Winterising your Enviroswim treated pool is an area where large savings can be made. Once the water becomes too cold for bathing the daily run time of the pump/enviroswim can be reduced to save on electricity which is one of the highest pool running costs. The final winterised run time depends on the pools surrounding environment as the pump will need to run long enough for the filter to remove dirt and organic material that enter the pool. Many pools owners can reduce the run time to a few hours a week, others surrounded by falling leaves or dust require longer to oxidise and filter the rubbish. 

The residual copper & silver will take care of algae and bacteria as they continue to work 24/7 regardless of the pump run time. This is because unlike chlorine they do not evaporate and maintain their residual level in the pool water for weeks even months when there are minimal levels of bacteria or algaes for them to control. Therefore, it is important to continue to balance the pH & check copper levels regularly during the winter to ensure maximum efficiency of the ions and avoid possible overdose of copper/silver resulting in premature wear of the electrodes. The ioniser output should be reduced or even turned off for a while if copper levels start to increase above 0.3 ppm.

Research has shown that many enviroswim owners fail to monitor or adjust the copper & pH levels during the winter months, instead they rely on a visual look at the water believing everything is OK because the water is crystal clear. This is a mistake and can result in high ion levels and in severe cases copper dropping out of solution by the end of the winter. The analogy we use is it is a bit like dissolving sugar in tea or coffee, there is a point where the sugar level gets so high it cannot remain soluble. Cooler water and zero bathers equals less copper/silver demands. All it takes is a few minutes of testing each month to make sure you pool is kept in good shape for the summer.

Always run the oxidiser on maximum (15) during winterisation as the oxidiser is required to treat suspended solids that enter the water. Vacuum the pool as & when required to avoid sediment building up which can stain and cause extra demand and runtime of the system. Important: If you uses a pool blanket a reduction in oxidiser output setting may be required. see Pool Blankets

Reminder: To ensure an accurate copper reading the pool water pH must be below 7.5 preferably 7.3 when the test sample is taken. High pH water will cause a false (lower than actual) copper reading. Follow these guidelines and you will save money and have a great pool ready for the coming summer.