Non Chlorine Alternative for Swimming Pool

About Chlorine Usage

Benefits

You may wonder how using chlorine in swimming pools ever became so popular. The truth is that chlorine wears many hats while it’s in your pool. Here’s a sample:

• Chlorine kills bacteria very quickly, and is effective at low concentrations.
• At higher concentrations, it can also kill algae.
• Known as “bather waste”, chlorine also breaks down oils, lotions and skin flakes.

Drawbacks

Chlorine, however, is not without its problems. Besides sometimes causing allergic reactions, chlorine can react with certain organic material. Once it does this, it forms what are called chloramines. Unfortunately, chloramines are smelly! They also sting your eyes and give swimming pools that “chlorine” smell.

A second complication with using chlorine is that it only works well when the pH balance of a pool is correct. This means you have to monitor the pH and adjust it as needed. If not, you’ll have to add more chlorine to break down the above mentioned chloramines and “bather waste”. However, you should be aware that if you add too much to the water, you run the risk of “shocking” your pool. If this happens, you'll have to wait until some of the chlorine dissipates before you can use the pool again.

Non Chlorine Alternative for Swimming Pool Use

It’s important to note that most of the non-chlorine alternatives are divided into two categories: low chlorine and no chlorine. Let’s have a closer look.

Bromine

Often used in spas for its tolerance of high pH levels and temperatures, Bromine is in the same family of chemicals as chlorine, and chemically speaking, is very similar in structure. Bromine kills bacteria the same way chlorine does, but while chlorine produces chloramines, Bromine produces bromamines. There’s no need to worry, however, as bromamines are actually a disinfectant in their own right and are capable of killing bacteria.

• Installation tip: Feed bromine to your pool by way of a floating dispenser or a brominator (this is a tube with pool water running through one end and a lid on the other end). Bromine contains no chlorine.

Persulphates

Persulphates, also known as Active Oxygen, are very effective at killing bacteria and bather waste. They do not, however, kill algae.

Often used as “non-chlorine shock”, persulphates work by shocking your pool and breaking down bather waste. It does this by breaking down the atoms of that waste into particles so small, that they actually become invisible!

• Installation tip: A German company, Bayrol, is currently marketing persulphates under two products names, Soft and Easy and Bayrol Duo Tabs. Soft and Easy comes in a sachet form and Duo tabs are two tablets. Both are then put into the water to work. Persulphates contain no chlorine.

Low Chlorine Alternatives

Ozone

Ozone is an unstable and toxic form of oxygen, and structurally speaking, it's three oxygen atoms bound together. Once added to the pool, one of the atoms breaks away form the trio and immediately begins killing bacteria. This non chlorine alternative for swimming pools is highly toxic, but it works in a flash!

• Installation tip: Powered by electricity, ozone is generated in a special unit that attaches to the pipe work of your pool. This unit allows the ozone to work only with water in the pipe and it keeps the ozone from leaking out into the rest of the pool. Therefore, you’ll still need to keep a residual amount of chlorine in your pool. So, while ozone doesn't actually contain chlorine, we'll still have to class it as a low chlorine alternative.

Copper and Silver

There are two more alternatives left for you to choose from. The first is copper and the second is silver. Also known as natural minerals, these two alternatives offer low doses of chlorine while still being a very good defense against algae. Note that you cannot just add silver to your pool. Instead, you’ll need to add it as silver ions

• Installation tip: The most common way to add copper and silver to a pool is through the use of an Ionizer. Attached to your pipe work, and powered by electricity, Ionizers are relatively easy to install by following the manufacturer's directions.

Polymeric Biguanides

There is one more non chlorine alternative for swimming pool use, but switching to it after chlorine use is very tricky. Polymeric biguanides contain no chlorine, but because they are completely incompatible with chlorine, you’ll need to go through the extra work of removing all traces of chlorine from your pool. Using this alternative maintenance product may be far more convenient to use on a brand new swimming pool..