ZODIAC LM installation Guide

LM Series

Professional Installation Manual

Owner’s Manual

& Warranty Information

Congratulations on your purchase of a Clearwater Chlorinator. You have made a wise decision and will
benefit from your Clearwater for many years to come. Please take a moment to read through the entire
manual before installing your new unit. Your chlorinator must be installed and operated as specified.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.
READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS.
SAVE ALL INSTRUCTIONS.

ELECTRICAL HAZARD

•To reduce risk of electrical shock

-Make sure all power to pool equipment area is off prior to any installation or removal of Clearwater
components.

- Replace damaged power pack cord immediately.

- Do not bury cord. Locate cord to minimize abuse from lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and other
equipment.

•Severe shock or injury will likely occur as a result of a drill or drill cord coming in contact with water.
Never allow electric drill or cord to come in contact with water. Only plug drill into a Class A (5
Milliampere Trip) protected Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) in accordance with the National
Electrical Code Section 680 (USA only). Please see your drill owner’s manual for further safety
precautions.

• Install the power pack at least 10 feet from the inside walls of a pool to prevent any possibility of the
unit coming in contact with water.

•Your Clearwater Chlorinator has been designed with an electronic flow switch. This device automatically
switches the chlorinator ‘OFF’ when the water through the cell stops.To prevent cell damage and
personal injury, do not in any way interfere with this system which has been designed for your
protection.

CHEMICAL USE HAZARD

•To avoid personal injury when working with pool chemicals, always wear rubber gloves and eye
protection and work in a well-ventilated area. Use caution when choosing a location to open and use
chemicals as they may damage any surface in which they come in contact.

• The addition of certain chemicals can reduce the effectiveness of chlorine. Always make sure that proper
residual chlorine levels are maintained to avoid personal injury.

• This product manufactures chlorine. Individuals with any type of chlorine sensitivity should take the
appropriate precautions to avoid injury or illness.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING

Failure to heed the following warnings can result in
permanent injury, electrocution or drowning.

!

2

3

• Chlorinator must be installed and operated as specified.

• Scratching or bending plates in cell housing can reduce cell life.

•Power to the LM2 should be turned off before unplugging the cell connectors to prevent cell damage and
low voltage sparks.

•Keep the cell terminals protected with a light coating of silicone grease to allow for a positive electric
connection. Use of any other type of grease may damage the terminal seals and ‘o’ rings. Do not
immerse these terminals in acid wash solution, and avoid accidental contact with salt water.

•Water above the temperature of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C) flowing through the cell can cause plastic
cell to discolor.

•Power pack must not be installed directly above any other heat source such as filter, pump or heater. It
must be at least 1 Ft. (300 mm) from the ground to allow free circulation of air around it. It must not
be installed in a closed box. If the power pack is to be installed on a post, then it must be centrally
positioned on a flat panel of suitable waterproof material at least 10 inches (240mm) wide and 18 inches
(440mm) high.

• Check the cell frequently to prevent the accumulation of pool debris that for any reason may have by­passed the pool filter.

CAUTION

Failure to heed the following warnings could cause
damage to pool equipment or personal injury.

!

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

EQUIPMENT WATER PRESSURE HAZARD

•Always turn pump off prior to installing or removing any Clearwater cell. Your pump/filter system is
operated under pressure and the pressure must be released before you begin work. Please see your
pump/filter owner’s manual for further instructions.

•To avoid cell damage, water pressure in the cell must not exceed 29 psi (200kPa)

PREVENT CHILD INJURY AND DROWNING

•To reduce the risk of injury, do not permit children to operate this product.

• Do not let anyone, especially small children, sit, step, lean, or climb on any equipment installed as part of
your pool’s operational system. Unless otherwise stated, ALL components of your pool's operational
system should be located at least 3 feet from the pool so children cannot use the equipment to gain
access and be injured or drown.

4

NOTES

5

Safety Instructions 2

Clearwater LM Series Product Specifications 6

Clearwater LM Installation (by qualified personnel only) 7

How Your Clearwater Chlorinator Works 10

Clearwater Model LM2 Operation 11

Control Panel Functions 12

Indicator Lights: What They Mean 14

Operating Tips 15

Salt: When And How To Add It 17

Salt Chart 18

Stabilizer Chart 19

Some Tips On Water Chemistry 20

Tr oubleshooting 22

Chlorinator Maintenance 27

Clearwater LM Series Limited Warranty 29

Clearwater LM Series Warranty Registration 31

Page No.

