Revive!® Technical Assistance
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General Questions
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What is Revive!®?
Revive!® is a multi-action product that removes phosphates (algae food), metals including copper and iron, scaling carbonates, organic debris and other contaminants that cause cloudy water and stain pool surfaces. Its fast-acting formula quickly clears the water without the need to pre-balance or pre-treat the pool.
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Why is Revive!® better than other products?
Revive!® clears pool water fast and easy! Other products can take several days to work, require special balancing and can cloud water and clog the filter. Revive!® does not require any pre-balancing, is compatible with all pool chemicals and will not cloud water or clog your filter. Revive!®’s “silt technology” even allows fast vacuuming of severe cleanups without dusting or clouding the water. Revive!® does the work of several products by simultaneously removing phosphates, metals, scaling carbonates, and organic debris in one easy application.
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How is Revive!® packaged?
Revive!® is conveniently packaged in a 32 oz. ergonomic bottle with a hose-end sprayer top designed for even distribution over your entire pool. Also, available in a 1-gallon service size.
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What is Revive!®?
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Usage Questions
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Can Revive!® be used to close pools?
Revive!® can be used during the winterizing process but not as a winterizer alone. There are a lot of dealers that use Revive!®, chlorine, and a little algaecide as the closing chemicals. Revive!® will remove the phosphates and metals/minerals so this is a much more effective closing chemical than what other kits contain. It can also be added with the chlorine, so service companies like this feature. When you use Revive!® in this way, you don’t need the whole bottle unless the pool water is in very poor condition. If this is the case, then you should vacuum up the sediment where possible, prior to the actual closing. Otherwise, two sprays over the top of the pool will be enough. However, if you only want to use one product to close your pool, try our product E-Z POOL®! APi’s concentrated E-Z POOL® blend not only provides a trouble-free summer program, but it’s great for winterizing too! Simply add the recommended dosage of E-Z POOL® (see charts below), circulate for 30 minutes and then proceed with normal closing procedures. That’s it! No expensive kits to buy or balancing agent supplements – everything you need is in the bucket! And just like its weekly regimen, the E-Z POOL® winterizing program calls for a single application prior to pool closing. No pre-treating or other chemicals needed – just add E-Z POOL® to oxidize contaminants, prevent algae, and control stain and scale through the winter season. It’s THAT E-Z! The best part is, this program is not exclusive to E-Z POOL® users; winterizing with E-Z POOL® is also suitable for pools maintained with traditional chlorine and even salt water! And pools that are closed with E-Z POOL® typically open faster, cleaner, and clearer, allowing users to swim in their pool sooner than with traditional methods. So if pool owners aren’t already on E-Z POOL®, this is a great way to introduce them to it!
In-Ground Pools
POOL SIZE ESTIMATED GALLONS WINTERIZING DOSAGE 12 x 24 Rect. 8100 gal. 5 scoops 14 x 26 Rect. 10250 gal. 8 scoops 16 x 32 Rect. 18350 gal. 10 scoops 18 x 36 Rect. 22400 gal. 13 scoops 20 x 40 Rect. 28800 gal. 15 scoops 17 x 35 Oval 19500 gal. 13 scoops 21 x 41 Oval 27800 gal. 15 scoops Above Ground Pools
POOL SIZE ESTIMATED GALLONS WINTERIZING DOSAGE 15 ft. Round 5738 gal. 5 scoops 18 ft. Round 8232 gal. 5 scoops 21 ft. Round 12214 gal. 8 scoops 24 ft. Round 14650 gal. 10 scoops 27 ft. Round 18559 gal. 10 scoops 30 ft. Round 21000 gal. 13 scoops 33 ft. Round 25600 gal. 15 scoops 15 x 30 Oval 13029 gal. 8 scoops 18 x 33 Oval 16866 gal. 10 scoops -
How soon can you get back in the water after using Revive!®?
