How do Pool Chlorinators Work?

Chlorine has been in use in a wide variety of industrial applications for hundreds of years, and in that time we have come to understand it extremely well. Although some activists believe chlorine in pools poses a safety hazard, clinical studies have found no suck link – either to swimmers or the environment. This is why nearly every pool in America continues to employ chlorine as a free-ranging antibacterial, keeping the water clear and clean and maintaining an essential level of purity for recreational use. If you own a pool, however, you know that regulating chlorine can represent something of a headache.

The reason for this is actually quite simple: chlorine breaks down over time. Although hypochlorous acid – the essential byproduct when you add chlorine to the pool – is mostly used to destroy unwanted pathogens, it can also react with ammonia and nitrogen compounds to form chloramines. These inert compounds are essentially harmless, and they offer little protection against bacteria in the water. Further complicating matters is the fact that chlorine can also be broken down by the sun itself, decreasing its effectiveness against bacteria, mold and algae. This is why maintaining proper chlorine levels can be a daily chore, one rendered even more frequent in the event of parties and rain.

Pool chlorinators are the most common response to fluctuating levels. These tend to come in a variety of chemical forms under a number of brand names, but generally they can be divided cleanly into a few major categories. Each offers advantages and disadvantages, including effectiveness and potential hazards. Chlorine is, after all, a terribly corrosive chemical, so it’s important to deploy with a healthy level of respect. Anything less than proper precautions and you could find yourself stuck with chemical burns, pulmonary damage or worse – terrifying outcomes for such a mundane task.

The most dangerous version of chlorine is also the most effective – chlorine gas. Introduce the gas into any pool filtration system and you can expect immediate results. The problem is that such results tend to wreak havoc with the pool’s pH, creating a caustic environment that is highly unsafe for recreation. Large amounts of basic chemicals are usually required to pull that pH back into a safe range, though chlorine gas may still cause a host of health problems before it even reaches the pool. Breathe in pure chlorine or anything close to it, for instance, and you may quickly fall unconscious and die. It may not surprise you to learn that pure chlorine gas is hardly ever used for home pools anymore.

Today a number of homeowners use so-called liquid chlorine instead. This looks and smells similar to bleach, and it’s created by bubbling the pure gas through a caustic soda. Results can be swift and impressive, as with the gas itself, which is why liquid chlorine is often favored as a method for shock. Everyday use has fallen by the wayside a bit for the same reason, however – like chlorine gas, liquid chlorine can send any pool’s pH skyrocketing well north of 12. Such health risks and high expense have made this solution unpopular, especially since considerable quantities of base are required to mitigate the unwanted effect. Thankfully there are some safer and more convenient ways to deliver chlorine in a hurry.

Of these, the most popular may be so-called “stabilized tri-chlor,” the version most often recommended by pool experts. The compound usually comes as a powder, though you can also get slow-release “pucks” that will maintain an even level over several hours. Homeowners often favor this version because it releases slowly, maintains a sound pH in the system and comes with an extra sort of sunscreen – cyanuric – that keeps the chlorine effective several hours longer than its non-stabilized counterparts. That means you save time, money and headaches by trusting a single advanced compound to lighten your load.

Chlorine is essential to maintaining the safety of standing water. Experiment with the products you find until you can keep pH, alkalinity and chlorine levels within acceptable limits on a daily basis. Often all you need is a bit of time and some practice to become an expert on pool chlorinators.

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