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Why electrochlorination is the best disinfection solution...
Over recent months amidst changes to Great Britain Biocidal Product Regulations (GB BPR), competitors within the water disinfection industry have pinned calcium hypochlorite as the best option for swimming pool chlorination, claiming that electrochlorination isn’t compliant under new rules.
This is a myth.
Not only is electrochlorination fully compliant under GB BPR, it’s also the most effective and efficient solution for pool chlorination, offering a host of benefits ranging from sustainability to cost efficiency and total scalability.
Below, we have outlined the benefits of both solutions to showcase electrochlorination as the true champion of water disinfection.
What is electrochlorination?
Electrochlorination is the on-site production of sodium hypochlorite solution by electrolysis of brine. It provides a safe, sustainable and effective method for water disinfection, using only salt, water and electricity to produce chlorine in-situ.
The resulting generated hypochlorite solution contains less than 1% sodium hypochlorite, which is below the hazardous threshold, providing sufficient health and safety and COSHH management benefits.
Sodium hypochlorite generated through electrolysis also provides excellent water clarity, effectively destroying contaminants in pool and spa water caused by human pollution (such as bacteria and other harmful organisms)
Hyprolyser® electrochlorination systems
The electrolysis of brine is a tried and trusted technique for water disinfection. In fact, electrochlorinators have been utilised for the disinfection of swimming pools for decades – including our unique Hyprolyser® systems.
Our family of Hyprolyser® systems include small, wall mounted or skid mounted iSEC® models, to larger, high-capacity standalone units. Each of our systems benefit from our unique vacuum dosing and plug-and-play technologies, providing a huge range of application flexibility, simple installation and easy operation maintenance, with the added benefits of effectiveness, high efficiency, reliability and sustainability.
What is calcium hypochlorite?
Calcium hypochlorite, also known as ‘bleaching powder’, is a popular disinfection product available on the market. It’s been a staple of chlorine water sanitising for decades, previously known as ‘chloride of lime’.
It’s mostly commonly sold as a white, chlorine-smelling powder/granules or tablets, which are added to chemical mixing tanks and erosion feeders. It has an alkaline pH level at around 10 and contains anywhere from 65-75% free available chlorine.
Calcium hypochlorite again provides good disinfection for use in commercial pools. It is typically used as a ‘pool shock’ in residential pools.
What are the benefits of electrochlorination?
Electrolytic chlorination is championed for its sustainability credentials and optimal safety standards, making it stand above disinfection alternatives such as calcium hypochlorite.
– The scalability of electrochlorination is huge, showcasing the ability to treat millions of litres of drinking water or wastewater per day; from large water parks with multiple pools and small commercial spas and swimming pools.
– A natural resource, salt is easily accessible. As salt is refined within the UK and the EU, electrochlorination provides a much-reduced impact on the environment, propelling it as the sustainable alternative. Minimal packaging reduces waste whilst eliminating the need for plastic chemical containers which reduces plastic usage by up to 90%.
– Hyprolyser® reduces disinfection costs. Electrochlorination offers a solution which is competitively priced for both small and large users, as salt is a low-cost commodity. Electrochlorination offers utmost consistency from constant on-demand chemical production, unlike the inconsistency provided by calcium hypochlorite use.
– Brine production champions safety, offering a low-hazard workplace. As salt is safe to handle and store, the risk of on-site accidents is significantly reduced in comparison to stored chemicals like calcium hypochlorite, providing much improved Health and Safety Management on site.
Pros and cons of calcium hypochlorite
– Readily available but increasingly more expensive: As one of the most common disinfectants, calcium hypochlorite is widely available but becoming less competitively priced.
– Can be used as a pool shock: Proactive shocking with calcium hypochlorite will help ensure a pool is well defended against algae, bacteria, and other contaminants.
– Storage: It has excellent stability when kept in dry storage, but best used within twelve months of manufacture and must be kept away from other chemicals at all times.
– Chemical handling: The dry granular/tablet requires dispensing into mixing tanks or feeder systems. The hazards associated with manual handling this chemical requires the use of PPE such as chemical gloves, goggles, PVC apron, rubber boots, EN140/143 face mask/filter.
The manual aspect of mixing into solution often leads to inconsistency in water quality, and dosing equipment requires frequent cleaning and maintenance by competent and trained personnel.
Why electrochlorination remains the best choice
Electrochlorination units, such as our Hyprolyser® technologies, offer the safest, most sustainable and effective offering for the swimming pool industry – ensuring that both staff and customer safety is paramount, as well as the safety of the environment.
Unlike previous opinions from chemical distribution competitors stating that calcium hypochlorite is the best option, electrolysis is not only fully compliant under GB BPR, it is paving the way globally to a future of safe, sustainable and effective swimming pool sanitation.
Visit www.gaffey.co.uk to find out more, or contact us to see how our Hyprolyser® systems can work for you and your business.
