yesterday and today the forecast calls for even higher temperatures. One of the bigger purchases on our list is a swimming pool as it would be great exercise and a fun way to beat the heat this summer. Plus a small-to-medium sized pool won’t break the bank. Besides, last year’s pool is too small to really be enjoyed by the growing nieces and nephews.
I remember when I was a kid it seemed the only pool treatments used chlorine. If we do get a pool, I would be against using chlorine since it was so rough on the pool, our skin, and clothing.
Having a salt water pool sounds like a good idea until you start reading more about it. First of all, imagine getting a mouth-full of salt water. That’d be just as bad as chlorine water. Ecosmarte says that a pool treated with their product is like swimming in bottled water. That would be way better to get a mouth-full of that instead of chlorine or salt!
Another problem with both chlorine and salt is that they can cause damage to the vinyl siding of the pool. The backwash discharge of a salt treatment is not good for your lawn or garden. Also, some make think that because it’s a salt pool that they are free of chlorine when in fact salt pools create chlorine.
By using a natural alternative, there would be many benefits to us and the environment. Not only is Ecosmarte an effective way to keep pool water clear, they also donate 5% to environmental charities. You get to choose where the money goes from your purchase.
Ecosmarte is firmly against using salt chlorinators and chlorine generators since both options are not good for your skin, pool, or your lawn. They offer plenty of information about both of these systems and why their pool filter system is better for you and the environment.
Here is how the Ecosmarte system works. It creates two sanitizing agents: copper ionization and liquid oxidation. Water from your pool travels into the Ecosmarte system and receives the ionization or oxidation, depending on the setting on the controller. Both methods sanitizes the water, killing bacteria, algae, and viruses. The copper level is perfectly fine and is okay if accidentally consumed. In fact, you could drink up to two gallons of pool water and only consume the amount of copper found in a multi-vitamin.
There is a lot to think about when purchasing a pool from size t pool filters. A pool would be something the whole family would enjoy, and I want to make sure that it’s as enjoyable as possible. I’m not interested in having my little girl swim in a chlorine-filled pool but know that I will need some pool treatment system. It’s good to know about Ecosmarte’s products that not only offer a safe alternative to chlorine but give something back to environmental charities.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:33 am
The idea is not so bad. I will try know more about Ecosmarte’s products. Thanks for your information.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I was VERY interested in this ECOSMARTE system..and did lots of research.
Someone asked for personal recommendations.
This system got Bad Feedback AND there is a need to be diligent about water testing.
Read for yourself.
After my research, I will stick with Chlorine.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forum.....20111.html
September 16th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Have to admit from a pool background I didn’t know a ton about this. Good keeping on top of the swimming pool marketplace.
January 21st, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I have a salt swimming pool an love it. It find that it is easier on my eyes, skin, and hair.
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:27 am
Swimming pools do cost quite a bit to install and maintain but the benefits that we get from our childrens enjoyment is wonderful. I agree with you that using chlorine is so rough on the pool, our skin, and it makes your eyes sting as well! Its good to know that the product you mentions works and is eco friendly.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Checkout Foxes link
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forum…..20111.html
I should have read this blog before I bought CLfree Chlorine & Salt free water system from Phil Francisco. I think this copper and titanium oxidizer is a scam. My experience was very similar to dbrentz’s posting from Irving,TX. I’ll be adding more details below.
I recently had an inground pool installed, around 9/2008. I was an owner of above ground pool previously, so I was already familiar with keeping ph and chlorine levels. I wanted to get the best for my kids so I was researching chlorine alternatives for pool sanitation. I came across ECOSmarte and CLFreeUSA product. I called CLFree sales rep Phil Francisco, he convinced me to buy it for $2195. The product came right away. I had it installed as per their instructions. But as soon as I had it installed, I wanted to see if it was doing anything. Checking the copper levels was the first test. When you check the copper levels its like reading the ept stick, you’re not quite sure if there’s enough copper in the pool. When I called the technician Bill Gilles, he told me to run the system 24 hours for 3 days, that should be enough to keep the copper level for my pool size which is about 35000gal. I had to close the pool after only two weeks of use in September of 2008. I wasn’t quite sure if the System was doing anything because my pool guys started the pool with chlorine and stabilizers. So there was still a lot of Chlorine in the pool when I installed the system in September of 2008.
