How does a swimming pool salt ionizer work?
A friend of mine has a “saltwater” swimming pool, it does not require the addition of any chlorine. Does anyone know how the chemistry of the ionizer works, ie how does it convert simple NaCl to hypochlorite? Is the chlorine level in this type of pool lower than a chlorinated pool? Is the level of Chlorine gas lower?
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- Pool FAQ – Salt Chlorination
Filed under: FAQ
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To start off with, chlorine is a salt. All that a salt water generator does is convert salt, by a form of electrolysis via a cell in the plumbing, into a low constant dose of chlorine gas that dissolves in the pool water to become sodium hypochlorite. The cell looks like the plates in a lead acid car battery. Water flows between the plates and an electric current passes between the plates. Gas forms on the plates and dissolves into the pool water return. Generally, yes, the chlorine is a little lower than in a traditionally chlorinated pool because it is constant dose. It doesn’t have the spikes in levels. Often there’s no need to even put the units into their 100% output or “shock” setting.
By chlorine gas, I’m assuming you mean chloramines given off after chlorine has oxidized an organic. Well, there’s no getting around that unless you go with a non chlorine sanitizer. That chlorine smell is actually chlorine after it’s done it’s job. The dirtier the pool organic wise, the greater the smell if chlorine is present.
Think about that next time you visit a public pool.
Salt water pools utilize a chlorine generator to make chlorine for sanitation. In order to adequately sanitize the water 1-3ppm of free chlorine needs to be present. This is the same amount required by a 100% chlorine pool. Many people think their salt water pools are devoid of chlorine, this is untrue. Some makers also companion salt systems with ozone (Delozone) and ionizer systems (Zodiac). The ozone companioned systems say to reduce the chlorine production to 1/2 normal, 1-3ppm. Some ionizer makers follow this recommendation.
100% ion systems are really flying in the face of conventional thinking since they say no chlorine is needed at all. Ion systems operate with copper, zinc and or silver electrodes that erode over time and place copper, silver and zinc into the water. Copper is an effective algaecide, silver functions similar to chlorine and zinc is there for some other purpose.
You’re welcome!!