It depends on what you are using it for, if you are using Revive!® for routine maintenance, then you will be leaving the pump running to filter out particles and debris and you can swim while Revive!® works. But do not apply Revive!® while people are in the pool and just to be safe wait at least 30 minutes after application to allow Revive!® to clean up phosphate build-up, severe algae, metals, or scaling… then it’s best if you do not swim in the pool because the water must remain still. You will need to shut off the circulation pump and filter for at least 24-48 hours to allow everything to drop to the bottom for vacuum removal.
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After attaching the garden house, how do I get the button from off to on? It won’t go over the “water” position.
To get the valve to turn passed the “water” position to on, you will need to bend back the tab on the right side of the valve with one hand, while you turn the valve with the other.
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Can Revive!® be used to close pools?
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Cleanup Questions
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Does the Revive!® product help clean up mud that slide into pool?
Yes it will help. We’ve used it for this exact purpose in the past. Use a double dose or more as needed.
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Does the Revive!® product help remove TDS?
Revive!® removes phosphates, metals, minerals, organic debris, and carbonates, all of which are counted as TDS (Total Dissolved Solids).
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I am having a difficult time with phosphates in my pool. I just treated with Revive!® and expect to vacuum to waste tomorrow. I have tried other products with no help and expect to not be able to vacuum everything the first time. Should I expect the pool to settle again after I vacuum or should I retreat with Revive!® immediately?
In the spring time when water temps are cooler, please allow up to 3 days for Revive to drop out debris. It could drop sooner but just be aware. When having problems with high levels of phosphates you can double dose your pool with Revive!® all at one time for best results. The product will drop all debris to bottom and any debris not vacuumed out will resettle within 24hrs.
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Why is my pool a “mellow yellow” color after shocking? And what should I do?
This is caused by phosphate levels being so high that the chlorine/shock is blocked from killing the algae. Solution: Double dose of Revive!®.
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When using Revive!® for cleanup, how long after do I wait to resume swimming?
Revive!® works by dropping suspended particles out of the water molecules into a sediment at the bottom of the pool, it has the best opportunity to work by not being disturbed for 24-30 hours. “Disturbed” means things like running the pump or swimming. You can still do either or both, BUT then the water has to become still again for the process to start over which then will prolong the recovery (particle drop) time. Yes, you can swim after treating with Revive!® but we recommend staying out of the pool until the sediment has been vacuumed up.
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We put the bottle of Revive!® in the pool last night and by this morning, everything had dropped to the bottom of the pool. Once I vacuum everything up, is it advised to swim in the pool and use the pump? Or am I “wasting” the product by not giving it the full 24 hrs to work? Will the product continue to work even if the pool is stirred up and the pump is running?
Every pool has unique “DNA” so if the debris has dropped to the bottom and your water is clear, simply vacuum and enjoy the pool! Revive!® will continue to work with your pool’s filter system to keep your water clear.
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After using Revive!®, can we use our automatic (robot) vacuum to clean up the debris that drops to the pool floor?
It’s best to use a manual vacuum because it is much faster than an automatic (robot) and you don’t have to keep checking and cleaning filter cartridge. Plus it’s best to work slowly in a uniform motion with a manual vacuum, so you don’t stir things up. Robot vacuums tend to zig-zag and can cause cloudiness.
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Does the Revive!® product help clean up mud that slide into pool?
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Maintenance Questions
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I have just started using E-Z POOL® for the first time this year. I opened with Revive!® and balanced everything and put my first E-Z POOL® in this past Sunday. But my pool always has high phosphates. I wondered what product I should use as a weekly preventative for phosphates? Revive!®, Phos Free, Phos Free + Pool Perfect?? Or will E-Z POOL® take care of the phosphates and I don’t need anything else?
We do recommend having your water tested by your authorized E-Z POOL® dealer monthly and also have them test for phosphates at that time. If you find elevated levels, we recommend treating your pool with Revive!® by applying the maintenance dose for phosphate control. Just attach the hose-end sprayer and coat the pool surface twice on a weekly basis (about 4 oz or 1/8 of the bottle) and allow the filtration system to remove the phosphates.
