The life span of a pool and spa Chlorine Generator is determined by many factors, but perhaps the most important are:

• Current density, the current per square inch between the plates
• If self cleaning, the period of time between reversing polarity
• Length of chlorine production time

Current density

The current density is one thing that you, the owner of the chlorine generator can have little effect on. The only things that you can do are to set the water temperature and the salt level. The other things that effect the current density are in the design of the cell and the power supply.

The titanium plates typically have a life span of 10,000 hours of chlorine production with the current density at 0.2 amps per square inch. At 0.4 amps per square inch, the life span would be cut in half or even less, but the amount of chlorine produced would also go up.

The factors that effect the current density include

• Spacing between the plates
• Voltage applied to the plates
• Conductivity of the water

 Spacing between the plates: As the plates get closer together the current will go up for the same voltage. The spacing between plates and the voltage are part of the design of the chlorine generator and the manufacturer will typically give a recommended salt concentration which would provide the proper current density for the spacing and voltage of the chlorinator. The proper current density should be one that will exceed the warranty period of the chlorinator. If there is more salt then the current would be higher, if there was less salt the current would be lower.

 Voltage applied to the plates: Some chlorine generators have the ability to change the voltage to keep the current density constant. These will be able to work with greater salt concentration ranges and water temperatures.

 Conductivity of the water: The primary factors are salt concentration and water temperature. As the temperature goes up the current density also goes up. A pool chlorine generator would probably be designed for the proper current density at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. To use a pool chlorine generator in a spa, where the water is 104 degrees Fahrenheit could be a very big problem. At the higher temperature the current density would go up quite a bit and it would also make a lot more chlorine. You would probably not be able to adjust it low enough to make the right amount of chlorine. Over-chlorination can lead to corrosion of the spa heater and other parts. You can of course in this example keep the salt low or make sure that your chlorinator is the type that adjusts the voltage.

 Reversing Polarity

If you have a reversing polarity chlorine generator, then the coating on the titanium plates probably has a blend with Ruthenium Oxide. Every time the plate voltage reverses that can decrease the life of the plates but when done properly the cell will still meet the life expectancy of the chlorine generator. This is a function of the chlorine generator design.

 With the non-reversing chlorine generator the plates will need to be cleaned more often. The manual cleaning probably also effects the life of the plates.

 Length of Chlorine Production

This is the one factor that the owner of the chlorine generator can have a big impact on. The longer the chlorinator is on, that is getting closer to the life of the cell. You will get a longer life from the cell if you are able to have it on less. This of course leads to the chlorine demand of the water and the chlorine level you are trying to achieve. Some of the factors that can help to reduce the time per day the chlorine generator needs to be on include:

Table of things you can do to lower chlorine demand

Conclusion

Always follow the manufacturers recommended salt concentration for your chlorine generator. There are quite a few things you can do to help reduce the chlorine demand on your pool or spa, pick the ones that you can easily do and hopefully you will be able to lower the output level on your chlorine generator, make sure to measure the free chlorine every couple days.

written by Scott Lenney at  www.controlomatic.com

 Chlorine generators, also called chlorinators make chlorine from salt that you have added to the water making it saltwater. Chlorinators have titanium plates with a special coating that when voltage is applied causes electrolysis and the breakdown of the water and the salt creating hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine. The plates have a life span that is typically 10,000 hours of chlorine production if the current to the titanium plates is kept below 0.2 amps per square inch. As the current increases above this value the life span of the plates drops to a value less than 10,000 hours. The current density is determined by the voltage applied to the plates and the spacing of the plates. And, the higher the current the higher the chlorine production (in most cases).

 Lower cost chlorinators typically exceed the 0.2 amps to require less titanium in the product as the titanium and the coating is the most expensive part and they can provide a lower cost product that will not last as long. For a swimming pool this may not be a problem for a one or two year warranty as the season for a pool is 5 months, and if it is on for 12 hours per day then in two years the chlorine generator would have only been on 3650 hours. Even if there is a longer warranty that may not matter as the manufacturer figures what are the chances after two years for a warranty claim.

When looking to purchase a chlorine generator and talking to your friends who have one it isn’t enough that they like the product. Almost everyone who has converted to a saltwater chlorine generator likes the change. When reading a blog about a particular chlorinator and the excitement of the writer on how wonderful the water is and how they endorse that particular product is sort of silly, especially if they bought a cheap one which makes lots of chlorine the first months due to the high current to the plates and they are in their first month. Instead look to those who recommend a chlorine generator where they are past the first year and any problems they may have had the manufacturer has backed up the warranty and service.

The nice folks over at ControlOMatic have made videos demonstrating the operation of the ColorChlor and TechniChlor. In fact, the videos are award winning and are very well done. Make sure to check them out if you have any questions on the operation of the ColorChlor.  You can see all the videos at (http://www.controlomatic.com/videos.html).

Here is the overall introduction to the ColorChlor and TechniChlor.

ControlOMatic (www.controlomatic.com) has released TAP technology for both the ColorChlor and TechniChlor line. Now they operate by gently tapping the ColorChlor or TechniChlor against the side of the spa or your hand instead of taking them out of the water.

Here is a videw demonstrating changing the power level using tap technology.

Chlorine generators make chlorine from salt in your pool or spas water. You simple add salt to the water and the chlorine generator does the rest. The typical salt concentration is 2000 to 4000 ppm, at 3000 ppm that is about 2 pounds of salt per 100 gallons of water. Chlorine generators are very popular because they eliminate the buying, storing, transporting and handling of chlorine as well as provide a dramatic reduction in the maintenance demands of your pool or spa.

Self Cleaning

The chlorine generator has titanium plates with a special rare-earth coating that can have a build-up of calcium or other compounds over time. That is because during the electrolysis process current goes in one direction from plate to plate. Chlorine generators with the feature of self cleaning periodically reverse the direction of the current which helps to break up the compounds that have attached to the plates. If the hardness of the water is very high even self cleaning chlorine generators may still need to be cleaned, but not as often as those without self cleaning.

Adjustable Power

Chlorine generators typically operate at full power. To adjust the power they adjust how long they are on. A chlorine generator operating at half power may be on for 12 hours in a day, and off for 12. Chlorine generators without adjustable power usually need a timer added so you can externally control the amount of chlorine produced. Without controlling the chlorine production you can end up with too much chlorine. You can also adjust the chlorine production by increasing/decreasing the salt level but this can be a hassle.

The market for salt chlorine generator systems for spas and hot tubs is growing at an exponential rate. The market growth, to-date, has been primarily with residential pools and spas but it is likely that the technology will expand into commercial installations (condominium, hotel, municipal, etc.) as regulating bodies see the benefits and overall safety improvements. Driving this growth are simplicity, safety, water quality and automated management opportunities. Prior to the advent of pool chlorinators, a pool owner only had undesirable options for continually adding chemicals and all the additives and residues packaged with them.

Industry numbers show upwards of 50% of new residential pools and 25% of residential spas in North America are getting installed with salt water chlorine generators. There are currently some 6,000,000 previously installed residential pools now looking to add the units – all fueling this exploding new technology.