Tips and Troubleshooting

1. It is important to spend a few minutes a week to monitor the water balance and to learn the trends of the pool.
2. After a couple of weeks a clear pattern will be identified as to how many hours and at what current control levels the ioniser should function.
3. Do not haphazardly alter the pH, or add algaecide, or try to alter perfectly clear water. Give the pool water time to stabilise and remember simplicity is the key.
4. Always keep the pH, Phosphates, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness and Copper Ion levels at the correct levels. See the Snap Pool Balance Chart.
5. Brush the pool or operate your auto pool cleaner once a week and your pool water will settle down into a healthy sparkling body of water.

2 Tests Each Week

Test every week (adjust if required):

1. pH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.0 – 7.4 pH
2. Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 – 0.6 ppM

3 Tests Each Month

(If weather/conditions are very wet/windy then do these 3 tests weekly)

Correct phosphate levels are as important as correct pH levels and are easily controlled by using Bionizer PFP™ Phosphate remover. When levels of phosphates are above 500ppB in the pool water there is a risk of algae as phosphates are food for algae.

Follow these rules and check your Bionizer regularly to ensure it is operating correctly and the anodes are not worn. Do these simple steps and we promise your pool will be the source of joy it was meant to be.

Using a Bionizer to manage and control your pool or spa rewards you with sparkling and healthy water which is a pleasure to swim or spa in.

The copper/silver mineral anodes are “sacrificial” and designed to lowly disintegrate, contributing mineral ions to the pool water.

After an average of 18 – 30 months, (depending on respective conditions and pool size), the anodes will wear away and require replacing.

Replacement Indicator

This will be apparent when the ion readings start to drop for no apparent reason. The red light on the control box (Maximum Output) will light up and the message “Check Anodes” will appear on the display screen.

When this happens it is indicating that the anodes are wearing down.

NOTE: When the anodes are worn it will not damage the Bionizer. This is also true if the pump fails or there is no water passing the anodes when the Bionizer is operating – no damage to the unit or pool equipment will result and there will be no risk of fire or explosion as can occur with many salt chlorinator electrodes if they are left running.

Adjusting Ionisation When Anodes are Worn

If they are becoming worn reduce the Ionising Output setting until the red light goes out.

Increase the length of ionising time that the unit operates to compensate.

Examining the Anodes

NOTE: At this time it is important to check the anodes.

1. The Anodes can simply be inspected for wear through the clear BioPod cartridge.
2. If there is noticeably more wear on one end of the anodes, remove the cartridge, turn around, and re-fit.
3. Don’t forget to have the filter turned off and the taps or valves closed to prevent water from spurting out when you remove the BioPod from the pipeline.

1. Unscrew the barrel union nuts on either side of the BioPod Cartridge.
2. Remove the old BioPod Cartridge. Make sure that the O-rings fitted to the fittings that are glued to the pipe are correctly seated in place.
3. Fit the new BioPod Cartridge. It can be fitted either way around.
4. Screw the barrel union nuts back in place to a firm hand tightness. Do not use a tool, as it could damage the plastic threads.
5. Refit the ring terminals from the Bionizer output cable, and screw the wing nuts on tightly.

How Often Should I Check?

