The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Zodiac
Salt Water Chlorination
Zodiac is often asked to explain how a chlorinator works,
how the chlorine is produced, and how it is different
from the chlorine which is available in the form of
granular chlorine, liquid chlorine, or chlorine tablets.
The following information is presented in a question/answer
format to cover the most frequently asked questions
by engineers, swimming pool operators, or perhaps swimming
pool owners.
All the commercial production of chlorine gas throughout
the world uses the same basic technology as used by
Zodiac salt water chlorinators.
Sanitizing a pool with a Clearwater Technology salt
water chlorinator uses a similar technique as sanitizing
the same pool in other chlorine forms. The most common
form of chlorine used for manually sanitizing pools
is either granular chlorine, or sodium hypochlorite
(sometimes called liquid chlorine). Commercial pools
which do not use a salt chlorinator use a variety
of forms of chlorine, including chlorine gas.
Note that calcium hypochlorate contains 65% chlorine,
sodium hypochlorite contains approximately 12.5% chlorine,
but the chlorine produced by a Zodiac salt water chlorinator
is 100% chlorine.
The chlorine produced by a Zodiac chlorinator is
exactly the same element (chlorine) as is contained
within sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorate.
In other words, the active sanitizing agent for all
of these methods is the same....chlorine.
Mass chlorine production in huge chlorine factories
uses exactly the same basic technique as is used by
a Zodiac chlorinator. This technique involves the
passage of electric current through salty water to
produce chlorine gas at the positive electrode (anode).
The chlorine produced by a Zodiac salt water chlorinator
is a product of salt water. The process may be explained
in chemical terms by the formula below.
(Salt + Water + Electricity produces Hypochlorous
acid and Hypochlorite ions + Sodium Hydroxide.)
The formula does not mention chlorine gas, because
the chlorine dissolves immediately as part of the
reaction. (The elemental chlorine gas produced at
the anodes in the electrolysis process dissolves immediately
into the water to form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite
ions.)
This is the same chemical reaction as occurs at commercial
chlorine manufacturing facilities.
It is the hypochlorous acid and to a lesser extent,
the hypochlorite ions that perform the sanitizing
function in the swimming pool.
The Zodiac cell produces elemental chlorine gas in
the water, and the chlorine produced is exactly
the same as other types of chlorine used for swimming
pool sanitization.
Regardless of whether the chlorine comes from the
electrolytic action of a Zodiac cell, or from the
chlorine contained in granular chlorine or liquid
chlorine, the chlorine dissolves into the water to
form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions.
It is actually these two components which are the
active sanitizers in pool water. Hypochlorous acid
is a strong sanitizer and hypochlorite ions are a
weak sanitizer. It is important that the pH of the
water is correct to ensure a high proportion of hypochlorite
acid, and therefore, the most effective sanitizing
of the pool.
The reasons why sanitizing using a Zodiac salt water
chlorinator is better than other techniques are as
follows:
a) Clearwater Technology chlorinators manufacture
and deliver chlorine to the swimming pool automatically.
The pool owner no longer needs to purchase, transport,
store or manually add chlorine as part of their
routine maintenance.
b) Not only is the water passing through the cell
subjected to the sanitizing effect of the chlorine
being introduced into the water, but as the water
passes between the positive and negative electrodes,
the bacteria, and algae are subjected to a very
strong electric field which oxidizes these contaminants.
These contaminants and others, including sunscreen,
lotion, and body oils, etc are doubly attacked when
using a Zodiac cell. They are destroyed not only
by the chlorine in the water, but also by the electric
field within the electrodes.
c) Zodiac manufactures and delivers chlorine to
the pool in a constant and controlled manner. Because
a Zodiac chlorinator is part of the filtration system,
the sanitizing takes place every time the filtration
system is switched on. There is less reliance on
the human factor.
d) Say good-bye to red stinging eyes, skin irritation
and harsh chemical odors. In general, whenever swimmers
enter chlorinated water, chloramines are formed.
This accurs because the body wastes, perspiration
and skin oils all contain amine compounds which
react with the chlorine in the water. If the chlorine
only partly oxidizes (destroys) the amine compounds,
"chloramines" are formed.
Chloramines are unpleasant smelling substances which
sting the skin, cause eyes to become red and sore,
and in extreme cases (high concentrations and allergic
individuals), can cause skin rashes.
The major scientific benefit offered by salt water
chlorination in the sanitizing process is that not
only is there a sanitizing action in the swimming
pool resulting from the free chlorine residual in
the water, but there is a far more powerful sanitizing
action which takes place in the cell itself.
As the water passes between the electrodes, the
chloramines in the water are destroyed as they pass
through the cell. Only a salt water chlorinator
can destroy chloramines in this way.
e) When a Zodiac salt water chlorinator is used,
there is more than an even dosing rate of chlorine.
If for example the filtration system is operated
8 hours per day while the bathers are in the water,
then the water is being sanitized continuously during
the 8 hour period. The chlorine level remains at
a satisfactory reading while the bathers are in
the water.
This chemical acts as a sunscreen for chlorine
and prevents it from being too quickly destroyed by
the sun. Chlorine stabilizer is essential to prolong
the life of chlorine in the pool water. Although some
types of chlorine (dichlor and trichlor) already contain
stabilizer, the chlorine gas produced by a Zodiac chlorinator
does not. Chlorine stabilizer cyanuric acid must therefore
be added to the pool water when using any salt water
chlorinating system.
A Zodiac salt water chlorinator does nothing more or
less than produce chlorine. It is the exact same elements
found in all other chlorine sanitizers.
Most importantly, a Zodiac salt water chlorinator produces
chlorine automatically at the pool site. With a Zodiac
chlorinator, the chlorine is made in the water, and
stays in the water, and the electric fields within the
electrolyte cell provide even greater sanitizing and
oxidizing than if manually adding other chlorine compounds.
|
