POOL BACKWASH SYSTEM Installation manual Proudly manufactured by
Content 1. 2. 3. 4. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5. 5.1 5.2 5.3 Backwashing your pool Background Description ecogator component description (bill of materials) Tank Inlet Chlorinator By-pass valve Outlet & Waste valves Installation Installing the tank Installing the inlet supply Installing the by-pass 6. 6.1 6.2 Maintenance Draining the tank via waste valve Replacing the Hypochlor cartridge 7. 8. Benefits of the system Contact 1
1. Backwashing your pool Backwashing is the process to clean the swimming pool pump filter and should be done at least once a week to every two weeks. The normal filtering process moves water from the pool and sends it through the pump filter to remove dust, dirt and debris before sending it back to the pool. This leaves a lot of debris and solids in your pump filter which needs to be backwashed in order to clean it. Backwashing usually takes about two minutes and uses between 300 and 600 liters of water. Usually the waste water generated from the backwashing process is discharged into the sewerage system in accordance with legislation. It is illegal to pump this water to the street or storm water system and environmentally most unfriendly. It could potentially destroy our natural eco-systems because of the toxins in the water. This is why it is very important to dispose of backwash water correctly. The ecogator backwashing system makes it easy to comply - it recycles the clean backwash water into to your swimming pool. 2. Background All across the world, including South Africa, water is becoming a scarce and vulnerable resource. As more people flock to the cities every year, the demand on running water is getting bigger and bigger. The harsh effects of the drought are also felt. This forces water restrictions on all communities with no end in sight. In some countries, households are no longer permitted to top up their swimming pools with tap water at all. The ecogator backwash water recycling unit will make it easier to maintain your pool water level and save water every month. It will save you money and it also protects the environment. Do you hate wasting thousands of litres of backwash water every year? Then this system is designed for you! 2
3. Description The ecogator backwash pool water recycling system is easy to use and eco-friendly. It stores and cleans backwash water and recycles it back to your swimming pool. The system could be installed near or far from your pool (wherever aesthetically pleasing). Just connect the backwash outlet pipe from the pool pump to the ecogator inlet pipe and pump the water into the tank. The water is first chlorinated with a special inline slow release chlorinator, to clean it. This water is then left in the tank for 24 hours to allow the sediment and debris to settle at the bottom of the tank. When this process is finished, the water is re-cycled back into the pool. This assists in maintaining your pool water level without wasting precious drinking water. The system also has a by-pass function to by-pass backwash water when needed. This is ideal when "wasting" the pool to get rid of severe sludge build-up (water not suitable for re-cycling) or with the first seconds of the backwash water running through the system. This system is installed as an add-on to your existing pool filtration system. It is designed to be installed by yourself and comes complete with an installation manual and operating instructions. 3
4. ecogator Component description (bill of material): The ecogator pool backwash recycling system is available in a 300litre or 500litre ecogator tank. It is made of Linear Low Density, UV-resistant durable Polyethylene which is noncorrosive and rust free. All fittings are included. 4.1 The Tank 300 or 500 litre tank 4
4.2 Inlet A 50mm inlet bend is provided. The outlet from your pool backwash pipe needs to be re-diverted and attached to this inlet. Once all the pipes from your pump are in place, the inlet bend should be PVC glued. This allows for some flexibility with regards to site-specific piping during installation. Inlet Chlorinator 4.3 Chlorinator The Inline Chlorinator is installed inside the tank. When the backwash water flows through the unit, small amounts of the chlorine tablets dissolve in the water and flows into the ecogator tank. The dosage of chlorine is controlled by a spring, which heightens or lowers the chlorine cartridge into the flow of incoming water. The lower the cartridge, the more the tablets are exposed to the water and the larger the dosage is. The higher the cartridge, the less the tablets are exposed and the dosage level is lower. We recommend the maximum dosage to allow for the water to stand for 24 hours during the sedimentation process. The Chlorine cartridges hold a total of 10 Chlorine tablets each. The Klorman in-line body is see-through, which enables you to check the quality of the water. 5
