Chlorine Feed System: Fill & Download for Free

Positives:You are less likely to ‘catch’ something in a chlorinated pool, than one sanitized any other way. Alternative systems (ozone, UV, PHMB (Baquacil), copper/silver) are more expensive, more difficult to manage, and less effective at sanitation overall.Chlorine feed systems are generally much more reliable than other ‘feed’ delivery systems. So not only are you less likely to get sick from a chlorinated pool, your pool is more likely to actually have chlorine in it (in a chlorinated pool), than an alternative system is likely to have ‘alternative sanitizer’ present.Negatives:Chlorine is harder on swimwear than most alternative methods of sanitation. (Skin is fine, so if you swim naked in an outdoor pool at home, this is not an issue! ;-) )With regards to INDOOR pools, especially those with little fresh air ventilation, chlorine combines BADLY with urine, and forms noxious compounds that can trigger asthma and other problems. (This is NOT a problem on lightly used pools, pools where the swimmers don’t pee in the pool — no babies and no swim teams! — and on pools exposed to full sun. Sunlight rapidly degrades these compounds.)These pee +chlorine compounds that accumulate in indoor pools ALSO irritate skin, damage hair and leave lingering ‘chlorine-like’ odors on the skin.Other notes:So-called “salt pools” ARE chlorine pools; the salt is used to MANUFACTURE the chlorine on site, in the pool water.Various ‘chlorine-free’ pool products for ‘shocking’ pool water are often based on some sort of peroxygen or persulfate, and are sold to remove the “combined” chlorine that forms from pee + chlorine. Unfortunately, these products are relatively ineffective at best, and can actually MAKE THINGS WORSE. They should not be used.Other products may SEEM safer than chlorine, only because they haven’t been studied for 100 years! Chlorine risks are real, but VERY small — eating peanut butter is more likely to kill you (allergy or aflatoxins) than chlorine in pool or drinking water. Driving a car to the pool is much, MUCH more likely to kill a swimmer than the pool chemicals, of any kind!The moment in the drafty church at smokerise

A2AThere are 5 basic forms of ‘pool chlorine’:Gas - chlorine gas (Cl2)Bleach - (NaOCl) in concentrations from 5% - 18% <= Clorox!Cal hypo - calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2)Trichlor - trichloro-isocyanuric acid (skipping the formula)Dichlor - sodium dichloroisocyanurate (ditto)and a few other rarely used chlorine compounds.Once in the pool, they ALL become either HOCl (hypochlorous acid), -OCl (hypochlorite ion) . . . or one of about a dozen combinations of chlorine + cyanuric acid (stabilizer).In other words, once the chlorine is dissolved, it doesn’t matter what form it began as, it all ends up the same!But, each of the forms differs in appearance, cost and side effects. I’ll list the five forms above PLUS salt water chlorination again, with that info:Gas - chlorine gas (Cl2)Greenish heavier than air gas.Hazardous to handle; requires expensive feed system and safety equipmentCheapest for LARGE pools with appropriately trained staffDrastically lowers pH levels.Bleach - (NaOCl) in concentrations from 5% - 18% <= Clorox!Yellow-green liquidDELIVERED BULK: Relatively safe to handle; requires moderately complex and expensive feed systems (less than $1,000)May be almost as cheap as gas, depending on supplier.PURCHASED RETAIL: Safest to handle; no feed system (pour in!)Depending on source, may be cheap or expensive.No side-effects, except for slightly increasing salt levels in pool water.Cal hypo - calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2)White granules (rarely, various forms of tablets)Hazardous to store; reacts badly with MANY other chemicals.May be inexpensive in 100 lb / 50kg drums. Otherwise, expensive.No reliable feed systems available.Raises pH and calcium levels. Can cloud pool if added incorrectly. Difficult to dissolve.Trichlor - trichloro-isocyanuric acid (skipping the formula)White pucks or tablets. (rarely, fine granules)Somewhat hazardous to store; reacts badly with other chemicalsOften least expensive in small quantitiesCan be fed via inline containers, can only be dissolved slowly in feeders or floatersLowers pH, adds stabilizer (good if needed, bad if you have too much already!)Dichlor - sodium dichloroisocyanurate (ditto)White granules — do NOT confuse with cal hypo!Somewhat hazardous to store; reacts badly with other chemicalsMore expensive than trichlorCannot be used with feeders, but dissolves readily.Lowers pH somewhat, adds stabilizer (good if needed, bad if you have too much already!)Salt water chlorination - manufactures chlorine directlyExpensive electrical feed units that rarely last more than 3 yearsSafest storageMost expensive residential system (when cost of units are included!)Easy to control chlorine feedRaises pH somewhat; requires LARGE additions of salt to pool water, which often results in corrosion around the pool. . .hope this helps.

Q: What’s driving the trend of saltwater swimming pools?A: I do not know, for certain. But I suspect that there are a number of contributing factors.I think Simon Spragg is correct that a major contributor is “manufacturers looking for new sales opportunities”.Another major factor a combo: people suffer from chemical paranoia, and are irrationally afraid of chlorine AND mistakenly think “salt pools” are not chlorine pools. So, “salt pools” seem safer.And, fashion plays a roll. Salt was the fashionable system. Now UV is. People buy pools, especially in-ground pools, in order to make a showy purchase. But you can’t show off with S-80 PVC underground, +GF+ ball valves throughout, bronze ladder anchors, and Type L copper conduit to all the lights . . . even though those things would make your pool more functional . . . because no one will understand what you are talking about.But they’ve heard of “salt pools”. So, you can brag about those.Finally, salt water chlorination generator systems (SWCGs) have legitimate value for a few pool owners. SWCGs are the most reliable and consistent chlorine feed systems available on consumer pools. For people who travel or who can’t tend to their pool every 2 - 3 days, an SWCGs can offer real benefit.