Salt Water Chlorine Generators Never Buy Chlorine Again

1 of the single about important things to keep in mind when buying a pool or maintaining the one you've got is keeping information technology sanitized, sparkling, and safe for your family unit. That's why chlorine is a common topic here.

Whether you lot had a pool growing upwardly, or are brand new to the subject, when it comes to sanitation and keeping it clean, chlorine reigns supreme. However, in today's globe at that place are more than puddle chlorine options than ever – including a way to brand your own!

Why practice Pools Need Chlorine?

We use chlorine because it is the nigh constructive agent in the boxing against any and all contaminants that lurk in your pool h2o such as bacteria, sweat, body oil, bird debris, and annihilation else that makes its way into the pristine pride of your backyard.

Chlorine effectively removes the conglomeration of unwanted contaminants and surrounds them to mask the scent and harmful exposure to your swimmers who are unaware such things. It besides combines with other unnatural contaminants, such every bit nitrogen and ammonia, at present accordingly called "combined chlorine".

Combined chlorine, also known as "chloramines", build upwardly in your pool and can create lots of pool water issues. These can easily be tested for with DPD Test Kits and Test Strips and removed with a good Shock Treatment – of chlorine.

How to Buy Puddle Chlorine

Pool Chlorine is readily available in various popular forms such as Tablets, Granules, or Liquid and by way of an astonishing engineering and scientific quantum…drumroll please…it can exist made with a Chlorine Generator machine correct in the comfort of your ain domicile! Well, not in your home exactly, but out past your existing pool or equipment area. Let me explain some important differences…

Chlorine Tablets

You nevertheless accept the choice to buy, haul and store beefy pails of medium-expense Tri-Chlor iii" and 1" tablets and sticks ($100-200/fifty lb. pail) which are easily used by placing into a plastic, pool chlorine floater – often molded in the form of a duck or some other friendly effigy ($viii-xv), or the more professional mode, past installing a chlorine feeder with a control punch (around $fourscore-150).

Granular Chlorine

You lot tin can instead utilize Di-Chlor Powdered Chlorine Granules ($150-200/50 lb. pail). Broadcast directly over the pool surface gets you 99% pure chlorine, an instant balance (chlorine level), and is a fantastic way of sanitizing any puddle as well equally a cracking green or cloudy water trouble solver.

Both chlorine tablets & di-chlor granules are pH balanced and pre-stabilized – which means they are protected from the sun, which tends to burn off chlorine if left unprotected.(Cal Hypo shock and tablets are non stabilized).

1 pocket-size problem is that both of these types of pool chlorine products are accompanied by harsh odors when opening the containers and tin create combined chlorine if left unchecked, and tin can also crusade dry out and itchy skin.

CHLORINE TABLETS & SHOCK

Delight welcome our beginning challenger ~ Chlorine! This heavyweight contender has been a favorite of puddle operators and puddle owners for 50 years.

Whether in granular, liquid or tablet form you can't deny its sanitizing power. Chlorine can be used to daze a pool to remove bacteria.

Chlorine tablets are stabilized to protect the chlorine from the sun. You would need to add cyanuric acid to get this consequence in a saline pool. Calculation chlorine to your pool is every bit easy every bit using a floating dispenser or pump.

Chlorine users demand to stay on top of their water testing every bit the pH can vary quite a bit. Heavy bather loads and conditions can wreak havoc on a pool. Chlorine shock can provide a much faster solution to your problem. Permit'south recap with some pros and cons of our first contender:

Tablets+Granular – Pro

• Cheaper showtime-up costs
• Easy to operate and troubleshoot
• Minimal, inexpensive repairs
• Fast interim granular is best for shocking
• Tablets are stabilized protecting your chlorine from the sun
• Sanitizes your pool even if your pump and filter aren't running
• Works in whatsoever temperature

Tablets+Granular – Con

• Heavy chemical odor
• Harsh on rails and equipment like pool heaters
• Dangerous to handle and store
• Calcium stupor can cause calcium build up
• Stabilized chlorine can crusade cyanuric acrid build up

SALTWATER CHLORINATION

Instead of continuously ownership chlorine products, you tin invest in a Chlorine Generator which makes chlorine from common salt for you so you can avoid all the same sanitation scenarios. It'southward like bringing a modest chlorine factory to your home!

How it works: You lot add together good old fashioned, ordinary tabular array salt that can be found in most hardware stores or from nearly pool supply sources to your puddle for nearly $twoscore/40 lb. bag. In one case the salt level is established the Chlorine Generator does the balance!  An electrolysis cell zaps the water as information technology passes through and converts the table salt or sodium chloride (NaCl₂) to Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) – which converts to pure chlorine (hypochlorous acid)!

