Michael Assad

I have nothing to hide That's why I use my real name and the same profile pic for LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. The first thing I ever posted in this forum was the disclaimer that I represent an ionizer manufacturer. The fact remains that I believe in ionizers, as I see them selling and I hear the praise from customers[/url]. Everything I've said and will say is unbiased and factual, as per the terms of the forum (and because I'm a decent human being )

Fair enough. My original comment was regarding salt pools and the fact that you can't dump them in public drainage. Or your garden unless you want to kill everything.

Sounds complicated. We have an ionizer at the cottage and we put 1/2 a chlorine tablet in the floater once every 1-2 weeks and that's it. We have renters coming and going, kids, big families, etc. and the water is always crystal clear. There is virtually no chemical balancing or maintenance required. I don't understand why there is so much hate for ionizers when they are a great solution for many cases.

So why does the EPA and Health Canada say I need 3 - 5 ppm of chlorine? Isn't CYA also toxic?

Clearly you've put a lot more thought into this than I have So with these statistics, how many 25,000 gallon pools would have to be emptied to reach these concentrations? If I dump a 25,000 gallon pool into my garden, how much of the copper would actually reach a body of water with these animals? I'm guessing you could probably dump thousands of pools a year and still not reach these Cu concentrations, even at ppb. Do you have any studies on that?

Heavy metals are toxic metals like mercury and lead. You could consider copper as a 'heavy metal' if it is in high enough concentration. Rule of thumb for an ionizer is to keep the concentration of copper to within 0.2 to 0.4 ppm which is similar to what you would find in mineral water or tap water. Maybe some ionizers let the copper level get to a toxic concentration, but I can't see how that's possible. You would have to have a huge electrode for that to happen before it wore down to nothing. If your ionizer is wearing down the electrodes in a month, or you get staining. you might have a problem. Even then, I would be surprised if the copper level was toxic.

   I agree. You still need chlorine in the pool, but not as much. You also don't spend as much time balancing chemicals. EPA and Health Canada have approved "copper ion releasing devices" for 0.5 to 0.6 ppm chlorine vs. 3 to 5 ppm recommended without it. So they agree that they work, but are not stand-alone systems. I'm not sure how the 3-5ppm Cl converts to FAC though... Ionizers are very effective at killing algae. This allows the chlorine in the water to work more effectively so you can safety reduce the concentration. Some people like the idea of not having as much chlorine in the water, and want a pool that is easier to maintain. Thus, the ionizer. Problem is there are many crappy models on the market that cause staining and so they have gotten a bad name in some circles (like this one )

[DISCLAIMER: I represent an ionizer manufacturer - after 10 years of raving customers, I believe in it 100%] Ionizers work well, but they have their problems just like any sanitation solution. i do believe that a properly set up ionizer with properly maintained water is healthier for both yourself and the environment. Chlorine is indeed a toxic chemical. With an ionizer, you still need it, but at a much lower concentration. Some of our customers use ozone or potassium monopersulphate in place of chlorine and swear by it, though we do not recommend that. Ionizers require a copper concentration of .2 to .4 ppm - this is lower than the amount allowed in drinking water. Unlike salt systems (which generate chlorine), you can empty your ionized pool water into the public drainage system (or your garden) with no effects.

Which ionization system are you using? I have you tried AquaFinesse? It breaks down the biofilm on the walls so that the ionizer can get at the algae.