Endless Pools Swim Spa Operation And Maintenance Manual

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

Endless Pool Swim Spa

PRE-SITE PREPARATION

Shut

Off

60 amp

220 volt

GFCI

Power

Please read all instructions in this manual prior to having the
swim spa installed in its chosen location. IMPROPER INSTAL­LATION MAY RESULT IN EQUIPMENT DAMAGE AND
VOID THE ENDLESS POOL SWIM SPA WARRANTY.

GETTING THE SPA TO YOUR SITE

Your Endless Pool Swim Spa is delivered by truck and trailer. An
empty Swim Spa weighs 2,800 lbs and will typically need to be
lifted into position with a crane. The cost of crane rental will
depend on a variety of factors including timing, location, required
reach, obstructions and possible permits. Your Swim Spa can usu­ally be unloaded from the delivery trailer without a crane. For
installations indoors where the Swim Spa needs to be slid only a
few feet from where the driver unloads, a garage for example, the
Swim Spa can be slid or rolled into position using short sections
of pipe and a lifting bar (see the video on our website)

Our shipping coordinators work closely with you planning the
delivery. You may speak with them at any time by calling us toll
free at 800 732 8660. They will work with you once you have
made your color choices to insure a smooth delivery. The shipping
quotation you receive is mileage based. We try to group shipments
together to minimize trucking cost.

• If the spa is to be set in-ground, not skirted, even support of
bottom, sides and lip are absolutely necessary to insure prop­er structural support and to keep the warranties valid. A
properly constructed vault is recommended for in-ground
installations. In-ground installations also require proper
drainage of water and may require a sump pump to remove
spa and rain water from this vault.

• It is not recommended to backfill against the swim spa cabi­net. This will damage the swim spa.

• If your spa is located near water sprinklers, adjust or cap
them so water will not hit the wood siding of the spa.

• During colder months, have a fill hose and water supply
thawed and ready for filling your spa upon delivery.

ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS

The Endless Pool Swim Spa requires one (1) 220-Volt, 60-Amp
GFCI protected circuit (circuit to contain 3 wires plus ground).
The circuit must use a minimum #6 gauge copper wire. Allow
plenty of extra wire from the Circuit Box to the Spa Equipment
Disconnect inside the cabinet.

SPA PAD REQUIREMENTS

Your Endless Pool Swim Spa MUST BE PLACED ON A UNI­FORMLY FIRM AND LEVEL SURFACE. A concrete pad foun­dation 4 inches thick is recommended. As an alternative, a pea­gravel foundation pad could be used, but this pad must be con­tained in a secure wood or concrete restraining border to prevent
loose gravel from shifting once the swim spa is placed. If a con­crete pad is poured, this is the logical time to “plumb-in” your
electrical conduit (refer to the diagram on page 7). Be sure the
concrete has cured for at least one (1) week before setting the
swim spa in place. AN UNEVEN OR CRACKED CONCRETE
PAD, OR THE USE OF SHIMS OF ANY KIND MAY CAUSE
THE SWIM SPA TO BUCKLE, DISTORT AND/OR CRACK,
CAUSING THE WARRANTY ON YOUR SPA TO BE VOIDED.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• All installations require the equipment system to be shielded
from the weather. If the equipment system is placed away
from the spa, then an enclosure for the equipment will be
required. The customer is responsible for providing such an
enclosure.

• Balconies and decks must be constructed to current state and
local codes to safely support the maximum load of your
water-filled swim spa and the number of people using the
swim spa. Check with your construction contractor for these
specifications.

• It is the responsibility of the owner to provide appropriate
access at the rear and front right corner of the swim spa
once it is set in place for ease of repair and maintenance.
Otherwise, additional costs to service and repair the swim
spa may be incurred.

