Electro-Chlorination in Swimming Pools
October 27, 2023
Electro-Chlorination in Swimming Pools
Membrane electro-chlorination offers an alternative swimming pool water treatment to traditional chlorinated pools for commercial pools in leisure centres, hotels, and water parks. Using a process called membrane electro-chlorination, salt is converted into the chlorine needed to keep swimming pool systems clean and safe by improving the water quality. First popular in both Australia and the US, electro-chlorination is becoming an economical alternative for the UK leisure market.
Electro chlorination is commonly used in swimming pool disinfection to provide a safer and more controlled way to generate chlorine in situ compared to adding liquid or tablet forms of chlorine directly to the pool.
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Electro chlorination process
Here’s how membrane electro-chlorination disinfection work in swimming pools:
Electrolysis Cell Setup: A specialised electrolysis cathode cell is installed in the pool’s filtration system. This cell consists of electrodes enclosed in materials resistant to the corrosive effects of chlorine gas.
Brine Solution: Salt is added to a salt tank to create a brine solution with clean fresh water with no impurities or contaminants. Salt is not added to the swimming pool but is used to supply a sodium chloride (NaCL) brine solution to the membrane electro-chlorination process.
Electrolysis Process: Brine from the salt tank is added to the electrolysis cell where an electrical current is applied. This electrolyser current causes a controlled electrolysis process to occur, converting the salt brine solution into chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Chlorine Gas Generation: At the anode, chloride ions (Cl-) in the brine solution are oxidised, releasing chlorine gas (Cl2) and electrons. This chlorine gas dissolves in the water to form hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ions (ClO-) which are effective disinfectants for keeping the pool free of bacteria.
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Salt vs Chlorine
Since 2020 there have been several difficulties in chlorine production and transportation of the necessary chlorine needed for commercial pools which has both reduced availability on-site and increased cost. Chlorine shortages have been attributed to a backlog of supply from China since the pandemic, a fire in a US chemical plant, transportation issues created by the Ukraine-Russia war, and Brexit.
Even the highest-purity salt is much cheaper than chlorine and is readily available here in the UK. High-purity salt is important for the membrane electro-chlorination process – impurities can cause damage to your chlorine generator system, so choosing the suitable salt is essential for sustainability and saving money.
Clear Pools with Less Effort
Automated electro-chlorination systems that generate chlorine as needed reduce the need to manually add chlorine in swimming pools for water disinfection. This makes the maintenance of salt pools simpler, more cost-effective and less time-consuming. It also takes some of the guesswork out of keeping your pool system safe and healthy.
No More Worrying about Storing Hazardous Chemicals
Chlorine, while essential for maintaining bacteria-free pools, can be dangerous if handled incorrectly. Electro chlorination continually adds chlorine in small doses to the pool water which means there is no storage tank or handling of chlorine required. This makes the electro-chlorination process much safer and minimises the risk of accidents from water treatments.
Less Harsh Chemical Smells
Swimming pools using a chlorine generator, convert salt into chlorine at a lower concentration, meaning less harsh chemical smells. Electro chlorination pools are adding chlorine at a constant rate rather than in one go which means that the water is less likely to cause skin irritation, dry hair, and red sore eyes.
More Cost Effective
While the initial setup cost of an electro-chlorination pool is higher than a traditionally chlorinated pool, the long-term cost benefits are significant. Salt is relatively inexpensive in comparison to chlorine and with reduced need for chemicals and lower maintenance demands, the resulting cost savings over time are beneficial.
The UK’s leading national salt distributor
In the UK, PureSalt supplies thousands of tonnes of salt each year to businesses and homes. A variety of destinations in the UK are serviced by us, from homes and hospitals to factories and farms.
As a team at PureSalt, we are unwavering in our commitment to providing quality salt products at all times. PureSalt has been distributing salt for over 20 years and is here to assist you with your salt needs. The salt we offer is only of the highest quality from our trusted suppliers and our team will be able to advise which salt will best suit your requirements, so contact us today to learn more about our salt options.
