How to pool chlorinators work?

I have a pool, and use an ancient Guardex "open" chlorinator that takes 1-inch trichlor tablets. But I can't get parts for it anymore, and every now and then the check valves get crud in them, and overnight when the pump is off I lose prime. So it may be time to get a new one.

All the modern chlorinators appear to be sealed systems. There are input and output ports, and there's a screw-on lid that I assume is air-tight. But I don't understand exactly how these things work. What determines how high the water level gets inside the chlorinator? Is there any way to adjust that? I assume it doesn't fill up completely, but there's some air in the top.

The other issue I'm concerned about is that I only run the pump about 12 hours a day. And I wonder what happens to the chlorinated water in the chlorinator when I turn the pump off. Does it stay in there and continue to dissolve the chlorine? In my old chlorinator, the water drains out when the pump turns off, and I'd like to keep that feature if possible.

I guess the alternative is floaters, but I'd rather avoid that if possible.

Anyway, if anyone knows of a link where the operation of these things is explained in detail, I would appreciate knowing about it.

Reply to
Peabody
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The tablets dissolve and water runs through it to the pool, becoming chlorinated in the process.

The lid.

Why?

Well, I can't see inside mine until I remove the lid, but then it's pretty full. I assume, like the pump filter basket, the air is purged.

Yep.

Why?

Can't help you there. More simple devices are pretty rare. -----

- gpsman

Reply to
gpsman

Here is a PDF of the manual for the Hayward CL220---that's the one I have for my above ground pool.

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It is piped into the output line of the filter. It is a cylinder with a screw on cap like you described. It can be filled with 1", 3", or sticks (slow dissolving tri-chloro). The water enters through an adjustable valve on the inlet side of the chlorinator. Inside the unit, there is what I call a "standpipe". It is a plastic pipe about 5" tall that is piped to the output side of the chlorinator. As the water goes through the main feed pipe, it evidently creates somewhat of a suction, and the chlorinated water is sort of sucked out of the unit through the standpipe. When you turn the filter off, whatever water is in the unit sits there and gets super chlorinated, but the tablets don't really dissolve much without water flow around them. When you turn the filter on, the first few seconds of water entering the pool reek of chlorine, but that dissappears after a few seconds. The water never gets any higher than the standpipe. Check out the manual--it has an exploded view of the unit--you will see what I am explaining.

RON

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Reply to
Ron in NY

It does seem that all the new pools I see are going with the salt system. Our community pool converted a couple years back.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

What's wrong with just using a floater? It is simple, adjustable and seems to get the job done with zero maintenance beyond dropping a couple 3" tabs in it every week. Just tell the kids not to f*ck with it.

Reply to
gfretwell

My pool chlorinator is very hard to open and close -- and I have arthritis. I stopped using it. I use the floaters .... my pool is not real large and one was enough. My friend had her pool filled in -- and gave me her floaters... so now I use two. They work fine and it's easy to put in more tablets when I need them.

Reply to
Dottie

We get enough rain to keep the stabilizer down. I haven't noticed any sign of concentration of the chlorine around the floater. It seems to test pretty consistently, wherever I take the sample.

Reply to
gfretwell

When I built the pool I put an overflow in the design so it auto levels when it rains. There are 3 cutouts under the coping in the far side swim out that allow the excess to drain away from the house. That ends up being part of the normal drainage from the pool deck, roof etc that all slopes out that way.

Reply to
gfretwell

We don't have that problem here but I would ask "why not"? Can you water your lawn with your tap water? (questioning the pollution factor, not water restrictions)

If your pool is properly balanced the water is just about the same as typical "city water" My tap water in Washington DC tested right in the groove with a 2 bottle pool tester. Try it.

Reply to
gfretwell

Why would a pool have high phosphate (or nitrate) levels? That comes from lawn fertilizer in suburban environments. In fact some Florida counties ban anything but 0-0-xx fertilizer in the rainy season. (although they don't seem to sell it at most home stores). You are right that nutrients are probably the most troubling pollutant from suburban settings but the other one is fecal coliform and a little dash of chlorine would help that. I guarantee the water in my pool is cleaner than the water from a treatment plant with a lower chlorine count and they dump millions of gallons of that a day into waterways.

Reply to
gfretwell

Lots of trees and stuff here in NJ, and I've yet to spend any $$ on phosphate remover, nor have I ever had problems attributable to phosphates. There is debate as to what level of phosphate creates a real problem, as well as where it may come from. The folks promoting the lower level of phosphates seem to be in the business of selling the phosphate removers.

Also, if phosphates in the pool are coming from blown in debris or fertilizer, seems a bit strange to have a ban against letting the pool water be discharged into the storm sewers or ground. Isn't that exactly where the rest of the rainwater is going together after having been in contact with far more debris, fertilizer, etc?

Reply to
trader4

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