ECO-MATIC ESC 16, Operating Instructions Manual, Page: 19 / 128

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Before Installing Your ECO-matic...
How good is the water in your pool/spa?
In most instances, pools can be simply converted to the ECO-matic system without the need to change the pool water.
However, if the water is ‘old’ (older than say 3 years), or if the water has been subjected to high degrees of chemical
dosing, or has been kept in generally poor condition, you may want to consider dumping that water and refilling the pool.
Pool water has a tendency to become ‘harder’ over time. Evaporation leaves the ‘hardness’ in the water and when top-up
water is added to the pool, additional hardness is added. This additional hardness, together with residuals from previous
chemical treatments etc can make the pool generally more difficult to maintain (regardless of the purification method
being used).
A simple water hardness test (Total Hardness, not just calcium hardness) can determine whether it is preferable to dump
the water and refill. Although water hardness varies from one area to another, the following general rule can be used as a
guide:
If the pool water Total Hardness exceeds 500 ppm (parts per million) AND is more than 300 ppm above that of the fill
water (tap water), it is recommended that you drain and refill the pool.
The same general rule applies to spas, however the smaller volume of water and relative ease of changing the water in a
spa, suggests that it is generally the advisable thing to do.
WARNING: Before emptying your pool or spa, consult your pool builder, Pool Service or local Pool Shop and determine
whether it is safe to do so. Emptying a pool in certain ground-water conditions can cause serious structural damage to the pool.
Note: Pools that have been sanitized with non-chlorine systems (bi-guinia or copper saged) should be drained and refilled
before converting to salt sanitation.
Choosing the ‘CELL’ Location
The location in which the ‘Cell’ is to be installed is important. The ‘Cell’ must be located as follows:
* In the return-to-pool line (the pipe carrying filtered water back to the pool)
* AFTER (down-stream from) all other equipment (filter, heater etc). Contact your ECO-matic Dealer for instructions if
the ‘Cell’ cannot be located AFTER all other equipment.
* Locate the ‘Cell’ so that its power supply cord (attached to ‘Power Pack’) can reach the ‘Cell’ from the ‘Power Pack’
location.
* The ‘Cell’ cord must be at least 5 feet distance from the inside walls of the pool/spa (at least 5 feet from the nearest
water in the pool/spa).
Other considerations regarding ‘Cell’ location:
When correctly installed, the ‘Cell’ will produce sanitizer only when water is flowing through it – and, obviously, the
sanitizer is carried in the water, to wherever the water is being directed, so ... If there is a spa attached to the pool, be
sure to locate the ‘Cell’ in the line carrying water to the pool/spa, preferably before (upstream from) the valve which directs
water flow to either the pool or spa – and not after (downstream from) the valve in the line to the ‘spa only’ (in which case
no sanitizer would be sent to the pool during normal filtering periods).
IMPORTANT: Refer to your ECO-matic Owner’s Guide for important instructions – how to prevent overproduction
of sanitizer in your spa.
If there is a solar heater attached to the pool, locate the ‘Cell’ so that it has water flowing through it whenever the filter
pump is operating regardless of whether water is flowing through the solar heater panels.