The software version will be listed on the TechniChlor and ColorChlor next to the serial number label. To see what specific changes have been made to the particular unit you have refer to the ColorChlor pages at www.ControlOMatic.com. These changes may not be documented in the owner’s manual.

Software Version 1

Customer Request: Increased the light show time from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. The time off after the light show until chlorine generation will commence is also 15 minutes.

Customer Request: When used in very small SPA’s that are not used very often the ColorChlor makes too much chlorine even at the lowest power level. Turns out that when the ColorChlor is in an off cycle it checks to see if it has been removed from the water in order to start a light show, this checking was making more chlorine than we expected. The checking interval was 1 second and has been increased to 2.5 seconds. The on time was also decreased from 7.5 minutes to 2 minutes and the 1 minute minimum on time has been removed.

Few things are harder on your family than hard water. It’s hard on your clothes, your skin, and your hot tub.

What Makes Water Hard?
Hard water contains natural calcium and magnesium, the hardening minerals. Rain water begins as soft water, free of these minerals, but as it passes through and over the earth, it absorbs these minerals. While they aren’t harmful to your health, they do affect the water and how the water affects us.

Why Hard Water is Hard on your Spa?
Hard water can turn simple cleaning tasks into hard work. Tubs and fixtures will be covered with an unsightly film that turns into heavy deposits unless it is kept clean. These deposits can actually shorten the life of your spa by up to 35%.

Why Soft Water is Such an Advantage
Not only does soft water make your skin and suits feel good, it also saves money and time. You need less chlorine to keep soft water clean. You can say good-bye to annoying water scaling and scum as well as stubborn tub rings. Your pipes and filters remain stain- and clog-free, requiring less maintenance and repair.

How can I tell if my water is hard?
You may have hard water if your glasses and dishes are left with spots, or colored clothing looks dull. You can have your water tested by your water dealer or you may use a home water testing kit.

TechniChlor and ColorChlor manuals recommend a salt level of close to 3,000 ppm. The amount of salt required will depend greatly on the size of you tub in gallons. Most applications will require about 5 pounds, but please refer to the users guide instructions for the specific amount of salt for your particular tub.

These are simplified equations here.

• Cups of Salt = Spa Gallons * (3000 – Current Concentration) / 81,000
• Pounds of Salt = Spa Gallons * (3000 – Current Concentration) / 120,000

The current concentration can be found using the included test strips. It will take your tub some time to dissolve all the added salt. If the water is hot this should take 30 minutes to an hour. if the water is cold, it may take overnight.

It is always recommended you start the conversion to salt water chlorine generation with a complete flush, rinse and cleaning of your tub or spa to remove any contaminates and residual.

While your TechniChlor or ColorChlor is oxidizing bacteria and other reductants, the chlorine reverts back to chloride ions to maintain the salt concentration in the pool. Top-off salt needs to be added when fresh water is added to the pool due to water losses from splash out, pump outs or filter backwashing. In northern climates, pools are usually drained and “winterized” at the end of the swimming season and new salt is necessary when the pool is re-filled the following spring.

If your tub is used year-round, it is also recommended to drain and refill every six months.

Solar Evaporation methods produce the purest salt of the many different commercial salt mining and producing methods. It will produce 99.5% pure salt – and this is the recommended purity level for salt water chlorine generation. When buying salt for your pool or hot tun chlorinator, always look for Solar Evaporation with above 99% purity!

Solar Evaporation is the oldest method of salt production and still is the most environmentally friendly. It has been used since salt crystals were first noticed in trapped pools of sea water. Solar salt production is filling shallow ponds with saltwater where the sun evaporates most of the water. The salt is then gathered by mechanical harvesting machines. Any impurities that may be present are drained off and discarded prior to harvesting.

These salt ponds range from to 40 to 200 acres with a foot-thick floor of salt resulting from years of depositions. During operation salt water flows continuously through these ponds. This is called a saturated brine solution, containing as much salt as it can hold, so pure salt crystallizes out of the solution as the water evaporates. Natural chemical impurities are returned to the salt water source.