1. Don’t allow direct sunlight to shine onto the display screen. The LCD as it is called is not covered by our warranty if left out in sunlight.
2. Don’t leave any old sand whatsoever in the filter when replacing the old sand/medium in your filter. Make sure the filter is clean before adding the new sand or glass media. We recommend the use of recycled glass or silica sand for sand filters…we do not recommend the use of “Viron Glass Filter Media” as it is a synthetic product and not genuine recycled glass thus causes problems as it in many cases is not compatible with Bionizer. We also suggest that both Zelite and Rived Sand not be used as these tend to not be compatible with Bionizer also. Glass is a fine micron medium and is very long lasting so worth the extra small outlay.
3. Don’t operate an auto pool cleaner (Kreepy Krauly/Barracuda etc) while initially ionising the pool as these will inhibit the water flow and therefore slow down the time it takes to achieve the correct level.Only use suction cleaners such as Kreepy Krauly, Barracuda etc once a week, and remove when not in use. This will ensure good flow through your filtration.
4. Don’t operate any waterfalls/features while initially ionising the pool as these features may also inhibit the water flow.
5. Don’t add any chemicals (despite what your pool man tells you) other than some liquid chlorine when required. Obviously acid, buffer and calcium for water balancing may be used. (See water balance) Never use calcium hypo-chlorite.
6. Don’t use any flocculants (pool water polish / clarifiers) that remove metals or minerals from water (such as Alum based types), as they will inhibit Bionizer operation. If at any time a flocculant is required to remove dust etc from your pool then we recommend “Bionizer Blue™” as it is compatible with Bionizer. This specially formulated flocculant does not remove metals from the water, and traps the residue in the filter where it is easily backwashed away. This saves having to vacuum the particles off the floor of the pool. The water returns to a parkling blue after treatment with Bionizer Blue.If there is still any cloudy look, we recommend treatment with Bionizer PFP™… a superior phosphate remover especially compatible with Bionizer managed pools.
7. Don’t backwash the filter too frequently unless clearing trapped residue after shocking the pool. One backwash session every 3-4 weeks is ample (give a quick rinse after each backwash). Overdoing backwashing the filter causes “tunnelling” in the sand reducing the filter’s effectiveness and reducing filtermedium.

8. Never open the control box. Unplug it before removing it from it’s usual position.
9. Do check the pH and Copper levels at least once per week. Check pH every 2 or 3 days if it rises rapidly or until it becomes trained to stay low. The Bionizer pH Boss will eliminate pH problems and irksome testing.
10. Do increase the Bionizer Output Level (increase ion production) to compensate for times of heavy rain and bather load that may deplete the ion level and put the pool at risk of algal attack. The Boost function is there for this purpose also.
11. Do try to keep the pH between 7.0 and 7.4 as copper is less effective against algae when not within this neutral range.
12. Do try to keep the calcium hardness level around 200 at all times unless you have a fibreglass pool so 150+ is adequate.
13. Don’t take advice from anyone who is not experienced with ionisers. This type of expert opinion is often prejudiced by the criteria surrounding costly pool chemicals. Additionally, recommendations more often than not reflect the criteria followed with chemical based pools and are not applicable to ionised water. Be guided by these instructions at all times.
14. “Shocking” the pool after initial start-up should only be required if the pH and copper levels in the pool have been let lapse and created an algal attack. Use of a ‘pH Boss’ will eliminate any threat of algae attack that would be caused by your pool’s pH being too high.

• This can occur during times of extreme heat and/or rain. In this instance a one-off heavy dose of liquid chlorine to dissolve the coating is the cheapest and easiest solution. This heavy concentration of chlorine will dissipate rapidly as unstabilised Chlorine is 90% removed from your pool in 3 hours of sunlight, leaving the pool ready to swim in once again. (Refer super chlorination section.)

Bucket Test

1. Put 10cm of pool water in a plastic container or bucket.
2. Remove the BioPod Cartridge from the pipeline and stand vertically into the water in the bucket. The water level should be just below the connection bolts.
3. Turn on the Bionizer and ionise the water for several minutes.
4. Note the self clean light glowing and the screen display. This demonstrates that the unit is working.
5. After several minutes in ionise mode use the copper test kit to check the water in the bucket. It should show copper ions are now present in the water.
6. If there are no ions present in the water see Point 3 of the Bionizer Support Pages on page 26 before calling your Bionizer distributor / supplier.
7. If you have been adhering to the simple pool regimen that we suggest then any problems are rare and also easily rectified.

1. Do not use undissolved and/or granulated chlorine or chlorine tablets in an ionised pool. It may have the effect of forming a crust effect on the surface of the anodes and reducing the anodes life and reducing Ion output.
2. When replacing the mineral anodes, ensure that they are free of water. Ensure also that the O-Rings are in place inside the Barrel Union fittings before screwing the Barrel Union nuts into place.
3. Keep test kits in a cool place (not the Fridge) in hot weather/hot climates. Store out of direct sunlight.
4. The use of a pool cover is recommended as it saves time and effort in keeping debris out of the pool whilst the pool is not being used. It can save 30,000 litres or more of water loss (evaporation) per year on the average size pool.  Note: www.discountpoolcovers.com.au for great quality and prices on pool blankets and rollers.
5. Take a few minutes each week to thoroughly brush the walls, steps and floor of the pool and clean the skimmer box and remove leaves and debris from the pool. This small chore will repay you repeatedly by ensuring a sparkling clean swimming environment at all times.
6. At certain seasonal times of the year (spring/summer) the pool may tinge green or develop green residue on the bottom. This can be mistaken for algae but is often pollen. The easy test is:if it is slimy it is likely to be algae.
7. Using chlorine to try and kill “algae” (really pollen) will only bleach the pollen so it disappears. It is likely to reappear in your pool days later. If you continually mistake this for algae and continue the chlorine cycle until the pollen season is finished you will suffer the effects of too much chlorine and your pool will be out of control.

