FAQ's

Do I still need chlorine while swimming?

Yes, chlorine is required when swimming to control harmful bacteria. Once our highly effective products eliminate all algae from the pool, less chlorine is required to maintain minimum levels of free chlorine; 1.0 ppm in unstabilised pools, 2.0 ppm in stabilised pools, and an additional 1.0 ppm where the pool water exceeds 26 degrees Celsius. In the non-swimming months, our effective long term algicides keep most pools sparkling clear and free of all algae for months at a time without any chlorine at all. Just a weekly dose of chlorine in winter is helpful to bleach leaf marks and debris from staining.

Do I add POOL BLOCKS as they dissolve?

No, our solid algicide tablets are designedto be a slow release treatment which dissolve fully in the skimmer basket over several days, but treat the pool water for an entire calendar month. If POOL BLOCKS took an entire month to dissolve, they would work far too slowly. Once dissolved in the water, our algicides are used up controlling algae cells and spores at a constant rate so simply add them as they are due on the calendar as per directions.

How often are POOL DROPS Plus added?

Our unique long term liquid algicide is added just "once a season" in an average size 50,000 litre swimming pool. POOL DROPS Plus are a potent double strength algicide formulation and we get superior results by adding the one litre bottle at the start of each season for long term product performance and protection against all forms of algae. The additional active ingredient simply stays in the water longer and is used up at a constant rate on algae cells and spores which enter the water.

Which product is best for my pool?

Over many years, we have found POOL BLOCKS work best in fibreglass and vinyl lined pools where the pH is most often quite neutral around 7.2 to 7.6. Our liquid product POOL DROPS Plus can be used in all types of pools as they perform very well over a much wider pH range. They are especially effective in pools with alkaline pool surfaces such as concrete, pebblecrete and marblesheen or where the pH is typically higher than 7.4 most of the time. With correct pH control in the normal swimming pool range of 7.2 to 7.6, you can choose either product based upon whether you prefer the ease of a 'once a month' application or the simplicity of a 'once a season' treatment (three monthly treatment period).

How do POOL BLOCKS and POOL DROPS Plus work?

The natural trace element copper has beenused for centuries to inhibit algae growth and has been used for many decades as the active constituent of hundreds of algicide products available worldwide. Our high performance products also include a complex blend of non-active ingredients which result in the active copper ions being very readily absorbed by the algae cells at low levels (just 0.4 to 0.8 ppm). This low level is in line with both the Australian and World Health Organisation recommendations for drinking water at 1.0 ppm and also private swimming pool water quality (AS3633-1989) also at 1.0 ppm. Naturally occurring copper is an essential human nutrient found in hundreds of food items such as nuts, beans, peas, chocolate and fruit juices at higher levels between 1.0 and 20 parts per million.

Why do POOL BLOCKS and POOL DROPS Plus work so well?

The secret to the superior performance of ourunique products is that they are "made stronger to last longer". Where standard algicides provide a single small dose of algicide which lasts just a few weeks, POOL BLOCKS provide five "once a month" treatment tablets in the one 1.5 Kg container, and this lasts four to five months in an average pool. POOL DROPS Plus are two to three times the strength of all standard strength liquid algicides, and also last for an entire three to five months treatment period even in testing climatic conditions. The number one reason most algicide products fail is that they simply do not provide the treatment period sufficient to give effective long term results. Algae grows slowly and dies slowly and an effective algicide product must provide several months treatment to work effectively.

Do they kill blackspot algae?

Yes, POOL BLOCKS and POOL DROPS Plus are one of the few effective treatments against blackspot algae which is common in all types of swimming pools. Chlorine has no effect at all on blackspot algae as only a specific long term algicide destroys the algae cells. Some scrubbing is helpful during treatment to remove the waxy protective coating that forms on the exterior of the blackspots. Tough, wall based algae such as blackspot grows slowly and dies slowly and a full three month treatment period is required to kill all living cells and this is why short term algicides so often fail. Once the algae is dead, only the mineral remnants of the spot remain and this is mostly composed of calcium and can either be scrubbed off with a stiff bristled brush or a follow-up acid treatment with citric acid can be used to breakdown the dead remnants left behind. This follow-up treatment involves lowering the pH of the pool water with citric acid (which dissolves organic marks) and sometimes some additional hydrochloric acid is required to further lower the pH to around 6.0 for about a week, then the pool is rebalanced back to pH 7.2 and any remaining spots are scrubbed away.

