Everything you need to know about Chlorinators
Do you remember jumping in the pool as a kid and having the water irritate your nose? Or how the pool at school always had that weird chemical smell? That's because 99% of pools in SA are cleaned through chemical chlorination.
So, what’s wrong with chemical chlorination?
The problem is, sanitizing your pool with chlorine and other chemicals can not only be complicated, costly and time-consuming, but potentially hazardous if done incorrectly. There's a simpler way - it's called a saltwater chlorinator. In this article we’ll explain how it works, the type of pool it’s suitable for, some of the advantages and some things to be aware of before you make the leap to a saltwater chlorinated pool.
How does a Chlorinator Work?
A saltwater chlorinator uses a process called electrolysis to convert high purity salt into chlorine, which then sanitizes your pool water. This significantly reduces the amount and variety of chemicals you need to use in your pool which is why many people have started using them to maintain their pool water quality.
How do you convert an existing pool to a Saltwater Pool?
To get things going you’ll need to add salt to the water in your pool, roughly 3000-4000 part per million, this may sound like a lot but the average teardrop has a higher salt content. Once a chlorinator is installed and the salt has been added, the science can happen. Using electrolysis the generator converts the salt in your pool into two different chemicals; chlorine and sodium hydroxide. The chlorine gets to work by disinfecting the water of algae and bacteria, and the sodium hydroxide works by lowering the pH level of your water. Once the chlorine has done its job, both chemicals reform to once again become salt, ready to be used again. All of this takes place inside your filtration system.
How long does a chlorinator last and how much does it cost to operate?
Depending on the quality of the Chlorinator you buy, and with proper care and maintenance, a saltwater Chlorinator should last from 4 to 9 years. Certain factors, like cleaning the salt cell too often, how long the cell is left in the cleaning solution, and some other factors could shorten its lifespan, but if you follow the manufacturer’s best practices or ask us for some advice you’ll easily get the max lifespan (if not more) from your saltwater chlorinator. Personally, we always recommend installing a chlorinator with a self-cleaning function to all of our clients, these units do cost a little more but are the simplest to use and fool-proof to maintain.
What type of salt does a Chlorinator use?
The only chemical needed to operate a chlorinator is salt, making it far more cost-effective than its contemporary counterpart but what type of salt exactly? There are many different varieties of salt, but only three types are suitable for use in your pool. Solar salt, Mechanically Evaporated Salt, or Mined Salt.
Solar salt is created from seawater, large holding areas are flooded with seawater and the water is evaporated in the sun until only the salt remains. This type of salt is the cheapest but also contains the most impurities. These impurities range from organic matter to mineral deposits and will cause your cell to work much harder to produce chlorine, which in turn will shorten its lifespan.
Mechanically evaporated salt is similar to solar salt, but instead of using the sun, an alternative heat source is to evaporate the water. The concentrated heat used in the process burns off organic matter and makes for a much cleaner end product however there will still be minerals present that aren’t great for your pool or chlorine cell.
Mined salt is the purest of all three forms of salt and contains the least amount of organic and mineral contaminants making it the best salt for your swimming pool. It dissolves the fastest (the purer the salt, the faster it will dissolve) and will be easiest on your generator and your pool as a whole, for these reasons mined salt is also the most expensive of the three options.
No matter what type of salt you decide is best for your pool, the salt should meet the following criteria:
Specifically made for swimming pools
Food-grade
Granular
Non-iodized (Iodized salt contains anti-caking agents which aren’t necessary for pool use).
How salty is a saltwater pool?
The water in a saltwater pool is roughly ten times less salty than that of the ocean, which makes it roughly the same salinity as eye drops. So as long as the salt level is at the correct level, the water from a saltwater pool will be significantly less harsh on hair, eyes, and skin than a chlorinated pool.
How long after adding salt can I swim?
As a general rule, wait at least 20 minutes to an hour before entering the water after adding salt. This ensures that all the salt has had time to completely dissolve and circulate.
What are the Advantages of a Salt Chlorinator?
Never buy Chlorine
You no longer have to worry about buying, storing or running out of chlorine for your pool.
