CHLORINE POOL ALTERNATIVES
Chlorine has been the number one choice to sanitize swimming pools since, well, forever. It has some drawbacks, but it does a great job killing germs and bacteria, oxidizing and deters algae but most importantly (until recently), it has been the least expensive. But with Trichlor in short supply following the massive chemical fire in August of 2020 at the Biolab facility in Westlake, Louisiana, as well as the already pandemic driven supply shortages due to increased demand and supply chain issues,
the high cost of chlorine has led many pool owners to consider other solutions for sanitizing their pool. There are many alternatives to chlorine, but we will focus on our top-recommended options.
1 / SALT
Using a salt system to sanitize your pool will eliminate the need to add chlorine to your pool. Instead, you will have a salt-chlorine generator (also known as a salt system or a salt chlorinator) to create chlorine from sodium chloride (salt) to sanitize the pool water. So you still have a chlorine pool; it's just a different type of chlorine so, instead of pouring chlorine into your pool or adding tablets, the generator is continuously creating it. A salt system is an excellent sanitizing solution, and it isn't too difficult to make the necessary changes.
Here are some additional helpful resources:
2 / MINERAL SYSTEMS
You will still need chlorine with a mineral system, but chlorine usage will be reduced by at least 50%, making it a popular pool chlorine alternative. A mineral system is a dual cartridge-based system. One cartridge uses minerals, specifically silver and limestone. The silver destroys bacteria, and the limestone absorbs acids from chemicals to help maintain a neutral pH. The other cartridge will release low levels of chlorine. A controlled release system dispenses the minerals and chlorine to prevent overdosing.
3 / UV & OZONE SYSTEMS
The combination of UV light and ozone are healthier, more powerful alternatives to chlorine. The Ultraviolet (UV) and ozone (O3) generators dramatically reduce chlorine usage and are more eco-friendly than chlorine. In addition, the combination of UV and O3 creates Hydroxyl Radicals to oxidize inorganic waste products and inactivates harmful microorganisms resistant to chlorine.
Our Top Recommended UV / OZONE System>
Although chlorine has been the go-to for pool sanitization, many other alternatives will do a stellar job. If converting your pool is something you are interested in, don't hesitate to call us with any of your questions at 301-972-3800.
/ HAPPY SWIMMING /