THE SENSIBLE WAY TO ENJOY YOUR

ENDLESS POOL SWIM SPA

Swim spas are fun, but along with the fun comes serious
responsibility. Be sure good times are safe times. Establish
rules and enforce them. It is your responsibility to be sure that
you, your family and guests use your Endless Pool Swim Spa
sensibly and safely.

Children are not waterproof! Drowning is one of the largest
causes of accidental death for infants and children under the
age of five.

• There is no substitute for adequate supervision.

• Never leave a child alone or out of eye contact in/near
the swim spa – not even for a second.

• Always completely remove the cover before using your
swim spa to avoid the possibility of someone being trapped
under the swim spa cover.

• Insist there be no running, pushing or rough housing near the
swim spa.

• Never consider young children “water-safe” despite their
swimming skills, previous instructions or experience.

1

Common sense should prevail.

• Never use the swim spa when you are alone.

• One (1) individual must assume the responsibility for super­vising the swim spa.

• Never use the swim spa while or after using narcotics or
other drugs that may cause sleepiness, drowsiness or
raise/lower blood pressure.

• Never use the swim spa while or after using alcohol.

• Be sure you check the water temperature before and while
you are in the swim spa.

• Persons with heart disease, diabetes, high or low blood pres­sure or any serious illness, and pregnant women – indeed
persons with any doubt – should not enter the swim spa
without prior consultation with their doctor.

• To maintain clean spa water, it is a good idea to shower with
soap and water before using your swim spa to wash off skin
oils, lotions and deodorants.

• Plan ahead to prevent accidents and injuries and make your
entertaining or workout truly enjoyable. Use only unbreak­able items around your swim spa.

• At least one (1) responsible person should be trained in
artificial respiration and/or cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR).

Spa Preparation.

• Have a licensed electrician wire the spa equipment through a
GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter).

• Where possible, use battery-operated appliances around the
swim spa. Electrocution from appliances in contact with the
water is a real danger.

• Carefully read, understand and follow operating and mainte­nance instructions supplied by EPI. It is a good general rule
to visually inspect your swim spa and equipment regularly.
If you detect something unusual, contact our Customer
Service Department at 1-800-910-2714.

• Never perform work on your swim spa or filter equipment
without turning the entire system off at the breaker(s).

• Carefully follow the instructions for maintaining, servicing
or repairing your swim spa. If you are at all unsure of how
to proceed, call our Customer Service Department at 1-800­910-2714.

• For health reasons, make sure the spa water is properly
cleaned and disinfected.

USING CHEMICALS IN YOUR ENDLESS
POOL SWIM SPA

The chemicals needed for your Endless Pool Swim Spa help make
it clean, disinfected and more attractive to use. Remember, these
chemicals are potentially dangerous and may be hazardous if not
used properly. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully
for proper use and storage of chemicals.

Outlined are some general tips for proper chemical use
and storage:

• Before using chemicals, read the labels and directions fully
and carefully.

• Follow label use on instructions.

• Keep all chemicals out of reach of children.

Storage:

• Chemicals for test kits should be replaced every year.

• Keep the original lids on all chemical containers and make
sure the lids are closed tightly when not in use.

• Do not stack different chemicals on top of one another.

• Store your swim spa chemicals in a clean, cool, dry, well­ventilated area preferably off the floor to prevent contamina­tion from other materials. Keep them away from the chemi­cals and equipment used for garden and/or lawn mainte­nance.

• Keep liquid chemicals away from dry chemicals. Keep apart
chemicals that are different forms of oxidizing compounds.
Physically separate all different forms of chemicals.

• Do not store your swim spa chemicals where other flamma­ble items may mix with them. For example, a mixture of
these chemicals and fertilizer can cause a fire or an explo­sion.

Usage:

• Always add chemicals directly to the swim spa water, either
in a suitable feeder, distributed across the surface of the
water or diluted and poured into the water. Follow label use
instructions.

• When preparing water solutions for feeder applications, pour
the chemical slowly into the appropriate amount of water,
stirring constantly to provide mixing and dilutions.

