Overview
- Salt-chlorination systems convert salt into a virtually endless supply of fresh, pure chlorine
- Say goodbye to red eyes, itchy skin and heavy chemical odors
- Salt is softer on your skin than chlorine
- People who own saltwater pools don’t have to store and handle toxic chemicals on a regular basis
- Lower maintenance is required with saltwater swimming pools
- A saltwater swimming pool is more environmentally safe
Spend more time enjoying your pool and less time working on it
Efficiency
- Hayward Water Chemistry Calculator
- You save more more because you don’t have to buy as many chemicals
- The cost of maintaining a saltwater swimming pool is less than half the cost to maintain a chlorine
Salt3
The Salt3 Generator Assembly mounts to the wall near the equipment pad. It contains the power supply and circuitry for both the salt and ozone systems and is prewired for connection to source power.
The invention of the saltwater swimming pool in the 1980s was an important advancement in the safety and ease of caring for pools. But as great as salt pools are, there are shortcomings with the 40 year old technology because it still needs help to kill algae, bacteria and viruses.
By adding ozone to the water as another layer of oxidation, Salt3 gives you all the advantages of saltwater pools with none of the shortcomings, at a price comparable to an old fashioned salt system.
How Salt Chlorine Generators Work
- Large quantities of salt (NaCl) are added into the pool
- Water (H20) containing salt (NaCl) passes through the Salt Cell
- A small electric current runs through plates in the Salt Cell causing a chemical reaction that releases chlorine gas (Cl2)
- As the water (H20) passes through the Salt Cell during this process, the chlorine gas (Cl2) dissolves into the water (H20) and produces pure and fresh chlorine (Cl) that kills contaminants Finally, the pure chlorine (Cl) is returned to your pool.
Zinc Anodes
Are there any negative effects to a pool because of chlorine generators?
As it turns out, there are some issues.
Fortunately for the pool owner the fix is pretty simple – a sacrificial anode.
As scary as the term sacrificial anode may sound to most of us, it’s actually an uncomplicated product that does not involve you getting a Masters’ degree in Chemistry! Here’s the scoop. Take a body of water, add salt, a tiny electrical current (from the generator cell), add items in contact with the water made of different metals such as ladders, heaters, hand rails, lights and other hardware, and you have essentially created a giant battery with a minute current flow! The problem created is called galvanic corrosion, basically meaning that electrons are being stripped from the metal surfaces and slowly, but surely, ruining your pool’s metal equipment. All of this doesn’t happen overnight, but in the not-so-long-term you may end up shortening the life of some very expensive components due to oxidation (corrosion).
This is where the sacrificial anode comes into play. It is a small T-shaped unit (about a foot long) that is designed to go in-line of your water flow, most often installed between the filter and the heater, and less often between the filter and the pump. Inside of this device is a rod of zinc that comes into contact with the water as it circulates from the pump. Zinc by its nature oxidizes easily, losing electrons quicker than other metals and sacrifices itself corroding before other equipment and hardware will. Hence the term sacrificial anode!
Do You Want a Chlorine, Salt-water, or Chlorine Free Pool?
One of the major decisions that must be made by pool or hot tub/spa buyers when they visit one of our three our Royal Pools & Spas locations in Orange County New York, is whether they want a chlorine, salt-water, or chlorine free pool. Regular chlorine pools negatively affect many swimmers causing bloodshot eyes, itchy skin, dried-out hair. Faded swimsuits, and a bleach-y smell, a side effect not of the chlorine itself but of chloramines, a chlorine byproduct. The presence of chlorine byproducts like chloramines can also result in compromised indoor air quality and lead to asthma and other respiratory ailments. Public municipal pools and often hotel pools are “chlorinated pools” since they are the least expensive way to keep the water algae and bacteria free. However, pool owners can choose not to use the standard chlorine pool technology that requires purchasing, transporting, or / and storing chlorine, but instead consider a saltwater pool that utilizes a salt chlorine generator. Although salt chlorine generators have been around for decades, as technology and materials continue to evolve, the newest salt chlorine generators create a wonderful swimming pool environment without the need for harsh chemicals and the resulting chlorine byproduct side effects. No longer will it be necessary to handle or buy, measure, and mix liquid or tablet chlorine. With salt chlorine generators you can automatically turn ordinary salt into a self-regenerating supply of pure chlorine for both pool and hot tub/spa water resulting in water that’s clean, clear, and delightfully soft.