8. To rectify this problem use a flocculant that does not remove minerals or metals from the water – e.g. “Bionizer Blue™”. This process may have to be repeated several times if the pollen is still in the environment and there are trees and shrubs surrounding your pool.
9. We strongly recommend the use of an automatic pool cleaner once a week or so in the pool. This will save a lot of time and effort and also keep the pool clean and free of any algae causing contaminants.
10. Do not operate the auto pool cleaner or any water features during the ionising/start-up phase as they slow the water flow considerably. The pools that operate best always have very good water circulation so limit the auto pool cleaning times if possible.
11. We recommend using “Glass” Filter Medium in your filter. This medium is superior to other mediums such as river sand or zeolite in our opinion. River sand is not a quality medium and is not recommended. Make sure all old sand/medium is removed completely before replacing it with the new medium in an existing filter. This is important!
12. If you have a heated pool (this especially applies to indoor pools) that uses a pool blanket when the pool is not in use it is recommended that you maintain a residual Oxidiser level (hydrogen peroxide/chlorine) at minimum 0.5ppm in the water. This is to prevent any harmless environmental bacteria from hiding beneath the pool blanket thus causing a “smelly sock” type of odour. We recommend the Bionizer Eco-Oxidizer totake care of this.

1. Water Stress - Prevention Better than Cure

   As algae can diminish the copper levels in water it is important to use the Boost function of the Bionizer to compensate for periods of heavy rain, wind and/or abnormal pool load (i.e. lots of bodies in the pool all day). Use the Boost function if the Copper Ion levels fall to 0.3ppM or less due to any of these factors. These conditions rapidly increase the amount of algae spores that would normally find their way into your pool. By doing this before or soon after the rain/wind/extra load is experienced you are prepared for any increased loading on your pool. This action will exponentially reduce the chance of an algal attack stemming from these conditions.

   Don't Neglect Your Filter

   The filter’s primary responsibility is to remove fine suspended debris from the water. If it is not maintained properly, cloudy water will be a constant problem.
   • Sand filters should have their media/sand replaced every two or three years. Use Glass Filter medium for swimming pool sand filters, as it is an excellent fine micron media that will only require replacing every 6 to 8 years.
   • When replacing the medium in the filter make sure that all of the old medium is completely removed from the filter. Up ending the filter and hosing out is one way to ensure this. This is important! Take care not to damage any laterals or seals inside the filter if changing filter medium.
   • We don’t recommend D.E. filters as the medium can double the number of anodes required for efficient operation. And who needs the expense and hassle of an “old school” D.E. filter anyway?
   • For Cartridge Filters clean cartridges regularly and inspect for holes or wear. Regardless of the filter type, damaged or missing gaskets or any incorrectly fitted parts can be responsible for cloudy water. Many water quality complaints are finally traced to the pool’s filter.

   Remember Water Balance

   Proper water balance is necessary for water health, clarity and also water hue. Maintain the pool water as outlined in the Start-Up section. We recommend the addition of a “pH Boss” to your pool. pH problems and troublesome testing now disappear. We also recommend the addition of an “Eco-Oxidizer” to reduce the need to chemical oxidizers and help maintain overall water balance and clarity.

   Skim the Surface

   Use a surface skimmer net to collect all floating debris. A leaf net works best for this particular task. This task can be greatly minimized with a properly functioning pool filtration system with adequate flow and a properly functioning skimmer weir. This inexpensive device increases the velocity of the surface water into the skimmer; thereby ensuring its ability to remove surface material from the pool, keeping it crystal clear. It acts as a one-way street allowing debris in but not out. This device is often underestimated. Installing one greatly reduces the amount of time required to clean the pool properly and keep it clean.