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If I am using Revive!® for a maintenance program in my pool, can I use my automatic robot to vacuum the pool after revive has been sprayed without hurting my robot cleaner?
After a maintenance dose of Revive!® you can treat the pool as normal, using an automatic pool cleaner and swimming too!
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When using Revive!® for maintenance, how long after do I wait to resume swimming?
There is no wait time to swim. Just do not apply Revive!® while swimmers are in the pool.
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I have just started using E-Z POOL® for the first time this year. I opened with Revive!® and balanced everything and put my first E-Z POOL® in this past Sunday. But my pool always has high phosphates. I wondered what product I should use as a weekly preventative for phosphates? Revive!®, Phos Free, Phos Free + Pool Perfect?? Or will E-Z POOL® take care of the phosphates and I don’t need anything else?
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Troubleshooting Questions
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We are pilot testing Revive!® this year and are having great results. However my customers with cartridge type filters are experiencing frequently high pressures and unusually high filter washings. Is there a fix for this?
This can happen if you use too much Revive!® or if you don’t let it settle for a long enough period of time. Revive!® will do most of its cleaning within 24-36 hours, but will continue cleaning the water column for up to a week, depending on how much debris was captured during the initial cleaning period. If you want to expedite the filter cleaning process, chemically clean the filter element if it continues to register high pressure, however this usually doesn’t need to be done.
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Used 2 bottles of Revive!® in my 14,000 Gallon pool to remove phosphates and still showing 1000 ppb. Water was clear, but I can`t get a free chlorine reading in my pool.
This is caused by chlorine demand. Revive!® will remove 2000ppb per treatment in 24k gallons so that means that your phosphate level was much higher than 1000ppb, which is the top-line reading for a lot of test kits. Chlorine demand can be caused by more than just high phosphates; elevated nitrates, TDS, stabilizer, or pH (and more) can also cause it. Nitrates, TDS, and stabilizer levels may require draining of the pool (full or partial. Discuss this with your local pool store personnel and be sure to ask them for a nitrate test next time you are in for testing.
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Will too much Revive!® leave some residual amounts in the water that result in “cloudiness”? My sand filter does not seem able to filter really small particles, leaving the water cloudy. After vacuum and refill, it seems to cloud up again in days.
Regarding your sand filter, you can purchase a filter aide or aid? which will allow your sand filter the ability to filter out small particles. The process takes about 36-48 hrs. Then your pool will be back to crystal clear. Normally Revive!® will filter and not leave any cloudy water. But there can be some situations where the filter aide or aid? might be needed.
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I treated a green pool with Revive!® to clear it up and a weird thing happened. The next day there was a white film on top of the water and a lot of debris was stuck in it. Any ideas? I used 9 bags of shock – balanced water – put in one bottle of pool perfect – turned the pump off and sprayed bottle of Revive!® over pool.
The white film is probably from shock and Pool Perfect at the same time. Run the pump, isolate the skimmer for a day (net off the top as best as possible, if possible), then open main drain and run as usual for another 48 hours. Once the chlorine is under 5ppm, adding some Pool Perfect will help, but Revive!® will solve the issue with the skimmer and also the main drain.
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I used Revive!® last year and had no trouble at all. This year I shocked my pool then used Revive!® and vacuumed after 3 days and no problem. But 7 days later I shocked my pool again in the evening and the next morning my pool was green.
Most likely due to high pH, rain, accidental fertilizer exposure, lack of effective sanitizer, or heater degradation causing oxidized copper has nothing to do with Revive!®. You should get water sample tested.
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I have a pool that I am treating with Revive!®. My customer has turned the pump on and ran it and they have been swimming in the pool. I have not been able to vacuum the pool because of these reasons. My question is: How long does it hold in the water? Do I need to retreat or what?
Once Revive!® has captured debris it is captured; the problem is that by swimmers stir up debris. If they stay out of the pool, with the pump off, for 24-36 hours, all of the debris will settle for vacuuming. If not, it will take 4-7 days for the filter to filter it out. If it has been longer than a week, you should turn the pump off and retreat.
