Many homeowners struggle while trying to select sanitization systems for their swimming pool as there are so many options to choose from. Ozone, Salt or Chlorine to name a few? When making your decision consider the following:
- Initial costs; What is the initial outlay for the system?
- Ongoing maintenance costs; How much per month will the system cost me?
- Maintenance tasks; How easy will the pool chemical levels be to balance? Don't be misled, as some systems are more sensitive to pool chemistry than others. This means your time will be spent constantly trying to balance your pool chemicals and adjusting levels.
- Climate, environment and number of swimmers, are also factors that need to be taken into account, as this influences the amount of contaminants that can affect your pool water.
Ozone
Ozone is created when free oxygen atoms collide with oxygen molecules. It is manufactured on demand by subjecting oxygen molecules to ultraviolet light inside an Ozone system.
Advantages of Ozone Sanitization
- Water purification: Ozone directly decomposes organic waste by oxidation, in fact Ozone is used to purify bottled water and in food manufacturing.
- Water sanitation: Ozone is a highly effective at sanitization. Dissolved ozone kills virtually all bacteria, viruses and fungi.
- Water oxygenation & clarity: Unused ozone turns into normal oxygen and remains dissolved in the water to the point of saturation. This makes the pool water clean, sparkling and appealing.
- Ozone has no effect on the pH levels of a swimming pool, and requires much less pH adjustment. This translates to less chemical usage and less maintenance time trying to balance chemicals.
- Filtration support: Ozone assists flocculation by breaking down filter-clogging contaminants such as grease and oils, thus enhancing the effectiveness of filters and need to backwash.
Disadvantages of Ozone Sanitization
- Ozone has a short half-life: it cannot be stored, because of this ozone is produced on demand via the ozone unit. This is simply fitted to your pool return line and is activated when your pool is filtering.
- Trace amounts of Chlorine may be used in conjunction with Ozone - Tablets are simply added to your aqua-genie dispenser.
Chlorine
Chlorine has historically been the most widely-used chemical for swimming pool sanitization. It kills bacteria by undergoing a simple chemical reaction.
Advantages
- It is readily available in a number of different forms from retailers.
- Chlorine has a residual effect: not only does it neutralize contaminants when it is first added to swimming pool water, but it also continues to neutralize long afterward.
Disadvantages
- Can cause skin and eye irritation to swimmers.
- Can cause togs to wear over time.
- In-correct balancing of pool chemistry can cause that ‘chlorine smell’
- Must be regularly tested and maintained.
Salt Chlorine
First off, to eliminate any confusion, a salt pool is still a chlorine pool. There seems to be a lot of confusion about this. Any pool using salt is also using a chlorine generator of some sort, turning Sodium Chloride (salt) into Chlorine. Salt chlorine generators utilize a chemical process called electrolysis to sanitize the water.
Advantages
- Because the chlorine generated is so concentrated at the point of production (inside the salt cell), swimming pool water is superchlorinated when it passes through the energized cell. This superchlorination helps combat the buildup of chloramines.
- Some people prefer Salt Chlorination to swim in over chlorine.
Disadvantages
- Salt chlorine generators are expensive to purchase.
- Can cause skin and eye irritation, but less than a traditional chlorine pool.
- Salt chlorine pH levels that are not neutral, so additional chemicals and testing is required to balance the pH levels in salt chlorine swimming pools.
- Salt cells must be replaced once every three to five years.
- Excessive salt concentration is corrosive and can contribute to the breakdown of handrails, lighting systems, swimming pool liners, and other equipment. It can also damage swimming pool decks.
Magnesium, Potassium & Mineral Pools
Recently there has been a trend in marketing campaigns to substitute sodium chloride (salt) with Minerals - magnesium & potassium chloride, but the end result is the same “chlorides are converted to chlorine" using electrolysis as per a salt pool.