Blanket Weed Controllers

Blanket Weed FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Q          How soon will I experience benefits ?
A          The unit will immediately treat the water and affect the growth of Spirogyra (blanket weed). In a new pond the system will immediately inhibit the development of blanket weed, keeping not just the pond clear, but the unseen pipes, pumps and filters etc. In an established pond with a Blanket Weed problem, there may be a phase where weed underwater makes its way to the surface and may even look worse, however there should be no further weed growing below and the pond will be getting healthier. You need to ensure that the associated pump and filter allow good circulation of the treated water, and are not already choked by weed.
The sooner a weed controller is installed, the sooner the situation is recovered.

Q          Which pond weed controller is best for me ?
A          The ECO was designed for smaller ponds up to 5000 gallons (22730 lt), above that size the ECO + is ideal up to 10000 gallons (45460 lt). Note that it does not matter if the weed controller is more powerful than necessary, it will cause no harm. The larger size model is suitable for larger pipes and faster water flow rates. If too small a unit is selected, it may reduce weed growth but will not be optimum for removing it.

Q          Where must it be installed ?
A          It would normally be fitted between the pump and filter where the pipe-work is most accessible, although it would be effective anywhere around the circulating loop. The antenna must be wrapped around the pipe, and the electronic unit mounted close-by.

Q          Can I install it myself ?
A          It is a quick and simple D.I.Y job. There is no plumbing to do, the system fits around and next to the existing pipe(s), and comes with an attached power supply cable. It should be wired to the regular electricity supply by a competent/qualified electrician (depending on local regulations).

Q          Does it require chemicals or other items to be bought over time ?
A          No, nothing further is required after fitting and switching on, other than electricity.

Q          Is the treated water healthy ?
A          Yes. The conditioning only affects the structure of the calcium content, which destabilises the growth of algae (Blanket Weed). The desirable nutrient and oxygen content is not diminished, in fact the treatment is virtually identical to that used for treating limescale damage in domestic water supplies in “hard water” areas, and which is perfectly safe to drink. The pH is also unaffected.

Q          Does it harm fish or aquatic plants ?
A          No. It only affects the quite different growth mechanism of “Blanket Weed”, which is actually a type of algae, while desired pond life including aquatic plants and fish are unaffected.

Q          How do I know if it is working ?
A          The unit is computerised and monitors its output current to ensure that the entire system is working correctly. If there was a broken connection in a pipe antenna, for example, the unit will clearly indicate (visual display) the fault.

Q          Is the product safe ?
A          Yes. As long as it is installed correctly, it complies with the required safety standards. The water system needs no modification at all, so there is no danger of creating water leaks. The water conditioner output signals are safe low voltages, and the stray magnetic field is safe to humans and animals.

Q          What does it get power from ?
A          The system draws power from a regular power supply. Check that you get the correct version for 230 (220/240) or 115 (110/120) volts ac (50/60Hz). Power consumption is very small indeed, about 3 watts, comparable with an alarm clock or video product on stand-by.

Q          What type of pipes will it work on ?
A          Both regular copper and all types of plastic are effective.   Pipe diameters up to 25mm are accommodated. It will also work in iron or lead systems, but a length of copper or plastic pipe should be arranged for the antenna section. It works equally in any orientation, horizontal or vertical, and either direction of flow. For pipes up to 50mm use the ECO +, please note, multiple control units can be added for an optimum condition.

Q          Why do we get blanket weed ?
A          Blanket weed is natures way of balancing your water system, it grows because your water contains excess nutrients either from fish waste or fertilisers which the blank weed utilises as a food source.

Q          Should I pull blanket weed out ?
A           The worst thing you can do is pull the blanket weed out, the act of pulling releases millions of blanket weed spores which will germinate and two weeks later the problem will be much worse than it was.  Use Eco or Eco + units to remove the blanket weed and algae spores and simply scoop out the dead blanket weed with a net.

Q          Can it interact with any other equipment ?
A          No, there are no disadvantages, it will work in any pond system without incompatibility.

Q          How long will it last ?
A          There are no moving parts, and no chemical processes involved, because it is purely electronic with nothing to wear out; so it should last as long as any regular electronic product. As it requires no attention after switching on, you can just forget about it.

Q          How long have you been making water conditioning systems ?
A          We have been successfully manufacturing and supplying electronic water conditioning systems continually since 2001.