What is Ultraviolet Light Disinfection?

• Ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection uses specially designed lamps and chambers to kill or render harmless microorganisms in a dedicated environment. UV water treatment is a natural and efficient way to eliminate all harmful water borne pathogenic (disease causing) microorganisms including all bacteria, viruses & protozoa.

What are the Advantages of UV Disinfection?

• UV treatment is capable of disinfecting water quickly without using chemicals. YooVeeTM is a Chemical Reduction System (CRS) that will reduce risks associated with residues or chemical by-products from other chemical water treatment methods such as chloramines for humans and animals and aquatic life.
• UV is pH neutral and is compatible with all other water treatment systems.
• UV treatment systems typically have low power consumption making them extremely cost effective.
• YooVeeTM also allows for Aeration to assist with water oxygenation, pH control and chemical injection.
• Low capital set up cost with minimal maintenance requirements.
• UV is compatible with all other water processes (i.e., RO, filtration, chlorination etc.).

What are Common UV Applications?

• UV disinfection is used in air and water purification.
• YooVeeTM is suitable for all Re-circulating Water Systems such as commercial swimming pools & spas, heated hydrotherapy pools, aquaculture, zoos, industrial processing & recycling, mining, nurseries, food & beverage, water features & playgrounds, ponds & lakes and drinking water systems.

What are the Factors Affecting UV Disinfection?

• UV treated water can be reinfected soon after treatment as UV leaves no measurable residual sanitiser in the water. It is recommended that the UV sterilizer be set to treat water by re-circulating or be installed as the final step of treatment located close to the point of use.
• UV light can be inhibited from scaling of the quartz sleeve caused by water high in calcium or some metals. Sleeves need to be cleaned on a regular basis.
• Turbidity or cloudy water contains suspended solids that potentially harbor microorganisms. These solids can shade or blind the microorganisms from the UV light and the necessary UV exposure. Therefore it is recommended to pre-filter the water to be treated. The YooVee’sTM unique chamber forces water to swirl around the chamber reducing the chance of shading or blinding.
• UV treatment can also be affected by temperature. The optimal operating temperature of a low pressure UV lamp must not exceed 40 0C. UV levels fluctuate with temperature and the quartz sleeve buffers direct lamp-water contact thereby reducing temperature fluctuations.

Are there Special Installation and Maintenance Considerations?

• Once the application has been determined, you should find a location that offers easy access for service. You will need to have access to filters and to the UV chamber for annual lamp changes and inspection of the quartz sleeve. You will want to locate near an electrical outlet.
• Upon initial installation all points of the distribution system after the sterilizer must be chemically "shocked" to ensure that the system is free from any downstream microbial contamination.
• Lamps should be changed at least every 10 to 18 months. Quartz sleeves should be inspected at least every 6 months. If minor deposits have formed, the sleeves should be wiped down with a soapy solution. Do not leave fingerprints on the quartz sleeve.
• For proper operation and disinfection follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

Medium Pressure vs Low Pressure Ultraviolet Light

• There are two types of ultraviolet lamps used for water treatment - low pressure & medium pressure. (There are a number of studies currently underway and they mostly focus on if photo reactivation of Cryptosporidium and other key pathogens);
• The Low-Pressure UV lamp family delivers the highest UV-C Output of their initial Input Watts, offer the longest useful life, generates the least amount of heat, are the most “temperature compatible” and cost efficient of the two.
• Medium-Pressure Lamps produce 10 times more heat than Low-Pressure Lamps.
• Medium-Pressure Lamps produce the majority of their UV Output in the UV-A and UV-B spectral areas (well outside the specific UV-C “Germicidal Spectrum”) and that required to destroy chloramines.
• Low-Pressure UV lamps produce 33-40% of their UV Output in the UV-C action spectrum, which is unmatched by Medium-Pressure Lamps (maximum 7-13%).
• Low-Pressure Lamps’ “cost of ownership” is far LESS EXPENSIVE than Medium-Pressure Lamps, due to Medium-Pressure Lamps' short lamp life. Short lamp life requires that they be replaced much more frequently.
• In order to obtain the maximum life from a Medium-Pressure Lamp the lamp’s operating temperature must constantly be monitored and controlled. This increased level of control adds a higher level of sophistication and can lead to lamps blowing due to the difficulties and intricacies of temperature control.