Chlorine generators make chlorine slowly and are not capable of shocking the water. If you want or need to shock the water then you will need to manually add the shock treatment.

When you get a saltwater chlorine generator you are making a statement that you are going to be buying and using fewer chemicals, and part of the reduced maintenance is that you don’t have to check your pool chemical balance very often. This isn’t entirely true, you may still need to periodically shock the water and you should measure the chemical balance prior to use if it is a spa and at least once a week if a pool. Over time the chlorine demand of the water will go up as more and more organic material enter the water. A point may be reached where the chlorine demand for the water is the same or exceeds the chlorine output from your electronic chlorinator. You will notice that when the chlorine is low it takes longer over time for it to bring the chlorine levels back up. You may also have to increase the power level to make more chlorine as the water is consuming more chlorine than your chlorine generator can make at the lower power level. This is more likely to happen in a Spa that is used often and if you have a spa chlorine generator. A Spa chlorinator is designed to make much less chlorine than a pool chlorinator as you do not want to over-chlorinate your spa which could lead to corrosion.

Pool or spa shocking is the addition of a sufficient dose of chlorine: calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo), liquid chlorine, sodium dichlor or non-chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate or MPS). The purpose of a shock treatment is to break-down organic waste contaminants which cause odor, cloudy water, and a decrease in the efficiency of saltwater chlorinators. After treatment, water quality and clarity are often completely restored and you may be able to lower the power level of the saltwater chlorine generator.

When a spa is used every day there can be a quick buildup of organic material, and the water may look just fine and not smell, but the spa chlorine generator is having a harder time keeping up as the days go buy. If you increase the power level of the spa chlorinator that will also decrease the life span of the chlorinator as it will be on longer each day. Shocking the spa is a better alternative and you have to decide on a chlorine or chlorine-free shock.

» If you don’t want to add chlorine, then the chlorine-free shock is the way to go. Just follow the directions on the container.
» If you don’t mind adding chlorine the spa chlorine generator will not mind. This will shock the spa water, and give it some chlorine which is less chlorine that the electronic chlorinator has to make.

The ChlorMaker inline spa chlorine generator has been tested using the Watkins E5 circulating pump with a 3/4 inch line. The E5 pump is used on all 2010 Hot Spring and Tiger River spas. The ChlorMaker has 3 titanium plates that are the same size as the ColorChlor and TechniChlor. The test was performed with a sodium chloride concentration of 2000 and at 85 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
At 85 degrees 1.3 ounces per day
At 97 degrees 1.9 ounces per day

I started ControlOMatic after selling Acu-Trol to Pentair in 2006. At that time I was aware that there were many companies making saltwater pool chlorine generators, but no company was making a small one specifically for spas. When I started Acu-Trol in 1989 I wanted to make something for the pool industry that would really stand out as at that time I didn’t know very much about swimming pools. So I invented the AK1000, the worlds first two pool chemical automation controller with a built in modem. It made sense that the primary market for the AK1000 was hotels and many that have a pool also have a separate spa, so one AK1000 could take care of both.

I had the same type of idea with ControlOMatic and spa chlorine generators, what can be done to make our product stand out. So I invented the ColorChlor, the only chlorine generator in the world with built in light shows. By night (night means the cover is on the spa) the ColorChlor makes chlorine, by day (meaning the spa is being used) the ColorChlor has 13 light shows with many different colors. We also have a version without the light shows called the TechniChlor. The ColorChlor is great if you have an older spa without lights, has boring lights, or if you have kids.

by Scott Lenney, founder of Acu-Trol and ControlOMatic

Grass Valley, California — ControlOMatic, a manufacturer and developer of salt water chlorine generators, has partnered with Horner Xpress, a world wide distributor based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to distribute its primary brands, ColorChlor and TechniChlor.

ColorChlor and TechniChlor are chlorine generators specifically designed for spa and hot tub use. These portable and easy to use chlorinators automatically sanitize spa water by converting skin softening salts into chlorine, eliminating the time and need to store and pour traditional liquid, granule or tablet sanitizing products. There are no buttons, no moving parts, no separate control boxes or timers which make these products so simple to operate and install. Simply program each model to one of ten chlorine generation power levels based on spa size and usage, and they’ll take care of the rest.

ColorChlor®, the flagship brand combines ten levels of chlorine production with 13 dazzling light shows to rejuvenate older portable hot tubs that may not have LED lights built in. Light shows include brilliant solid colors from bright red to aqua blue, rainbow fades, quick flashing strobes and many colors in between. The simple and fun to watch LED light indicators measure water temperature too!

TechniChlor™, uses the same no buttons, no moving parts, LED indicator technology as its counterpart above, but is conveniently built without light show entertainment. TechniChlor™ is a chlorine generator specifically designed for consumers that are just looking for pure chlorination or may own a spa that already have multi-colored lights built in. Save time and money with TechniChlor™, while it takes care of your sanitation needs!

Scott Lenney, CEO and Founder of ControlOMatic and Bill Kent, CEO and Founder of Horner Xpress, believe this strategic partnership will successfully fill a market void that has long been vacant in the pool and spa industry. “Chlorine Generator technology has been around for 30 years in the pool industry…, we have tapped into that same technology and successfully applied it to a hot water environment in the portable spa market,” says Lenney.

For more information, please contact ControlOMatic at 530-906-8239 or Horner Xpress Global Headquarters at 800-432-6966.

There are many ways to sanitize your hot tub or spa, how do you decide which one? There is chlorine, bromine, alternative sanitizers, chlorine generators, bromine generators, shock and so on. All have their place and some are better than others for a small water volume spa with hot water.

