Congratulations on buying and trying Jolly Gel - you will be so glad you did!
Jolly Gel clarifies the water to camera-ready standards!
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And remind yourself of what it will do for your pool and your pocket
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Jolly Gel is formulated for sand-filters filled with Silex (sand), glass media or zeolite.
It is not suitable for paper filter cartridges or DE filters.
For paper filters (cartridges) use Jolly Gel Spa, which can be placed in the pump or skimmer basket.
Jolly Gel removes suspended particles 5 times smaller than sand (or glass) can alone.
It works in a totally different way to other clarifiers by placing a glutinous, porous membrane over and between the grains of filter media.
The membrane catches particles on contact and holds them 'prisoner' until the next back-wash. The membrane, and everything that it has caught, is flushed away during a regular back-wash.
Jolly Gel cleans the water so perfectly that it becomes almost invisible!
And it saves much more money than it costs . . .
How?
1. By reducing back-washing
Jolly Gel gets the water so clean there is nothing left for the filter to catch, and back-washing can be reduced to every 3 - 6 weeks instead of weekly, producing a big saving in water bills. Costly chemicals and heat are also lost during back-washing. When the pool is topped up from mains supply the pool temperature drops - so the pool heater has to run for longer to compensate.
Approx. annual saving of 10,500 US Gallons (40m³) of water in an average 50m³ private pool.
2. By removing Phosphates (algae food)
Jolly Gel strips phosphates from the water. Without food algae cannot grow, so less sanitiser is needed and chemical bills are reduced.
3. By extending equipment life
Here's where we get a little technical but please read on and all will be explained . . .
Jolly Gel works in a totally different way to other pool clarifiers.
Unlike other clarifiers it is not dosed into the pool - it goes in the pump strainer basket (NOT IN THE SKIMMER).
Circulating water dissolves the gel, which then fills the spaces between the grains of filter media to increase filter efficiency, removes the tiniest suspended particles and DOUBLES the life of the media.
Jolly Gel stays in the filter, working its' magic, and does not get out into the pool-water.
Sand-filters are normally filled with a very special type of sand called Silex - produced by crushing silicate rock.
Most of the world's sand is more-or-less round because it has been knocked about in water, causing the rough edges to be broken off. Think about pebbles on a beach or in a river - they are all pretty much rounded. No matter how tightly the pebbles are packed together there are big gaps between them.
'Round' sand is totally useless in a sand-filter, but Silex is NOT rounded - its grains have flat faces and sharp angles.
Now imagine 2 grains of Silex, glass media pressed tightly together in your filter. It's the size of the tiny gap between the grains that determines how small a particle can be physically trapped there.
New Silex will filter to around 15 microns (15 millionths of a metre). When the little gaps between the grains become plugged up with trapped particles, filter pressure increases and the amount of water being returned to the pool at the Jets is reduced. At this point the filter must be back-washed.
Back-washing damages the filter media
During a back-wash the water flow is reversed through the filter and the filter bed is 'fluidised': - the media is now in really turbulent water and the grains smash into each other, just like on a beach.
The result is that microscopic particles are chipped off the grains. These micro-particles are much too small to be caught in a sand-filter - they're even too small to sink to the floor of the pool!
They are constantly recirculated around the pool and, as they pass through the sand-filter, they erode the sand because they are exactly as hard as the material they were chipped-off from.
After 3 years or so the erosion is so bad that all the sharp edges are worn away, all the flat faces become pitted and the sand becomes rounded. The filter is no longer capable of keeping the water clean; so the media must be changed. This costs anything from €350 upwards, depending on the size of the filter.
When Jolly Gel is used the abrasive particles of filter media are caught in the glutinous membrane on contact, and flushed to the drains during a normal back-wash.
The result is that there is now absolutely nothing left in the water for the filter to catch and therefore back-washing can be reduced to every 3 - 6 weeks instead of weekly.