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I used Revive!® on our 20 x 40ft pool to try and clear up the water and remove the algae and phosphates. It did not act as we thought it would. It did help clean it up but now we get a foam on the surface that has to be skimmed off. And anytime we add shock it immediately seems to agglomerate and float to the surface. Running the skimmer seems to pull it through the filter and get rid of it but it comes back the next day. Does Revive affect surface tension or is it a foaming agent?
Let me start out by addressing the surface tension issue. Revive!® works by dropping through the water column and cleaning the water molecule of phosphates, metals, carbonates, and organics. But if the surface tension is too high then Revive!® cannot break through to do its job. High surface tension in pool water is usually caused by high pH (>8.0), unusually high total alkalinity (>225-250ppm), or the use of liquid solar blankets (which utilize isopropyl alcohol to raise surface tension which inhibits evaporation thus retaining heat collected through the day overnight). Any of these issues can cause Revive!® to sit on top of the water rather than traveling through the water column. The other reason Revive!® typically doesn’t work is when a pool is having an unusually high chlorine reading (>25ppm which is kind of hard to do). When the surface tension is high or in the event of having foam, we have found that isolating the main drain helps greatly. This can be done by closing off the valve to the skimmer so that only the drain at the bottom of the pool is supplying the pump. This creates a pull from the pool bottom that will help the Revive!® break the surface tension. The other ways to help it along are to use a maintenance dose of Algaecide 50 or a typical clarifier (usually a couple oz per 10k gallons). You can also use a high pressure nozzle on the end of a garden hose (the Revive!® bottle sprayer can work too) to spray the top of the water enough to see it make ripples in the water surface. There is a possibility that you have certain organic contaminants that cause the foam when being treated with shock (mostly dichlor powder shock) or Revive!®, when this happens switching shock to a calhypo based or liquid chlorine shock will eventually kill the organics and inhibit the foam from continuing. Just a few more observations:
1) Revive works great but it is finite. You can’t overdose with it, a 32oz bottle treats 24k gallons but it can only take out so much of the “junk” in the water molecule.
2) Revive encapsulates the contaminants so that back washing the sediment out of your filter should be relatively easy.
3) If you do not have a main drain, you can make one by hooking up your manual vacuum, placing it as close to the middle of your pool as possible, and then flipping it over, this will provide a makeshift main drain, just keep your pool running for 24-48 hours and monitor your pressure gauge, if it gets 10psi higher (or thereabouts) then backwash the filter.
4) Revive doesn’t kill algae but it will drop dead algae. If your pool still has algae in it, do a traditional shock (1# or 1 gallon of shock per 10k gallons) and this will help get rid of it. -
When Revive!® “doesn’t” work:
Revive!® does not dissipate, so, in other words, Revive!® does not “not work”. There are times, infrequent times, where the atomic weight of the particles Revive!® is trying to remove is not heavy enough to drop to the bottom of the pool. This happens in less than 1% of treated pools. That does not mean that Revive!® didn’t work to remove the particulate, it means that Revive!® couldn’t drop the particulate it removed because of the particulates’ weight. When this happens, the instructions change a little; from “let the particulate settle and then vacuum to waste” to “run the filter non-stop for 48-72 hours concentrating on pulling water from the bottom of the pool, via main drain, automatic pool cleaner, or manual vac head turned upside down.” This will achieve the same results, but it will just take a little longer. Remember that we sell thousands of bottles of Revive!®. We only hear of the ones that do not work, which isn’t very many and most can be explained logically; didn’t use enough Revive!® (the most popular one), total alkalinity was over 250pppm, chlorine was over 25ppm, pool was too dirty (i.e. bottom covered with leaves, a swamp, dead rodents, etc), the particulate wasn’t heavy enough to drop, unrealistic expectations, pool was worse than they realized, etc.
