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Salt chlorinator - Clearwater

Renowned worldwide for the quality and reliability of its products in the aeronautical and marine sectors, Zodiac has now brought its expertise to swimming pools, to bring you a full range of pools, automatic pool cleaners, salt water treatment systems, heating systems and dehumidification units for swimming pools. Backed by Clearwater® technology, expertise and experience, Zodiac brings you the reassurance of top quality equipment in terms of both design and performance. A real guarantee of efficiency and peace of mind!

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An explanation of Salt Water Chlorination (SWC).

Salt Water Chlorination (SWC) is a method of swimming pool sanitation based on the electrolytic generation of sodium hypochlorite – pool chlorine – from a dilute salt solution, usually in the pool water itself.

HISTORY
SWC for swimming pools began as an industrial technique known as the Chlor-Alkali Process.  An electrical current is passed through an electrolytic cell which has brine (a strong salt solution) as an electrolyte. At the cell anode chlorine gas and a small amount of oxygen is evolved. From the cathode hydrogen gas is evolved.

In cells where there is a membrane or diaphragm between the anode and cathode the chlorine gas dissolves in the water on the anode side. The water becomes acidic and saturated with chlorine. The chlorine gas then bubbles off from the water. On the cathode side of the cell the hydrogen gas bubbles off leaving a solution of sodium hydroxide. Further in the process it is possible to make liquid chlorine by dissolving the chlorine gas in the sodium hydroxide solution – this is liquid pool chlorine.

In cells where there is no barrier between the anode and cathode sodium hypochlorite is formed directly as the products of the electrolysis mix. This type of cell is used in SWC for swimming pools.

In the past industrial cell electrodes were made from graphite coated with compounds containing lead. These materials were obviously unsuitable for use in a swimming pool. However advances in electrode materials led to the use of titanium coated with platinum, and later with noble metal oxide coatings. These materials were suitable for use in a swimming pool. It is believed that Theodore Romer developed the first SWC device for a home pool in Australia over 30 years ago.

In the past 15 years the growth of this product has been extreme with over 90% of new swimming pools in Australia coupled with 50% in France and 20% in the U.S the products future is looking positive.

WHY USE SALT WATER CHLORINATION (SWC) ?
There are few pool sanitation systems that rival chlorine for both sanitary efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

When SWC is used the pool is being sanitised by chlorine. It can be measured with all the common test kits and its chemistry is well known. The difference is that the chemicals need not be handled. Salt is added to the pool in a small quantity – usually between 3 and 5 gram per litre depending on the equipment that is used. Whenever the pool pump is run the chlorinator electrolyses the water passing its cell and turns some of the salt into chlorine. When the chlorine has been consumed it eventually reverts back to salt again and so it is not lost. SWC is a recycling system where salt is only lost when water is lost making it both economic and environment friendly. This is not to be confused with a brine type chlorinator where salt is added to a tank and the brine solution formed is then converted to a solution of hypochlorite. In this system the hypochlorite is then injected into the pool meaning that the salt is removed from the brine tank and placed into the pool. Salt is effectively “consumed” in this process as it must be replenished in the tank.

SWC can also provide good water quality. Some by-products of chlorination – chloramines – are responsible for the smell associated with chlorinated pools and other things such as sore eyes and itchy skin. In a chemically chlorinated pool chloramines are destroyed by adding even more chlorine to oxidise them. In a pool using SWC these by-products are destroyed by the cell as the water passes. This is due to a very high chlorine residual being present around the cell anode prior to the mixing of the water after the cell. In all but the most heavily used pools the chlorine smell may not be apparent at all.

There are many other reasons to use SWC including operating cost, convenience and reduced chemical handling.

Salt chlorinators use vacuum salt (preferably fine) this can be bought at most DIY centres. Just ask for salt! Chlorinators with PH control need liquid PH, this may be PH increaser or PH reducer this depends on your local water. You can test for this yourself using a pool test kit.