Less frequent back-washing dramatically reduces wear-and-tear on the filter media - giving it at least DOUBLE the life, and often much longer.
NOTE: if you have glass media either get rid of it or immediately start using Jolly Gel. The microscopic chips of glass can enter the eyes and cause permanent damage, but Jolly Gel will catch them!
3a Do you have a salt pool? You can use Jolly Gel!
The abrasive micro-particles of filter-media also erode the coating of Ruthenium, Tantalum and Iridium on the plates of a salt-water chlorinator cell (replacement plates cost €700 and upwards!), the platinum tip of a pH probe (replacement cost €80 to €150), etc.
Removing micro-particles of filter media with Jolly Gel will greatly extend the life of these items and much other pool equipment.
You'll be pleasantly surprised at just how effective Jolly Gel is!
How to use Jolly Gel
Remove the plastic bag and place the first cube of Jolly Gel in the pump strainer basket.
Note:- It does not matter if the cube has dehydrated and shrunk - it will re-hydrate with no loss of performance.
Run the filter for 24 hours, continuously if possible.
Backwash and rinse the filter, then return to your normal filtration timings.
That's it - you're done!
Note: - It is only necessary to run the pump for 24 hours the first time Jolly Gel is used. Subsequent applications do not require this unless the pool has been allowed to get cloudy.
Apply a new cube every 3 weeks for a permanently transparent pool.
How can I find out if I have these 'invisible' micro-particles in my pool?
Wait until it's dark and then turn the pool lights on - if you can see a 'fan' of light - you have them. (And they're costing you money!)
Now use Jolly Gel for 24 hours and try again - you will not see a fan of light because all the particles will be GONE. Locked away in the Jolly Gel membrane inside the filter! They'll stay there until you next back-wash.
Your equipment will be starting out on its extended life, saving much more money than the cost of the Jolly Gel!
Do not freeze Jolly Gel and protect it from frost.
Spanish Homologation Number: 12-70-4627
If your pool is often cloudy it is probable that the filter media needs to be changed - but Jolly Gel will give your sand-filter an extra lease of life!
Important Note
When using Jolly Gel for the first time, it is important to monitor the pressure reading within the first six hours, or dependent on the filter cycle.
The reason for this is that Jolly Gel collects suspended particles much faster than any other flocculent.
Be aware that the filter pressure will rise faster than normal and it may need to be back-washed sooner than normal.
When the water has been thoroughly cleansed by Jolly Gel, the normal filtration routine can be resumed.
Note:- Jolly Gel is not suitable for DE or cartridge filters.
FAQ's
I put a cube of Jolly Gel in the pump strainer basket and it’s still there after 48 hours?
There could be three reasons why the Jolly Gel cube is still in the basket:
1 - You have not run the pump for 24 hours.
2 - The water temperature is below 26C (78F) – if this is the case the cube will dissolve more slowly.
3 - You forgot to remove the cube from the little plastic bag . . . . . .
The Jolly Gel cube has gone hard – is this a problem?
Jolly Gel cubes dehydrate and harden over time, particularly so if it has been stored in high ambient temperatures. The cube going hard is not a problem. Once immersed in water it will return to its original shape and size and will perform perfectly.
How many cubes should I use?
You only need to use one cube, placed in the pump basket (not in the skimmer). One cube will service up to 60m³ (15,850 US gallons) of water for three weeks.
How often do I need to use Jolly Gel?
Continuous use (one cube every 3 weeks) will ensure that the pool is always completely transparent and maximize the extended life of the filter and other pool equipment. Remember that it is not necessary to use Jolly Gel when the pool is closed for winter, so 2 packs a year are often sufficient for most private pools.
Can I put the cube in the skimmer basket?
It is not advisable to put Jolly Gel in the skimmer basket. The skimmer basket collects general debris (e.g. leaves, insects). Jolly Gel is a glutinous substance, so leaves and general debris will stick to it. The recommendation is to place the cube only in the pump strainer basket.
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