No wonder sophisticated salt chlorine generators are becoming more and more popular with pool owners across the country. Salt chlorine generators utilize the process of electrolysis to create a pure form of chlorine for swimming pool sanitization from a small amount of ordinary salt. Salt chlorine generators for swimming pools and hot tubs / spas keep water clean, eliminating algae, while maintaining pool water that is softer and less irritating to the eyes and skin. It is easy to understand why many folks prefer swimming pools with salt chlorine generators to pools using other forms of chlorination for their pool maintenance.
How Do Salt Chlorine Generators Work?
Salt Chlorine Generators work through the process of electrolysis where water, passing over the salt chlorine generator cell, produces chlorine that is instantaneously transformed into Hypochlorous acid. Hypochlorous acid is an active sanitizer that kills algae and other harmful bacteria in the water. However, for salt chlorine generators to be effective, balanced water conditions and, more importantly, proper pH must be maintained. In addition the salt chlorine generator cell must be kept free of calcium and mineral deposit. Although the salt chlorine generator cell itself is made up of precious metals, it must be properly maintained so it can continue to make chlorine when the pump is running. Although salt chlorine generators cost more money not only to purchase, but also to initially set up, the benefits of a more refreshing and pleasant time spent in a salt-water pool with a salt chlorine generator, far outweighs the cost differences.
Salt Chlorine Generators from Top Brand Names in the Industry
For those pool owners who wish to use a salt chlorine generator to help keep their pool clean, Royal Pools & Spas Inc., located at three locations in Orange County, New York, offers a selection of excellent salt chlorine generators from top brand names in the industry including Hayward and Solaxx. With its even, consistent chlorine dispersion Hayward’s Aqua Rite electronic salt chlorine generator for in-ground swimming pools creates its own chlorine from salt that you add. Aqua Rite uses advanced electrolytic technology to convert a small amount of ordinary salt, which amounts to one teaspoon per gallon of pool water, into a virtually endless supply of fresh, pure chlorine for in-ground pools up to 40,000 gallons. You can use Aqua Rite in multiple units for larger pools. Hayward’s Aqua Plus salt chlorine generators, appropriate for any pool or pool/spa combination allow you to have full control of all the functions of your pool with the same benefits of an Aqua Rite chlorine generator with the touch of a button. The automating essential pool and spa functions offered in this salt chlorine generator will save you not only as much as 70% on you energy bill, but also a lot time spent maintaining your pool. Aqua Plus is easy to install and operate with many options to choose from such as chemistry automation, remote control, among others. As the Hayward tag line says; “It’s amazing what a little bit of salt can do” to keep your pool sanitized automatically. Solaxx is another manufacturer of salt chlorine generators for in-ground and aboveground swimming pools, Royal Pools and Spas offers their clients. The Saltron Retro DIY Salt System treats swimming pools up to 20,000 gallons. Easy to install on both old and new pools without any plumbing, the Saltron Retro DIY Salt System with its commercial grade titanium cell plates coated with precious metals. This is a reverse polarity unit where the electron flow reverses through the cell causing mineral deposits to flake off, thus keeping the cell housing cleaner and easier to inspect for scale deposits. For hot tubs and spas or in-ground or above ground small pools up to 2,000 gallons, Royal Pools and Spas offer the Saltron Mini Salt System with a switch-mode power supply that provides smooth current to the cell resulting in a longer lifetime for the unit.
A Sacrificial In-line Anode or Utility Anode
Although salt water pool systems are very popular and have many benefits leaving the waters of in-ground or above ground pools and hot tubs and spas feeling silky, soft, refreshing, and sparkling clear, the addition of salt to the water does create a more corrosive environment for metals in the pool. The solution is the use of what is called a sacrificial In-line Anode or Utility Anode that is easily plumbed into any in ground or above ground pool or spa system. A sacrificial anode is a metal used to protect critical metal components in a salt system swimming pool. To learn more go to our Swimming Pool Sacrificial Anode page or speak with one of our Royal Pools & Spas sales representatives.