• Always add chemicals to water. NEVER ADD WATER TO
CHEMICALS.

• Carefully clean up any spilled chemicals with large amounts
of water to dilute and wash away the chemicals.
Disinfectants and pH adjustment chemicals can usually be
sent to the sewer with large quantities of water since they are
intended for use at low levels.

• Wash out empty disinfectant containers before disposing to
eliminate danger of fire, explosion or poisoning.

• Test the water in your swim spa with a reliable test kit. Add
the necessary chemicals according to the test results and the
manufacturer’s instructions. The hotter the water, the faster
disinfectants may break up and spread out requiring more
frequent water testing. In addition, the more people who use
the swim spa, the more frequently you should test the water.

• Do not inhale dust or fumes from any chemicals. If neces­sary, use proper protective devices for breathing, handling
and eye protection. Promptly wash off any residues that
come in contact with your skin.

• Never reuse old chemical containers unless specified by the
manufacturer.

2

INITIAL START UP

1. Fill the Endless Pool Swim Spa with water from a garden hose
or water truck.

(any brand is fine as long as it does not have an added scent to it) to
an indoor swim spa. If you have an outdoor swim spa, add the
appropriate amount of granules out of the bag of “stabilized” chlo­rine. Test for chlorine in a day or two and add more if necessary.

2. Once filled with water, turn power ON at Disconnect Box.

3. Check that the Circulating Pump is operating (water flowing
into the skimmer). NOTE: If water is not flowing into your
skimmer, there may be an air lock in your plumbing line. Turn
off the power at the breaker immediately. Use the hose bib in
the equipment cabinet to, “bleed off” some water. You should
notice air and then water coming through the hose bib. Once a
steady stream of water is draining, close the hose bid and turn
the power back on.

4. Run jets for two to three minutes. Check the equipment cabinet
to ensure no water is leaking from the union joints. Tighten any
joints as necessary.

5. Use your remote control to turn the swim current on and run for
two to three minutes. Check the equipment cabinet to ensure no
hydraulic fluid is leaking from the hydraulic connections.
Tighten any fittings as necessary.

6. Check Alkalinity and pH with test strips or test kit – adjust
accordingly.

7. Visit www.myendlesspool.com or contact our Customer
Service Department at 1-800-910-2714 to answer any questions
that you may have.

Special Note:

It is extremely important that you check and re-tighten your
pump couplers several times during the initial weeks of owner­ship of your new swim spa. We have done this during the deliv­ery process, but they will need to be re-tightened after the initial
fill and warm up of the water. Additionally, you will need to
check them once a month to insure they stay tight. If you have
any questions, please call our Customer Service Department at
1-800-910-2714.

BALANCING THE WATER CHEMISTRY

Included with your Endless Pool Swim Spa are products to help
with start-up and on-going maintenance. These include:

(1) Container calcium hardness increaser
(1) Container water clarifier
(1) Container pH decreaser
(1) Container pH increaser
(1) Container total alkalinity increaser
(1) Container stabilized chlorine (outdoor pools)
(1) Test Kit

The following steps need to be followed when the swim spa is
first filled, as well as anytime the swim spa is partially drained
and refilled. They will walk you through testing and adjusting
the factors affecting the “balance” of the water i.e., the water’s
total alkalinity, pH and calcium hardness levels.*

The level of chlorine inside the swim spa, as long as it is not above
5ppm, will not significantly affect the following tests and proce­dures used to balance the pool water. Therefore, if there is no chlo­rine in the pool at this time, add some. Add 1-2 cups of liquid bleach

1) Balance Total Alkalinity (TA)

Ideal reading: 100ppm
Acceptable range: 80-120ppm
Raise with: Sodium Bicarbonate (TA increaser)
Lower with: Sodium Bisulfate (pH decreaser)

Method of chemical application:

• Adjusting the level of TA in the swim spa requires that the
chemical be “slugged” i.e. pour chemical in four different
spots around the swim spa with the water calm. Let the
water remain calm until the next filtration cycle.

