ECOsmarte Planet Friendly, Inc. Mike Dewar The very expensive chlorine free pool system does not work as described. Chlorine or other chemical sanitizer must be used. Minneapolis, Minnesota

I purchased an Ecosmarte fully automated pool system in October 2010 for $3,988.80 directly from Ecosmarte and have been working with Mike Dewar and others at Ecosmarte for over a year now in an attempt to make the system operate as advertized.  Ecosmarte claims that sanitation chemicals such as chlorine do not need to be used to maintain water clarity.

After extensive trials in our indoor pool, online chemistry research, consultation with two chemists familiar with pool chemistry, discussion with a local pool installer who sells the Ecosmarte system, and a conversation with another Ecosmarte pool system owner, I have determined that the Ecosmarte system cannot function without a residual chemical sanitizer.  In my case we are using 0.3 ppm of chlorine to keep the water clear. 

Furthermore, during my research of copper-based pool water treatment systems I have discovered that copper is not effective against e-coli bacteria, and is too slow-acting on other pathogens to be considered effective, so a chlorine level above zero is required to maintain safe water conditions.  In fact, a chlorine residual of 0.4 ppm or more is required by law for all public pools.

Ecosmarte claims that the ionization chamber containing platnium electrodes produces oxidizers directly in the water, but actual use indicates that even if this is true, the amount of oxidizers produced is insufficient to kill algae and bacteria, even if the system is run 24 hours a day 7 days a week in a small 5000 gallon indoor pool.