British pool market lags behind on salt chlorination…
An impressive 70 per cent of pools in the US, Germany and Canada and a whopping 90% of pools in Australia fly the salt chlorination flag as their preferred swimming pool water treatment system of choice. Languishing in single figures, the UK market remains reluctant to take the plunge on salt chlorination, stuck in a salt mine of resistance to change, lack of product knowledge, outdated pool equipment and the lure of profits from chemical sale.
The British pool trade is missing out on the potential for both new install and retrofit salt chlorination packages that a new type of customer is not just wanting but are demanding with their dual benefits of a consistently improved swimming water quality in addition to cost-efficient swimming choices.
“Salt chlorination is still suffering from a chequered history of when it first dipped a salty toe into the UK back in the Seventies and Eighties,” suggests Alan Thorne of Ocea UK, distributors of the Mr Pure range of salt chlorinators.
“Way back then, so much salt was required to trigger electrolysis to happen, it was like swimming in sea water with the predictable problems for pumps, heat exchangers and filtration not to mention stainless steel finishes. “But products have moved on and the UK market needs to move with it and be alert to the potential from modern methods of salt chlorination delivery,” Alan urges.
LOW DOSES
These days with optimised, precision, auto dosing techniques, it is very easy to add salt, add the value of soft water with a refreshing swimming experience that simply leaves swimmers, their hair and skin, feeling so much more pleasant. “We only need a very low doses of salt to trigger the appropriate amount of chlorine,” Alan points out.
“They should be recommended for new installs but retrofitting is also cost-efficient, perfectly feasible and profitable with a clear formula to work out return on investment for the customer. They are a particularly good fit for home pools and lido pools,” he adds.
Ocea UK’s new Ocea-X range includes Mr Pure, the first ORP, or Oxidation-Reduction Potential, salt chlorinator with Inver Turbo technology which self-adapts to different situations and delivers 0-130% automated chlorine production. This latest water treatment innovation adopts an advanced PID algorithm for accurate control of chlorine production and pH regulation.
It transforms a pool into an oasis with baby-grade water that’s natural and healthy. No more worries about red eyes, dry hair, or rough skin – just refreshing water that’s perfect for anyone, especially those with sensitive skin. Mr Pure releases you from any concerns about swimming in saltwater or forgetting to add salt in time, thanks to Inver Turbo technology.
It is even able to operate even at low salt levels of 1g/L, benefiting both swimmers and pool systems. Features include an on-screen display that lets you know when the water is perfect for swimming, so there are no guessing games.
The simple touch-screen which is only 75mm thick shows visual water quality, so you know when the swimming conditions are just right. It features Turbo boost for when you want to speed up the process so you can swim right away, perfect for when you have excited children waiting to jump in the pool!
COST SAVINGS
The system only produces chlorine when required, saving costs and energy in running your pool and keeping it sanitised. Supplied with pH and ORP Probes as standard, are in stock ready for despatch or can be purchased off the shelf at Ocea UK’s new Trade centre in Witney.
Both Ocea UK and Golden Coast promote the Mr Pure salt chlorinator brand. According to the manufacturer, Aquark, Mr. Pure can save up to 1000kWh in energy over five years of use, making it an excellent investment in terms of cutting costs. “Mr. Pure is a great option for anyone looking to reduce their energy costs and enjoy a clean pool without having to deal with any chemicals,” explains Tom Sharman, Technical Account Manager at Golden Coast.
“Another great thing is that whoever is operating it doesn’t need to have any specialist knowledge. There’s no need for complex calculations or constant maintenance – just plug and go.” In fact, Mr. Pure can continue running without any additional salt maintenance for an astonishing 180 days – making it ideal for those with busy schedules who don’t want to spend lots of time on pool upkeep.
And because the sleek pad controller, just 75mm thick, displays water quality in real time, it’s easy to see what’s happening straight away. Meanwhile, the full range of Bayrol chemical and dosing equipment is now available in the UK, exclusively from Lighthouse Pools.
“We have been particularly impressed with the functioning of the Automatic Salt in particular because of its intuitive user interface” John Whiteside, Business Development Manager The Bayrol Automatic Salt is a smart salt electrolysis product from the research and development work of Bayrol Technik, produced and developed in Germany.
It regulates the production of chlorine from the salt dissolved in the water, whilst also measuring and regulating the pH, which ensures a safe, sustainable, and more environmentally friendly treatment of your pool water. It is intuitive, durable, and efficient.
The Smart & Easy technology makes Automatic Salt an ideal companion to offer hassle-free bathing pleasure. Automatic Salt has intelligent software functions, such as the initial commissioning wizard, which helps you define the essential parameters of the device easily in addition to a large display and easy to navigate menu.
WATER BALANCE
Automatic Salt automatically and precisely analyses the pH value and the chlorine content (redox) and regulates them by injecting liquid pH and by generating free chlorine with the help of salt electrolysis. This ensures a stable water balance and thus enables a steady disinfection performance with the optimal chlorine content.
The electrolysis cell can also produce free chlorine from a salt content of only 1.5 g/l and the technical and high-quality design makes it easy to integrate into the existing pool system. The unit comes with a Smart and Easy connector which, as well as housing all the chemical sensors in a discrete unit, has an integrated flow switch and temperature sensors to provide additional safety and pool information on the device.
The entire system is compact and easy to install. The Bayrol Automatic Salt is equipped with an integrated WiFi module as standard, that allows convenient remote access to the pool water parameters via a smartphone or any other Internet-enabled device.
The remote access allows not only a reading of the measured values but also full access to the settings – so you have your pool water quality fully under control even on the go! Automatic Salt one of the most reliable salt chlorinators available today.
FEATURES
• Complete electrolysis system with continuous measurement and control of pH and disinfectant (redox)
• Operates from 1.5 g/l of salt
• 4.3” touch screen, user-oriented graphical user interface, simplified navigation
• Integrated WiFi module for remote access
• Continuous measurement and display of temperature and salt content
• Protection by paddle flow sensor and gas detector
• Contact input for pool cover
• Contact input for pH-Minus suction low-level switch
• USB port for updates
• Tool-free electrical connections with connectors
• Transparent cell holder, installation with Ø 50 mm fittings
• Vertical or horizontal cell installation
• Smart&Easy Connector, inline analysis and dosing chamber
Alan Thorne again: “In my opinion both the wholesale companies as well as the pool contractors need to be encouraged to push the salt chlorination button. “Both are so busy selling chlorine they might see the salt chlorinator as being less profitable.
I hope the profit margin on chlorine is not stopping them from promoting salt chlorination because when you consider a ‘salt safe’ retrofit offers a payback period, on reduced chlorine costs, of about two years for the customer, the bigger picture really is quite exciting.”
COMPANY CONTACTS
Golden Coast
Tel. 01271 378100
Email. swimmer@goldenc.com
www.goldenc.com
Lighthouse Pools
Tel. 01752 253525
Email. sales@lighthousepools.co.uk
www.lighthousepools.co.uk
Ocea UK
Tel. 01993 707910
Email. sales@oceacovers.com
www.oceauk.com