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I used Revive!® in my very cloudy pool 24 hours ago. Today, the water is clear, but the top is covered in a lacelike pattern of microscopic particles that are yellowish and sticking together. If disturbed, the separate and suspend in the water. Do I need to wait another 24 hrs or what?
Nothing to be concerned with, Revive!® is performing properly. At this point we recommend vacuuming your pool, skim the surface and start running the pool filter. Any remaining debris will be filtered out of the water.
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I used a full bottle of Revive!® on a 12,000 gallon pool. It has been 24 hours and the water is still sea-foam green and cloudy, basically how it started. Should I be seeing a difference yet?
If your pool has algae, you need to shock first with chlorine to kill the algae. After shocking, apply Revive!® to drop the algae to the bottom for vacuum removal. Also, depending on the severity of algae you may need to use a high dosage of Revive!®
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I used Revive!® about 24 hrs ago and it has not settled to the bottom, it is floating on top . Is this normal? If so what do I need to do to remove it?
If the pool has algae, it must be shocked first with chlorine shock to kill the algae. Living algae will coagulate and can collect on the surface and continue to float and grow. We suggest you skim the surface then shock the pool. If you are treating for cloudy water or other suspended debris in the pool and it’s collecting on the surface (this can occur and is normal), you can spray the surface with a garden hose to break the surface tension and Revive!® will draw debris to the pool bottom for vacuum removal. We also recommend having your water tested by your local dealer.
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Customer has 28’ above ground swamp that they attempted Revive!® on. They had chlorine level of 6 prior to applying Revive!®. Shut the pool off for 12 hrs and then restarted. Customer is saying the product did not work. Did they not leave the system off long enough? Or did they not apply enough Revive!®.
Both, they did not leave the system off long enough and they did not apply enough Revive!®. Please have the customer super-chlorinate to kill existing algae. Live algae may not drop to pool bottom. Revive works best when the pump is off for 24 hours or up to 36 hours when the pool is a ‘swamp’.
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We are pilot testing Revive!® this year and are having great results. However my customers with cartridge type filters are experiencing frequently high pressures and unusually high filter washings. Is there a fix for this?
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Safety Questions
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Is Revive!® a completely natural product or is there any poisons / toxic substances in it. Not to say I would ever drink it, but some customers are inquiring whether or not it could hurt their kids since there are no warning labels.
Revive!® is made from naturally occurring products but just because it contains natural ingredients doesn’t mean it’s necessarily safe. In Revive!®’s case, the only detrimental part of it is that the pH is in the 4’s (about the same as Coca Cola) but you don’t want to drink it! Other than that, as long as you don’t spray it on anyone it is fine, that’s why there are no warning labels, it isn’t really that bad. It doesn’t hurt the pool, the deck, the foliage or grass, or even the dog that drinks out of the pool.
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Is Revive!® a completely natural product or is there any poisons / toxic substances in it. Not to say I would ever drink it, but some customers are inquiring whether or not it could hurt their kids since there are no warning labels.
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Miscellaneous Questions
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Can a smaller dosage of Revive!® be used instead of EZ SPA® Start ? If so, how would I compute the amount for say a 500 gallon spa?
Due to the high concentration blend of Revive!®, it’s not formulated for use in hot tubs. EZ SPA® Start is essential to the EZ SPA® program to ensure success on start ups. Each 8oz bottle treats 800 gallons.
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I use a chlorine generator, do I need to turn it off before using Revive!® for maintenance dosing? Will it harm my generator if left on after spraying?
Revive!® will not harm your chlorine generator and there is no need to turn it off when using Revive!®
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Should I add Revive!® while it’s raining? Started the process by adding pH decreaser yesterday. Along with shock was suppose to add Revive!® today. But woke up to pouring rain. What should I do?
Revive!® is not affected by rain, however, it would be prudent to wait until rain storm has passed prior to adding in Revive!®. Rain will dilute any chemicals added to pool water making them less effective.
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Can a smaller dosage of Revive!® be used instead of EZ SPA® Start ? If so, how would I compute the amount for say a 500 gallon spa?