Sodium Dichlor

If you are going to use chlorine in your spa, this would be the choice. It is almost pH neutral (will not effect the pH of your spa) and dissolves quickly. However, it does have stabilizer (cynuric acid) which you don’t want building up in your spa. If you drain your spa every 6 months then the cynuric acid buildup will likely not be a problem.

 Trichlor

A great choice for pools, but for spas it disolves slowly, lowers the pH, has stabilizer, may cause bleaching of the shell if the trichlor tabls are in contact with the shell, and may leave a permanent water line ring.

Cal-hypo

Calcium hypochlorite is very popular for pools because it is relatively inexpensive. It includes calcium which can leave deposits on the spa equipment (heater and fittings) and can contribute to a calcium water line ring.

 Liquid Chlorine

If you have it, use it but it raises the pH and is not the best choice for a spa with the water at higher temperatures.

Two of the common types of chlorine used in swimming pools is trichlor and dichlor. Both types of chlorine include cynuric acid (stabilizer) which is used to protect the chlorine from the suns ultraviolet light. Why would you want cynuric acid in your spa? If your spa isn’t covered and the sunlight hits it then OK. If you use tri-chlor in your pool, and you have a separate spa you may out of convenience use it for both. But, when you use trichlor, the chlorine will soon be gone, but not the cynuric acid. You will keep adding more trichlor or dichlor over the months, ever increasing the cynuric acid concentration in your spa. We have converted many spas and above ground pools to saltwater chlorine generators and the cynuric acid concentration was well over 100 PPM. Cynuric acid doesn’t go away and since pools have such a large water volume the concentration added is small, but in a spa that isn’t the case. 

High cyanuric acid levels will reduce the chlorine efficiency and contribute to high total dissolved solids. It may take chlorine longer to kill bacteria and other microorganisms introduced to the water. It may be necessary to drain and refill with fresh water in order to lower the level. Local health authorities often require swimming pools to be maintained under 100 ppm. Cyanuric acid levels in pools should not exceed 150 ppm.

ControlOMatic dealer in Canada Azzurro Enterprises is spearheading the registration process for the ColorChlor and TechniChlor line of electronic saltwater hot tub and spa chlorine generators with Health Canada. All the paperwork has been filed and owner Tony Marcantonio has become a voice in speaking out against the red tape in the process.

A few years ago the chemicals in Tony’s hot tub began agitating his asthma and he searched the Internet and found the ColorChlor. The ColorChlor saltwater chlorine generator worked so well that he was able to enjoy his spa again without worrying about his asthma and enjoyed a big reduction in his spas maintenance and spa problems. Because of this Tony decided to sell the ColorChlor in Canada.

Tony got the ColorChlor approved by the Canadian Standards Association, ensuring all electrical codes were met and then he hit the wall of Health Canada. All the red tape and delays make it very hard for new business owners to even get started. Read the full article by the Ottawas Chamber of Commerce in The Voice.

You don’t have to be a chemist to keep your pool, spa or hot tub clean and clear but you will have to periodically measure the chemical balance of the water. Test strips are easy to use and some can measure more than one item at the same time. You should use a test method that you find easy, fast and convenient so that you will be more likely to keep taking the measurements. There are two basic type of test type: liquid drops and test strips.

Liquid Drops: These require a water sample in a small plastic or glass tube and then drops of a chemical reagent are added and you either add a specific number of drops and observer the color, or keep adding drops (and counting the drops) until there is a color change. There are two main types for chlorine, the OTO measures total chlorine (not free chlorine). You want the total chlorine to be the same as the free chlorine but this isn’t always the case. The DPD measures free chlorine, but if you have high levels of combined chlorine you can get false positive readings.

Test Strips: These are the easiest but require you to compare colors from a small test area to the side of the bottle. These are reported to be comparable in accuracy to the liquid drop tests and some believe they are more accurate.

When using an electronic saltwater chlorine generator you hope to buy and use fewer chemicals and enjoy reduced maintenance. You may still need to periodically shock the water and you should measure the chemical balance prior to use if it is a spa and at least once a week if a pool. Over time the chlorine demand of the water will go up as more and more organic material enter the water. A point may be reached where the chlorine demand for the water is the same or exceeds the chlorine output from your electronic chlorinator. You will notice that when the chlorine is low it takes longer over time for it to bring the chlorine levels back up. You may also have to increase the power level to make more chlorine as the water is consuming more chlorine than your chlorine generator can make at the lower power level. This is more likely to happen in a Spa that is used often and if you have a spa chlorine generator. A Spa chlorinator is designed to make much less chlorine than a pool chlorinator as you do not want to over-chlorinate your spa which could lead to corrosion.

Pool or spa shocking is the addition of a sufficient dose of chlorine: calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo), liquid chlorine, sodium dichlor or non-chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate or MPS). The purpose of a shock treatment is to break-down organic waste contaminants which cause odor, cloudy water, and a decrease in the efficiency of chlorine generators. After treatment, water quality and clarity are often completely restored and you may be able to lower the power level of the saltwater chlorine generator.

When a spa is used every day there can be a quick buildup of organic material, and the water may look just fine and not smell, but the spa chlorine generator is having a harder time keeping up as the days go buy. If you increase the power level of the spa chlorinator that will also decrease the life span of the chlorinator as it will be on longer each day. Shocking the spa is a better alternative and you have to decide on a chlorine or chlorine-free shock.

• If you don’t want to add chlorine, then the chlorine-free shock is the way to go. Just follow the directions on the container.
• If you don’t mind adding chlorine the spa chlorine generator will not mind. This will shock the spa water, and give it some chlorine which is less chlorine that the electronic chlorinator has to make. We recommend using a chlorine shock that doesn’t have stabilizer.

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