Waterco Chemflo Plus User Manual

User Manual

Chemflo Plus Water Management System

Contents

What is in the box 2
How it Works 3
Initial Pool Balance 4
Basic Requirements – the Pool Owner 5
Installation Guide & Diagrams 6
Front Panel 9
Navigating the Menu System 11
Timer Menu 12
ORP Menu 14
pH Menu 15
Status Indicator, Warnings and Safety Shutdowns 17
Maintenance 19
Troubleshooting 20

IMPORTANT

If the power cord is damaged the unit must be returned to

Waterco for repair.

Always read the instructions and warnings on chemical

containers before using chemicals.

Serial Number........................................

Date of Installation................................

Installed by.............................................

Page 1

What’s in the box?

• Mounting brackets; top and bottom

• Multi-electrode (probe)

• CHEMFLO+ Power Supply and Mains Cable

• Tubing

• Dual peristaltic pump module

• User Manual

• Injection manifold

• Mounting hardware (raw plugs, screws and paper template)

IMPORTANT SAFETY MEASURES:

• Always add concentrated chemicals to water – not the other way around!

• Don’t allow chemicals to mix – dangerous, highly corrosive fumes produced.

• Always wear protective clothing, footwear, gloves and eye protection when

handling pool chemicals to avoid injury.

• If a spill occurs, wash the affected area with fresh water immediately and seek
medical attention.

• Work in a well-ventilated area and avoid inhalation of fumes.

• Read and follow safety instructions on chemical drums.

Operation Following a Power Failure

The CHEMFLO+ unit comes with a timer function built into the operating software. The
timer is a 24-hour type with quartz-crystal control. This Timer is backed-up by a Real-Time
Clock (RTC) similar to those found in computers.

During a power failure the CHEMFLO+ will keep time and maintain AutoMode functions.
If a Filter Cycle is active when power is returned the pump will be turned ON within 1

minute. The CHEMFLO+ will keep all its settings and will not need to be re-programmed.
The CHEMFLO+ is ideal for use in systems where repeated power cuts occur, such as off-

peak power circuits and Queensland’s Tarriff33 system.

Page 2

How it works:

The CHEMFLO+ continuously analyses pool water chemistry while your pool system is
running. The base model has two dosing pumps that dose liquid chlorine and acid to the
pool water flow in response to the water analysis from the probe.

The CHEMFLO+ can also be used to control a Salt Water Chlorinator with and without
extra available dosing from the chlorine dosing pump. The chlorine dosing pump is always
available for manual dosing.

When both the SWC and the chlorine dosing pump are enabled the dosing pump is
activated at an ORP approximately 50mV below the set point. It will then will dose regularly
until the ORP climbs to a point that the SWC can take it the rest of the way. This results in
the doser only covering extra high chlorine demands.

Note: the filter system should always be running when the pool is being used.
Oxidation Reduction Potential

The CHEMFLO+ measures how much chlorine is in pool water by measuring the ORP of
the water.

ORP stands for Oxidation Reduction Potential. Chemicals like chlorine destroy pathogens
(eg harmful bacteria) in water by oxidising them.

The level of oxidation available in the water can be measured chemically with an ORP
sensor contained in the Chemflo+’s multielectrode (probe). This produces a voltage
related to the ORP of the water, which is a measure of the effectiveness of chlorine in the
water.

Varying the ORP will affect how long it takes to destroy harmful bacteria in pool water. For
example, if ORP is maintained at 650mV, E-coli type bacteria will be destroyed in around
one second. However, if the ORP is lowered to 550mV, the same organisms may take up
to 2 hours to be eliminated.

pH Control

When chlorine is added to water the pH always changes – this is because chlorine is not a
neutral chemical. The pH will slowly rise as chlorine is added to the water. A rise in pH
greatly reduces the effectiveness of the chlorine as a sanitiser, so it is important to ensure
that the pH remains in the correct range.

The pH of the water can be lowered by the addition of acid – and your CHEMFLO+ does
this automatically. The CHEMFLO+ multielectrode (probe) measures the pH of the water
and doses the pool with small amounts of acid to keep the pH in the correct range.

Page 3

Initial pool balance

Before you begin using the CHEMFLO+ make sure your pool water is balanced as follows:

Chlorine

If it is a new installation, add enough chlorine (liquid or granular) to achieve a reading of
3ppm on an appropriate test kit.

Stabiliser – needs to be 50ppm

If the pool is outdoors, it is vital that stabiliser (also known as cyanurate and cyanuric acid)
be added and maintained at 40ppm to 60ppm. This compound reduces chlorine
destruction due to sunlight. However, too much stabiliser will reduce the effectiveness of
chlorine and can result in poor quality water so ensure stabiliser does not exceed 80ppm.

Good stabiliser level keeps good chlorine levels and reduces maintenance.

pH – for efficient operation we recommend a pH of 7.6

For chlorine to be effective, the pH must be within a certain range. This is usually between

6.8 (fibreglass/liner pools) or 7.2 (concrete/plaster) and 7.8.
Adjust pH down with acid – powder, liquid sulphuric or liquid hydrochloric. Be very careful
with acid as it can be harmful and corrosive.

Total Alkalinity (TA) – keep it between 80ppm and 120ppm

Total alkalinity is also known as carbonate hardness or TA for short. The recommended
level is between 80 and 120ppm.

TA is related to pH in that it stops the pH from varying quickly with small additions of acidic
or alkaline chemicals. When the TA is low it is almost impossible to control the pH.

To raise the TA, buffer (sodium bicarbonate) is added. This must be done slowly as buffer
will also cause the pH to rise. As an approximate rule every increase of 20ppm of TA will
also cause a 0.1 rise in pH. Once buffer is added it should be left to mix in the pool for a
few hours before reducing the pH.

Phosphates and Ammonia Nitrogen – both should be 0ppm

Phosphate and ammonia nitrogen will make your garden green – and they will do the same
thing to your pool. Check for phosphates and add phosphate remover if necessary. Don’t
let fertiliser get into your pool! Phosphates are also in some cleaning products – check the
label if using around your pool.

When Controlling a Salt Water Chlorinator

Follow the directions for the initial balance for your SWC unit – the difference is likely to
only be the addition of salt or minerals. Note that the CHEMFLO+ unit will turn the power to
the SWC unit on and off – the SWC unit must be capable of functioning in this manner and
should be set to manual operation only (not automatic).

Page 4

Basic Requirements – the Pool Owner

Your CHEMFLO+ maintains pool water biological safety by
controlling the pH and the ORP (sanitation level). It achieves this by
dosing the necessary chemicals into the pool in a controlled
manner. The chemical drums must be checked on a regular basis –
empty drums will lead to poor balance and incorrect operation.

To achieve water safety effectively and efficiently there are other
water balance factors that must be maintained by the pool owner.

The most important water balance factors are described on the
previous page.

Failure to maintain these aspects of pool water balance can lead to
poor water quality and incorrect/unusual operation of the
CHEMFLO+ unit.

In the case of incorrect or unusual operation the pool water must be
tested and any balance problems corrected. After this is done it may
also be necessary to clean the Probe – this is part of the unit
maintenance, see page 24.