INDEX

6

CLEARWATER LM SERIES PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Salt Level: 4000 ppm

Maximum chlorine output/hour

(gas chlorine equivalent)

LM2-24:

24 grams/hour

LM2-40: 40 grams/hour

DuoClear: 15 grams/hour

Minimum Flow rate: 12 gallons/minute

Plumbing: 1 1/2" or 2" Schedule 40 PVC

Maximum water temperature

through the cell:

104 F

Maximum operating pressure: 29 psi

Maximum salt level: 13,000 ppm

Power requirements: 220 volt

2 amp draw

Dimensions

Cell:

8 1/4" x 3" x 3 1/4"

Power pack: 7 5/8" x 14 3/4" x 4 7/8"

Limited warranty

Cell:

3 years

Power pack: 3 years

Clearwater LM Series chlorinators should be

installed on residential pools only.

Salt level in your Clearwater pool should never exceed 13,000 ppm

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CLEARWATER LM INSTALLATION

Clearwater LM Installation

Clearwater saltwater chlorinators must be installed by a qualified swimming pool
professional or certified electrician. If you need assistance in finding a qualified installer

please contact our technical service department at 1-888-537-6657.

Installing the cell

The Clearwater cell MUST be installed horizontally, with the ports down, as the
last piece of pool equipment in line. (The design of the cell forms a natural gas trap. Even

though the LM unit has an internal flow sensor, this installation provides a secondary safety
feature to prevent gas build-up within the system.) There are no height restrictions or
requirements. The cell should be installed within 6’ of the power pack. Unions and adaptors
are provided. Water can flow in either direction without affecting performance. 11/2" or 2"
sch 40 rigid PVC is required. Any standard PVC cement may be used. Allow adequate drying
time before turning on the chlorinator.

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Flooded Plumbing Installation

This occurs when the water level of the pool is above the height of the pool equipment. Some
pool systems may have valves that will isolate the equipment. If not, one ball valve should be
installed on the inlet side of the cell and a one-way check valve should be installed on the
outlet side of the cell.This will eliminate the possibility of having a gas build-up and possible
cell damage.

Multiple Installations

If conditions require multiple installations the LM series chlorinator may be plumbed in either
series or parallel providing that the header or manifold is balanced, providing equal flow to
each chlorinator.

Installing the Power Pack

The Power Pack can be mounted on a wall or a post. If mounting the Power Pack on a post, it
must be centered on a flat panel of waterproof material at least 9.5" x 17.5". Use the
template provided to position the anchors & mounting screws. Do not enclose the Power
Pack in any box. Do not install it above any heat source. Install the Power Pack a minimum of
3 feet from the pool edge. See your local building codes for requirements.

The Power Pack is hard-wired to 220V ONLY. It should be wired to the "LOAD" side of the
pump timer or the pump circuit of a controller, so that the Clearwater chlorinator comes on
only when the pump comes on. Connect the black & red output cables to either electrode on
the cell. Connect the blue sensor clip to the post.

9

Salt

Always test the salt level before adding salt. Refer to page 18 & 19 for instructions on
adding salt.

Safety Test

After installing the Clearwater chlorinator the following safety test MUST be performed.
Turn on the pool pump and the chlorinator. Adjust the chlorine output to maximum.
Disconnect the blue sensor clip from the terminal pin at the end of the cell. The RED "no
flow" light should be illuminated and the output lights should drop to the minimum, showing a
yellow light only. If this happens, the flow sensor is operating properly. Reconnect the blue
flow sensor clip to resume normal operation. Do not operate the unit if it fails this test.
Contact Zodiac at 1-888-537-6657 for instructions.

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HOW YOUR CLEARWATER CHLORINATOR WORKS

How your Clearwater
Chlorinator Works

Common salt (sodium chloride) is made up of two elements, sodium and chloride.When your
Clearwater LM2 is installed, a measured quantity of salt is dissolved in the pool water to make
it slightly salty. As part of the daily filtration cycle, the pool water is passed through the
Clearwater electrolysis cell to produce chlorine which is dissolved instantly into the water.
Your Clearwater LM2 also produces ozone in the cell as a by-product.

In simple, non-technical terms, the chlorine instantly starts to destroy bacteria, viruses and
algae, and in doing this reverts to dissolved salt.This cycle continues with more new chlorine
being produced from the salt water in the electrolysis cell, sanitizing the pool, and changing
once more back to dissolved salt.

Everyday, when the Clearwater unit and the filtration system are switched on, dust and
debris are trapped by the filter and the Clearwater sanitizes the water to make if safe
and sparkling clean.

Important.

To ensure your LM2 works at maximum efficiency, regularly check and maintain the chemistry
of your pool.

Preferred Water Chemistry Readings

Salt concentration 4,000 ppm

pH 7.2 to 7.6

Chlorine stabilizer (Cyanuric acid) 40 to 100 ppm

depending on regional climate

Total alkalinity 80 to 120 ppm

Total hardness 200 to 400 ppm

Free chlorine 1 to 3 ppm