As long as the level of salt is within the correct range, your Chlorinator will produce chlorine. On the rare occasions when you manually have to adjust your chlorine levels, this can be accomplished by using a tablet or granular forms of chlorine, so you’ll never have to use liquid chlorine again.
Get rid of oils
As water from your filtration system flows through the core of the Chlorinator cell things like sunscreen, lotion, and even body oils, which cause a slick on the pool surface, are broken down by the electrical current generated, thus giving your pool a much clearer appearance.
No more contaminants that could cause health issues
While the chlorinator is on, it constantly breaks down any contaminants in the water that would normally form chloramines, and these, if left unchecked, can cause skin irritations or strange smells in pools that are treated with traditional chemicals. In fact, a study conducted in 2003 by the University of San Diego, found that children that swim regularly in an indoor chemically treated pool are more likely to develop a type of lung inflammation known as “Swimmer's Asthma” than those that don’t. So no more getting itchy red eyes, weird chemical smells, dry skin and bleached swimming costumes.
Huge Long Term Cost Savings
The annual running cost of a saltwater chlorinator is nearly a third less than a conventional pool, and if you make use of borehole or WellPoint water, your savings could nearly double as one of our clients reported saving over R1000 a month after the installation of his chlorinator due to the fact of having to add fewer chemicals. Our customers find it’s far cheaper to run a saltwater chlorinator than a conventional pool.
Salt Lasts Longer
Salt is the main ingredient used to create chlorine in a saltwater chlorinator, and salt doesn’t dissipate in water like other pool chemicals this means that the initial dose of salt you put into your pool will remain there all season long. The only time the salt level in your pool will drop is if you physically remove water from your pool or if the water is diluted like after a heavy rainstorm. Over the course of a normal swimming season, you might need to add a bag or two of salt to keep your systems-level within the optimal range of about 3,200ppm.
Have a borehole?
Saltwater chlorinators are borehole or WellPoint water-friendly. The electrolysis created in the cell of the generator reduces the number of natural metals which are usually found in groundwater, which means you don’t have to use as many chemicals.
Spend more time in your pool than working on your pool
It takes a lot less time to maintain a saltwater chlorinator pool each week. Since the chlorine in your pool is generated at a constant and steady dose, you’ll notice fewer drops and spikes in the pH and total alkaline levels of your pool water, making it far easier to manage overall.
Disadvantages: Why a Chlorinated pool might NOT be for you...
Chlorinators aren’t without their drawbacks. If you own an above ground Vinyl liner pool with metal walls, the walls can develop corrosion and holes, which puts the pool at risk for leaks and shortens your pool’s lifespan. Concrete pools with plaster finishes work fine with salt, but the salt can erode the plaster surface over years. Some concrete pools can show stains if you use a low-quality salt, but using salt that is of at least 95% purity will vastly reduce this and extend the life of your equipment and finish. In our experience, we’ve found that salt Chlorinators work in all types of pools but work the best in fiberglass pools.
Chlorinators carry an upfront cost to install, but because of the monthly savings, they pay for themselves in about 2 years, and an even shorter period if you make use of groundwater to fill your pool. There’s also the decreased risk of high chemical bills that all chemically chlorinated pool owners face whenever their pool encounters a drastic shift in water quality.
Saltwater and metal don’t mix, so if you are considering installing a chlorinator be sure to make note of any metallic items currently in and around your pool area (handrails, ladders etc.) before making this decision.
We strongly advise against installing a chlorinator if you already have an automatic pool cover or if you’re considering installing one as the saltwater will corrode the inner mechanism of the cover, causing costly repairs.
In summary: Why do we recommend Chlorinators to many of our customers?
Outside of the exceptions, we mentioned under ‘Disadvantages’... It’s cheaper, safer, healthier, easier, and less time consuming to have a saltwater Chlorinated pool than a Chemically Chlorinated pool. We believe that pools exist to be enjoyed, and our customers enjoy being in their pool not conducting chemical experiments on their pools and bodies. All of our customers who use Chlorinators, worry less, spend less, and enjoy their pool more since making the switch.
[We hope this article clarifies some of the aspects to consider. Remember that we’re always available to offer expert advice. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact Us]