I reopened the pool 6/2/2009. The pool guys used the usual chlorine shock and other chemicals to balance the pool. No chlorine stabilizers as recommended by Clfree. The pool looked clean when the guys left. I was now exclusively using CLfree system. As recommended previously by Bill Gilles, 24hours for 3 days, however I ran it for 14days 24hours a day. I wanted it to get as much copper in the pool as I can get. The pool looked clean but there was an almost invisible slime on the wall which was Algae. This also caused a sour unpleasant smell in the pool. I scrubbed the walls but the slime came back next day. I recently bought Hayward TigerShark to clean the pool. It wasn’t able to climb the walls. During this time I wasn’t sure if it was the robot or the slime of the wall was causing the robot not to climb the walls. I also had to backwash the filter almost on a daily basis to get any pumping pressure going. After I scrubbed the walls, the algae came right back the next day.
After 2 weeks of this mess, I had to try something else. I used the chlorine shock and chlorine tablets. After the very first day, all the problems disappeared. Slime on the wall were gone, the sour unpleasant smell disappeared, my robot can climb walls and my filter had a great pressure to pump all day long. I only keep the pump running during the day for 8 hours now. The pool looks great, smells great, feels great and the pool is clearer than ever. No more scrubbing, no more checking for copper, no more running the pump 24/7.
After this enlightening experience, I contacted Phil Francisco to return the Clfree system for a full refund. He pointed to the 30day Money Back Guarantee list on his web site and asks me to check for Phosphates. He will not refund the product. I guess he conveniently forgot that he promised he would refund after next season’s opening. It’s obvious to me now that this is a scam. They will have you keep checking different items in the pool until you run out of time to return for refund. This is to hide the fact that the copper and titanium system isn’t doing anything at all. They are making you think you are not smart enough to know how this system works. So you keep trying what they ask you to do, until you finally realize this system really doesn’t work. By that time, it’s too late and you’re stuck with a system that not only does nothing but it destroys what little chlorine there was in the pool, which was doing good. Credit Card will only allow up to 60days for disputed charges so; it looks like the court system is the route to get my money back. Phil Francisco seems to be very familiar with the court systems from the return emails I got back from him. Currently, I have disconnected the system and working with Clfree to get my money back. I’m hopeful and I’m willing to continue the fight until whatever end. However, realistically, I’ll probably never see my hard earned $2195, which I thought I was spending to make my kids life better by providing the best possible pool sanitation possible.
So the moral of the story, I feel like the emperor in the Emperor’s new clothes. Do Not buy the copper based pool sanitizer. It’s a scam. Please learn from my $2195 mistake.
Use the tried and true chlorine. Chlorine Free USA is a scam and any other system that uses copper.
June 24th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Dear newpoolownerny -
Glad I found your posting - I’ve been researching pool treatment systems as I remodel my pool and found this site today. Seemed interesting but also seemed VERY light on details and chemical process explanation. Quoting the Apollo mission was interesting as proof, but that was a long time ago and from the same people that have issues with o-rings . . .
I also found it interesting that it was really hard to find reviews, good or bad anywhere on a site that was not an ECO owned site. That started to seem fishy to me . . .
While it doesn’t really help you at all in getting your money back - know that it has at least helped to cost the company one sale!
Best of luck - you may also want to consider inter-state fraud and mail fraud depending on how it was shipped. Perhaps the state attorney general would also be interested . . .
June 25th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I am on my second summer using the Ecosmarte system in a 45,000 gallon, 40×30x18 lagoon pool. For those who are savvy enough to follow directions, you will have no problems with this system. Here is what I do upon opening the pool. Step 1: test for phosphates (make sure they are at 0. Step 2: test PH (if it is higher than 7, add a 1/2 gallon of muriatic acid. Step 3: start up filter. Run filter for 2 days with system in ionize mode (this puts the perfect amount of copper in a pool my size). Step 4: test ph and copper levels (adjust as necessary). Voila, a crystal clear, beautiful pool! The guy that complained above appeared as though he did not follow directions. Did he ever test for phosphates (the most important first step?) Did he test & adjust the PH? Why did he add SO much copper? You only need .5-.7 ppm. Also, pool liners need to be cured. If the edges felt slimy, you add 1 gallon of bleach (this is chlorine), and the slime disappers. I live in Central NY, opened our pool May 18th, run the filter for only 1-2 hours/day, check my PH one day week, and have had the best swimming experience of my life. I will never go back to chlorine!