How Much Salt: About pools require hundreds of pounds of pool common salt for the initial dose, just after that yous may just need maintenance dosages which tin can exist equally little equally a few pounds each bound and throughout the flavour as h2o is splashed out, evaporates, or is backwashed away.

How much you add depends on your pool's gallonage and the recommended amount for your specific Chlorine Generator, merely information technology'due south roughly one 40 lb purse per ii,000 gallons of pool water. All units include instructions and come with a user friendly chart to help you figure it out.

Make sure you practise non use rock salt meant for snow melting, or h2o softeners! Employ a salt specifically fabricated for swimming pools. Your best bet is to purchase AquaSalt which is made but for common salt pools, dissolves quickly, and is very pure. Impurities tin cause stains and shorten cell life.

Salt pools are sanitized past sodium hypochlorite (liquid Chlorine) created when the saline puddle water passes through the chlorine generator. Science!

The initial fix is much more than costly than a chlorine puddle simply the system does take quite a few advantages. The "chlorine smell" which is actually chloramines is almost nonexistent. With a table salt pool you also get a silky feeling on the skin and the water is really easy on the optics.

The salt organization does not have care of everything. That is a common misconception people switching to table salt have. You still demand to test your water residuum and salt levels and brand chemic adjustments based on your readings.

There is a little maintenance on the equipment also, your salt cell may need occasional cleaning, and having to replace a table salt jail cell (every 3-five yrs) is not cheap. Just you know what is cheap? Puddle Salt!

Hither are some of the ups and downs yous might notice with a Common salt system:

Salt Systems – Pro

• Non hazardous materials (Put away your hazmat suit…it's just salt)
• A lot of the new models have a self-cleaning feature
• Silky feeling of the water is both piece of cake on the skin and the eyes
• Salt tends to buffer pH and alkalinity, keeping them steady
• No demand to touch chlorine, simply affect a button!
• One time operational, sanitizer maintenance is reduced

Common salt Systems – Con

• Expensive outset-up costs
• 500+ lbs of salt is required
• Cold water halts chlorine production, beneath 60°- no chlorine
• Repair and replacement parts can exist costly
• Pump needs to run for chlorine to be created
• You still need liquid or granular to "super shock" the puddle

Types of Salt Chlorinators

Some In Ground Salt Chlorine Generators like the Hayward AquaRite ($739), and Salt & Swim ($555). Pool Pilot ($645) is some other well respected saltwater systems. They all take a weatherproof box that you lot hang on a wall by your equipment which is the Power Supply and Controller and a Common salt Cell, which is plumbed into your return line.

Salt systems include a Flow Switch which is basically a PVC Tee that you plumb before the table salt cell and connect to your power supply. The sensors likewise measure water temperature and salt level.

Table salt controllers feature a digital display for chlorine production level, salt level, mistake codes, on-off switch, a dial to adjust chlorine production, and a super chlorinate switch to boost chlorine output.

In footing salt chlorinators, similar the Pentair IntelliChlor ($1099-1249) have the Controller congenital right into the cell so you can make your adjustments right at the cell instead of climbing over your equipment to go to the ability supply on the wall.

Above ground common salt chlorinators are designed for quick installation and simply hang over the pool wall just nether the top seat inside the pool and plug into a wall mountable control box and standard electrical outlet like the AquaTrol by Hayward and Solaxx Saltron Retro.

Common salt Chlorination vs. Tablet Chlorination

Puddle pH Levels: Tablets are depression in pH and may lower your pool water pH level, which may require additions of pH increaser to maintain suitable pool pH levels.

Salt chlorinators create sodium hypochlorite, which is high in pH so information technology will be necessary to add an Acid to residue it out – in almost cases on a weekly basis, to bring the pH level downwardly into proper range.

Maintenance: Another matter to factor in is the maintenance, and reliability of your option. With the salt organization you must initially invest in the system and accept it installed, purchase the salt, and stock up on pH reducer and stabilizer.

The salt level must exist maintained and the salt prison cell must exist periodically cleaned, and at some point, you'll demand a replacement salt cell.

Another thing about salt is that at loftier levels it tin can be corrosive and take its toll on anything metal in your pool then Sacrificial Anodes ($thirty-60) are available to protect your puddle lite, ladders, and heater cores. They are easy to install and are designed to corrode so your other accessories don't. Another little accessory you lot may demand to add to your budget if y'all get with a salt puddle arrangement.

Price: A regular chlorine user will spend less up front end but probably spend about the same amount in pails of tablets, other maintenance chemicals, floaters and feeders in the aforementioned fourth dimension period. Later that yous must keep on buying these things.

A table salt arrangement user will pay more upwards front, simply very trivial over the year. Salt chlorination can pay for itself relative to the expense of chlorine tablet usage in about 5 years. Later on that you are home free – equally long equally the controller and table salt cell keep working.