• Retest TA and adjust again if necessary.

• Add less chemical than you think is necessary to effect the
desired change. Keep track of how much chemical it took to
make that change.

Notes:

Many regions of the country and world will have water with a TA
higher than our recommended range. In a lot of cases, it will be
desirable to leave the TA alone as any adjustment to it will also
tend to affect the pH. The TA is mainly serving as a buffer for the
pH. If it is above 120ppm, but lower than 200-250ppm, leave the
level alone. It will simply over-stabilize the pH, which is not a
problem, especially if the pH is within range or close to being
within range.

If the TA is lower than our recommended range, though, we would
recommend increasing it to at least 80ppm. Once again, the TA
serves mainly as a buffer for the pH and if the TA is too low, the
pH level in the pool can change very rapidly causing bather dis­comfort and damage to the pool and pool equipment.

Once the TA is within a tolerable range, move on to adjusting the
pH in the swim spa. You should find that the TA will be pretty
slow to change—for this reason, test for it once a week as detailed
in the “Maintenance and Use of your Endless Pool” instructions
found later in this guide.

2) Balance pH

Ideal reading: 7.5
Acceptable range: 7.4-7.8
Raise with: Sodium Carbonate (pH increaser)
Lower with: Sodium Bisulfate (pH decreaser)

Method of chemical application:

• Measure out and pour your dosage of chemical directly into the
swim current. Afterwards, make sure you wash some water on
the propulsion housing to ensure that no granules are resting on
the benches. Test and apply more chemical as necessary.

Notes:

It is very important to keep the pH within range. If the level is too
low, severe damage can occur to the submerged hydraulic motor
and the pool equipment. If the level is too high, the water can be
prone to “scaling,” when minerals and metals dissolved in the
water will be dropped out of solution and on to the swim spa sur­faces. Having the pH too high or too low may cause bather dis­comfort in the form of eye or skin irritation.

* It is important to maintain properly balanced water. Under balanced water can be corrosive or cause scaling, which can damage

the spa components and void any warranties

3

The pH will change slowly over the course of a week or two. The
number of bathers and the type of chlorine used are just two fac­tors that will cause the pH to change. For this reason, pH should
be tested three times a week and adjusted as needed. See the
“Maintenance and Use of your Endless Pool Swim Spa” instruc­tions found later in this guide for further details.

Once the pH is within range, move on to adjusting the calcium
hardness.

3) Balance Calcium Hardness (CH)

Ideal reading: 180ppm
Acceptable range: 175-250ppm
Raise with: Calcium Chloride (calcium hardness increaser)
Lower with: water containing less calcium (softened water)

Method of chemical application:

• Fill a clean, five gallon bucket with water and dissolve the
dosage of calcium into this water. Do not mix this solution
with your hands. Pour the solution in to the swim current,
and let the current circulate the water in the pool for a few
minutes. Wait a few hours, test again, and add more calcium
if necessary. Once again, always add less chemical than you
think will be necessary to effect the desired change.

Notes:

As with TA, many regions will have higher CH than what is speci­fied by our recommended range. If it is available, partially filling
the pool with softened water will dilute the calcium content and
essentially lower the CH level inside the swim spa. If softened water
is unavailable, perhaps water tanked-in from an outside source
would be the best option for you. If this not possible either, we
would strongly suggest adding a “sequestering agent” which can be
purchased at any local swimming pool retail center. This chemical
helps the water hold all of its dissolved materials in solution, includ­ing metals and calcium content. The main concern with having CH
levels too high is that the calcium may deposit out of solution—a
sequestering agent will help prevent this.

Calcium hardness will tend to slowly increase over time as water
evaporates from the swim spa and leaves its calcium behind.
Periodic testing of CH is detailed in the “Maintenance and Use of
your Endless Pool Swim Spa” instructions below.

RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Daily:

• Test for free chlorine (FC) after you swim, or at least a few
times a week. Add chlorine to maintain FC levels between

0.5 - 1.5 ppm. As you become familiar with the chlorine
demand for your pool, you will find that you may not have to
test for chlorine as frequently in order to maintain a mini­mum level of 0.5ppm.

Twice a week:

• Check and adjust water level. Water should completely
cover the honeycomb grill where the current is produced.
Water 1/2” lower than this can create a choppy current and
may cause your skimmer to draw air into the plumbing lines.
Having the water level 1” or more higher that honey comb
grill will cause more water to get splashed out of the swim
spa, and may cause the air relief port on the top of the skim­mer body to leak water.

• Test for pH at least twice a week. Broadcast (i.e. pour chem­ical into current) pH increaser or pH decreaser to maintain
levels between 7.4-7.8.

Weekly:

• Test for total alkalinity (TA) once a week. Slug (i.e. pour
chemical in 4 spots around pool with water calm) TA
increaser or pH decreaser to maintain levels between 80-120.
If TA is too high, it is usually not necessary to decrease as it
merely serves as a buffer for the pH and will not cause dam­age in the pool.

• Test for total chlorine (TC) once a week. If the test for TC
yields a result that is significantly higher than level of FC
(i.e. the solution gets noticeably more pink) then you have a
significant amount of combined chlorine (CC) in the pool
water. Combined chlorine generates a heavy chlorine odor,
and can cause bather discomfort in the form of eye and skin
irritation. If you have significantly more total chlorine than
you do free chlorine, then it is time to shock the pool (i.e.
add enough chlorine to get the FC between 3-5ppm, but
don’t swim until FC falls below 3ppm). Shocking the pool
should burn off the combined chlorine.

MAINTENANCE AND USE OF YOUR
ENDLESS POOL SWIM SPA

We recommend getting into a routine that involves adding a meas­ured amount of chlorine either after you swim or at the very least
every other day. This measured amount depends on pool use. One
person swimming every day for 30 minutes might add 1/2 cup of
Clorox after each swim. This small amount should maintain the
required 0.5 to 1.5 ppm chlorine residual. Heavier use and use by
children generally requires more chlorine. Adding 1 cup of Clorox
bleach raises the chlorine level by about 1 ppm. It is safe to swim
in any pool where the chlorine level is between 0.5 to 3.0 ppm
free chlorine.

If you intend to keep your swim spa at a temperature above 95ºF,
then the use of bromine should be considered. Bromine is a more
effective sanitizer at higher temperatures. The acceptable range of
bromine for your swim spa if 2.0 to 5.0 ppm. The easiest way to
introduce Bromine into your Swim Spa is by a floating feeder. A
floating feeder allows Bromine to dissolve at a slow and constant
rate. Remember to remove the floating feeder when the swim spa
is in use. Too high a bromine level can cause corrosion to the
swim spa.

Every two weeks:

• Test for calcium hardness (CH) once every two weeks.
Predissolve calcium hardness increaser (i.e. fill a 5-gallon
bucket with pool water and dissolve calcium in bucket) then
pour the solution into the current to keep levels between 175­250 ppm. If CH is too high, it can only be decreased by
adding water with less calcium (i.e. softened water).

• If you have an outdoor pool, or if you use stabilized chlorine
(i.e. sodium dichlor or sodium trichlor), test the cyanuric acid
(CYA) level every two weeks. Maintain levels between 20­50 ppm. If CYA is above 80 ppm, the pool should be partial­ly drained and refilled, or un-stabilized chlorine should be
temporarily used in place of the stabilized. If CYA is above
100ppm, the pool should be partially drained and refilled. If
you use bromine, then this step is unnecessary.

Every two months:

• Remove and clean the filter cartridge. After several uses, the
cartridge will need to be replaced, and new filter cartridge
can be purchased on our Customer Service website, myend­lesspool.com.

4