4.3 Components and parts for Inline Chlorinator: External pump Internal pump Calcium hypochlorite, used in the Klorman Systems and trademarked as HYPOCHLOR, is mild calcium based chlorine in a very stable dry tablet form. Hypochlor has been specifically designed to dissolve slowly and consistently. It is dispensed from a replaceable patented cartridge that is easy to use and cost effective. When the cartridge is empty, you just replace it with a new one. As a sanitiser, HYPOCHLOR is much more versatile and effective than other chemicals and systems used for environmental sanitation. It is approved for both drinking water and food contact surfaces, even at high concentrations, and is highly effective in controlling unwanted odours. It is much safer and less corrosive than chlorine gas and is more efficient and affordable than liquid chlorine bleach. It is also not susceptible to bacterial resistance formation as is the case with organic disinfectants such as quaternary ammonium based biocides. 6
4.4 By-pass/waste valve The system also has the ability to by-pass the ecogator backwash tank. This is ideal when using the "waste" setting of the pool pump. The water dumped from the "waste" setting is usually too contaminated with sludge, to be stored. To use the by-pass option, open the red ball valve (A) and close the ball valve (B). This will re-direct the waste water into the by-pass outlet and bypass the tank. (A) By-pass/waste valve (B) Backwash valve (A) Open to by-pass/waste Close to backwash (A) (B) In-line chlorinator Inlet (B) Open to backwash Close to by-pass/waste By-pass/waste outlet 7
4.5. Outlet and waste valves A standard irrigation/hose pipe can be connected to the outlet valve. This pipe then diverts the clean backwash water into your swimming pool. The waste valve (bottom valve) is used to drain the tank of all the sediment and sludge. The waste outlet valve should only be used when you have a build-up of sludge at the bottom of the tank. 5. 5.1 Installation Installing the tank The tank needs to be placed on a solid base. No need for concrete or filling, but it is very important that the base is levelled and solid in order to store 300-500 kg of water. PLEASE NOTE: YOUR ecogator TANK SHOULD ALWAYS BE HIGHER THAN YOUR SWIMMING POOL - the recycled water needs to flow back to your pool with gravity. 5.2 Installing the inlet supply Connect your current pool backwash outlet to the ecogator's 50mm inlet pipe. Ensure that all fittings and pipes are PVC glued once all the pipe work is in place. 5.3 Installing the by-pass/waste outlet A 50mm by-pass/waste outlet is provided. This outlet needs to be reconnected to the existing backwash pipe. Ensure that all fittings and pipes are PVC glued once all the pipe work is in place. 8
6. 6.1 Maintenance Draining the tank via waste valve The system is easy to clean and maintain. Once there is a build-up of sludge and debris in your tank, it is advisable to drain it through the waste valve at the bottom. This should be done after a few back-washes or as the need arises. The water at the bottom of the tank contains all the settled sludge, and debris. This contaminated water needs to be drained from time to time to ensure that the tank is cleaned and ready for the next backwash. 6.2 Replacing the Hypochlor cartridge The Life span of the chlorine cartridge is dependent on a number of variables including: Ÿ Quality of the backwash water Ÿ Intervals of backwash Ÿ Flow rate of specific pump Ÿ The Dosage level is set on the unit As a general rule, one Hypochlor cartridge will chlorinate about 9100 liters of backwash water at a maximum setting of 50 ppm (parts per million). This will vary slightly from pump to pump, but generally works well enough for estimation purposes. Available at 4EVR Plastic Products (021) 905-5590. 7. Benefits of the system Ÿ Easy installation and easy to use Ÿ Saves 300-600 litres per backwash - saving our precious resource Ÿ Saves you money Ÿ Inline chlorinator treats water before sedimentation process Ÿ Tank could be installed out of sight Ÿ No more toxic backwash water flushed into our storm water system - this is much better for the environment Ÿ There is less ecological damage when backwash water is removed from the environment 9
Contact sales@4evr.co.za (021) 905-5590 www.ecogator.co.za PBR300 PBR500 MPIX SIGN & PRINT info@mpix.co.za