Saltwater vs. Tablet Cost Comparison

In comparing chlorine tablet price to table salt chlorine toll, we assume equal costs for balancing chemicals, cyanuric acid, clarifiers or algaecides.

Below I accept outlined TEN YEARS of costs using a Hayward Swimpure with a T-Cell 9, or using a Hayward CL200 chlorinator and tablets. Our inground "examination pool" is an 18'x36′ rectangle, 3-eight′ depth with 24,300 gallons.

INGROUND POOL – Salt System

• $960 – Swimpure Table salt System
•   $25 – Salt Test Strips
• $125 – Initial Table salt Treatment
• $125 – Annual Salt Boosters
• $400 – Table salt Cell Replacement
• $275 – Annual Pool Shock, 6 lbs

Total: $1910 for ten years of salt chlorination. This assumes using granular pool stupor twice per year, at opening and closing times, although you may need more. It also assumes replacing the table salt prison cell once, at 5 years, although it'south possible it won't last that long. Nearly properly maintained T-Cell salt cells will last three-five years. It also assumes no command lath problems, and no draining of the pool, which requires a new salt treatment.

NOTE: a salt system merely makes chlorine if the pump (and filter) is operational, and there are no issues in the controller, sensors or table salt cell. Whatsoever technical difficulties in these areas will require supplemental tablets/shock to maintain the water clarity and prevent algae.

INGROUND Puddle – Chlorine Tablets

•   $100 – Hayward Chlorinator
• $1100 – Chlorine tablets – l lbs/yr
•   $600 – Pool Stupor – 24 lbs/year
•   $100 – Chlorinator Replacement

Full: $1900 for x years of tablet chlorination. This assumes using granular shock monthly, and 5 tablets weekly, although y'all may utilize less. It also assumes replacing the chlorinator or several parts at least once during 10 years.

ABOVEGROUND Pool – Table salt System

Below I accept outlined 10 YEARS of costs using a Hayward AquaTol with a T-Cell iii, or using a Male monarch chlorinator and tablets. Our aboveground "exam puddle" is a 24′ round, 52″ depth with fifteen,300 gallons.

• $520 – AquaTrol Salt Organisation
•   $25 – Salt Test Strips
•   $75 – Initial Salt Treatment
•   $75 – Almanac Salt Boosters
• $360 – Salt Prison cell Replacement
• $175 – Annual Pool Shock, four lbs

Total: $1230 for ten years of salt chlorination, assuming using granular puddle shock twice per twelvemonth, at opening and endmost times. Information technology also assumes replacing the salt cell one time, at 5 years, and (fingers crossed!) no problems with the controller. There are cheaper aboveground table salt systems available, but well-nigh crave replacement later on 2-3 seasons.

ABOVEGROUND Puddle – Chlorine Tablets

•  $100 – Rex Chlorinator
•  $700 – Chlorine tablets – 25 lbs/twelvemonth
•  $400 – Puddle Shock – 16 lbs/yr
•  $100 – Chlorinator Replacement

Total: $1300 for x years of tablet chlorination. This assumes using granular daze monthly, and 25lbs of tablets per twelvemonth, although you lot may apply less. It also assumes replacing the chlorinator or several parts at least once during ten years.

So, it seems that the long term costs of common salt vs. tablets are fairly even – however 'your mileage may vary'. If your common salt cell is overworked, it may not final 5 years, but only 3 years.

Your salt system is reliable as long every bit it's clean, there is electricity and the pump and filter are working. The other forms of chlorine are tried and true methods of pool maintenance but require keeping an eye on your supply and applying the chlorine at regular intervals.

So to Sani-Summarize, Salt Systems are a great mode to automate your puddle sanitizing only require a sizable upward-forepart investment, require installation, and would be expensive to replace. Traditional tablets and granular forms, although less expensive to start, crave almanac or multiple in flavour purchases, trips and transporting to and from the store, manual loading of feeders and floaters, and more attention to keeping advisable levels in the pool…

AND THE WINNER IS…

Looks like both Chlorine and Table salt went 12 rounds and the winner by decision is……Chlorine! However, both methods of chlorination have very disarming pros and cons.

As for me, I choose a chlorine pool. I feel more comfortable knowing that chlorine tin can handle my bather load and I can brand an instant adjustment past shocking my pool. Chlorine pools are time tested and take yet to permit me down.

Both of these methods are effective and prophylactic, simple, and smart then either manner you lot become you can be sure your family volition enjoy a sanitized, sparkling, and safe swimming pool this summertime!

Mike Cummings
InTheSwim Staff Blogger

murphybegamseley.blogspot.com

Source: https://blog.intheswim.com/salt-chlorinators-vs-chlorine-tablets/

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