How Chlorinators Work
Chlorinators play an important role in keeping your pool swimmable, but not all chlorinators are created equal. You need to consider the best options for your pool.
1. Brands and issues
Like any appliance, brands do make a difference with chlorinators. The big names are generally easier to maintain, with better parts availability and more service people familiar with their systems. This adds to product life, and you won’t be looking to replace the entire system in a few years because your service people can’t get parts. The “name brand” warranties are also much more reliable.
Self Cleaning – A must-have Self cleaning pool chlorinators are designed to maintain themselves. Self cleaning has replaced the hard, gruesome work of manual cleaning, which actually involved taking the unit apart, usually after a problem had become known. Self cleaners prevent damage to the electrodes, increasing product life.
2. Controls
Modern digital chlorinators are easy to operate. They also provide features like the Output Control to adjust chlorine levels as required. The “Super-Chlorinate” or “Cleaning Mode” allows you to do a regular “spring clean” of the pool with a click of a button. (This should be done once a month to prevent build-up of nasties in the pool.)
3. Chlorinator Capacity
The basic measure of chlorinator performance is “grams per hour”. This is literally a measure of how much chlorine is generated by the chlorinator per hour. Chlorination capacity depends on the size of the unit. Big pools, naturally, need bigger units to provide appropriate chlorination levels. The typical bandwidth performance is 15 to 35g per hour.
So, what determines the power you chlorinator needs to provide:
Pool Volume – Simply, twice the volume of water requires double the chlorine output. Climate – Chlorine produced by the chlorinator starts to break down as soon as it enters the pool. This breakdown is accelerated dramatically by exposure to sunlight and by the water temperature. As a rule of thumb, a pool that is adequately serviced by a 20 gram per hour chlorinator in Melbourne may require a 35 gram per hour unit to achieve the same result in Townsville.
Time of operation – Day or night? Given sunlight breaks down chlorine, running at night achieves better sanitation. Running at night means that chlorine generated will last longer, reach a higher concentration and achieve better overall results. If you plan to run you chlorinator during daylight hours only, your might need to add 20-30% to the power output of your chlorinator.
4. The secret weapon- Your pool cover.
Blocking sunlight is a very cost-efficient way of preserving your chlorine and getting maximum benefits. The pool cover drastically reduces chlorine loss, and ensures efficient chlorination.
Stabilizers save money – Formally known as ‘Cynuric Acid’, stabilizer is a chemical additive which slows down the effect of UV light on chlorine. Just adding stabilizer once a year will help ensure efficient chlorine use. The right pool chlorinator will save you time, money, and above all improve water quality. Take some time to talk to the experts and find the right unit for your pool.
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