Salt Chlorine Generators Turning Your Pool into a Chlorine and
Caustic Chemical Factory!
The reasons why salt systems are coming
under a lot of criticism lately: the expensive high amperage
process of creating pure concentrated chlorine in its acid form
in a pool’s return line has come under critical review quite a
bit in recent studies. There are a lot of misconceptions and
misinformation in the marketing of these corrosive systems.
Let’s establish the basic facts of
operating this type of chlorine generator. First, very high
concentrations of corrosive salt are added to water. (Usually
40,000 times more chemical product than healthy alternative
systems). The potential for scaling, staining, corrosion to
heaters, pumps, pool equipment and surfaces is a serious
problem. The reaction necessary to break down the salt into
hypochlorous acid chlorine and caustic soda uses expensive
amounts of electricity and creates a breakdown of electrodes
(replacement frequently costing upwards of half original
equipment cost!) Caustic soda (NaOH) or sodium hydroxide is the
other byproduct of this chemical manufacturing process. This
caustic chemical is the main ingredient in Drano or Liquid
Plumber, etc that is used to breakdown hair clogs in plumbing in
sinks and drains. These chemicals breakdown fats, skin cells,
damage hair, swimsuits etc… Add to this the drying salt water
and ALL the well publicized problems of toxic chlorine and its
byproducts and you clearly understand some of the criticisms
brought up recently.
The support of this technology is
problematic and requires dosing of shock, use of chlorine
stabilizer – cyanuric acid – (also causing additional damage to
pool equipment), algaecide, clarifier and sequestering/chelating
agents. All expensive, time consuming maintenance, testing
etc…associated with any standard chemical program. Draining of
salt water to drains, lawns, plants and the environment only add
to the above problem. Safe, economical automatic and healthy
options are widely available that are far more effective and
avoid all of the toxicity, corrosion and expense.
Pool & spa News: August 7, 2006 article:
“Understand that salt is corrosive. Salt likes to remove ions
and can take zinc away from galvanized steel. And this type of
chlorine is five times harder on plaster than regular chlorine.
I don’t like them in vinyl pools either. I build galvanized
steel vinyl pools and if there is a leak around a gasket or a
little hole somewhere in the lining and the water gets through,
it will eat the hell out of the wall. And you won’t even know
it is happening.”
Hose down potentially corrosive parts:
Steps should be taken to protect ancillary equipment as
well. For instance, if the pool has an automatic cover,
Chandler recommends hosing off its tracks and other parts each
time it is about to be closed back up. “We sell a lot of covers
with aluminum parts. If you have a salt chlorinator, we
recommend washing down all the aluminum and metal parts on the
cover and around the pool,” he says.
