~ Frequently Asked Questions ~

Q.  What is saline chlorination and how does my ChlorKing® system work?

A.  Saline Chlorination uses the time-tested method of electrolysis to separate the small amount of salt (sodium chloride) in the pool water to produce chlorine.  After the chlorine has done its job, it recombines into salt and the process starts over.  Salt is not consumed during the cycle, but recycled.  ChlorKing® is a high-performance saline chlorination system that lets you enjoy crystal-clear pool water.  It is a safer, cleaner, easier alternative to dosing your pool with hazardous gas, sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite.  ChlorKing® improves your pool water quality using harmless non-iodized salt.

Q.  How salty is the water?  Is it like swimming in the ocean?

A.  Your pool will come nowhere close to the amount of salt in the ocean.  The concentration of salt in the ocean is 3.5%, in your new pool it is 0.4% to 0.5%.  That is almost identical to the human body and your own tears.

Q.  Will the salt corrode my pool or my pool equipment?

A.  No.  The saline level is not sufficiently high enough to create a corrosion problem.  The salinity is similar to that of eye wash solutions (very mild).  It is important to ensure that all of your equipment is correctly bonded and grounded on your commercial pool to avoid galvanic action from occurring.

Q.  Is the ChlorKing® system approved by health departments?

A.  Yes.  We have received accreditation from the National Sanitation Foundation for all models of saline (salt) chlorination systems that we manufacture.  The registered NSF Certification Mark confirms that NSF has assessed – and certified – our conformity with the relevant section of NSF/ANSI standard 50 and UL 1081.

Q.  What is the strength of the sodium hypochlorite that the ChlorKing® unit produces?

A.  The ChlorKing® unit continually converts a portion of the salt (NaCl), present in the pool water as a 0.5 % solution, to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), by electrolysis.  The amount of hypochlorite produced depends on the DC current passing through the cell and the duration of operation i.e. intermittent or continuous.  In this way the cell is operated to give the required concentration of chlorine in the pool water, i.e. typically 2 ppm of equivalent chlorine.

* 20 amp DC current = 1 pound per day equivalent chlorine in the form of a hypochlorous acid solution.  The actual strength of the hypochlorous acid in the bypass stream flowing through the system will be approximately 25-ppm equivalent chlorine.  The chlorine content in this bypass stream is then diluted when it enters filter discharge stream (larger pipe) and then diluted again when it enters the main body of water in the pool.

Q.  Will I need to add algaecide to the pool?

A.  Normally, algaecide will not be required when operating the ChlorKing® salt system as long as the required chlorine residual is maintained in the pool.

Q.  What are the by-products produced by the system?

A.  A negligible quantity of hydrogen gas and oxygen passes directly into the atmosphere above the pool water surface where the filter discharge stream enters the pool.

Q.  Will chloramines form in the pool?

A.  Chloramines are less likely to form in the pool when operating the ChlorKing® salt system as long as the required chlorine residual is maintained in the pool.

Q.  Will I need to change my pool water?

A.  In most cases, no.  We only encourage changing the water if the dissolved solids and hardness level suggest that it should.

Q.  Can my existing pool or hot tub be converted to the ChlorKing® salt system?

A.  Yes.  Just about any new or existing pool or hot tub can very easily be converted to our system, without the need for any changes to the pump or filtration system.

Q.  I currently use bromine. Can I convert?

A.  Pools converting from bromine need to drain their water and change their filter sand.

Q.  How does ChlorKing affect the pH level?

A.  Our process is closer to pH neutral than other chlorine sanitizers and therefore has less effect on pH.  The pH must be controlled as before, and is influenced mostly by the Total Alkalinity of the water, as is the case in any pool or hot tub.

Q.  How can I measure the effectiveness of my ChlorKing® system?

A.  You will find that unlike some of the other “alternatives”, the effectiveness can be measured with the use of normal pool test kits.

Q.  How is my ChlorKing® system installed?

A.  The compact ChlorKing® system is easily fitted to new or existing swimming pools or hot tubs of all surface types.  The system is plumbed into the return-to-pool line after the filter, heater, etc.  The power supply is spliced into the filter pump timer controls.  The entire ChlorKing® salt system is wall mounted, leaving plenty of room on the floor of your pump room.

Q.  Has the ChlorKing® System been safely tested?

A.  All electrical connections above the chlorinator are at a voltage of less than 12 volts DC, which poses absolutely no danger of electrical shock.  Remember, the power supply should not be opened or tampered with for fear of electric shock.  Always have an authorized ChlorKing® service technician work on or inside the power supply

Q.  We service our pool in-house.  What do I save by using the ChlorKing® Salt System? 

A.  Time, money, guesswork and the environment!  ChlorKing® reduces the need for the routine purchase, storage and addition of potentially hazardous chemicals, making your pool easy and inexpensive to maintain.  Used during the filter pump cycle, ChlorKing® automatically takes the guesswork out of keeping your pool sanitizer at its optimum daily level.  It also recycles a natural product (salt) making the system environmentally friendly.  Another plus is the time saved by never having to continuously clean the scum from the tiles around the inside your pool.  After the initial installation of salt it will only be necessary to add salt due to filter back washing, water replacement or in the case of an outdoor pool, after a heavy rainfall.

Q.  We outsource our pool service.  What good is the ChlorKing® Salt System to me?

A.  In addition to the therapeutic benefits, there are no severely high or critically low levels of chlorine between service visits, which can make swimming in your pool uninviting.  ChlorKing® is like having your service company stop by every day to add just the right amount of chlorine to ensure a safe, ideal sanitization level for swimming.  If a pool worker sanitizes a pool, there is always the chance of either overdosing or under dosing the pool with chlorine.  Overdosing causes discomfort to the swimmers eyes and skin, whereas under dosing leaves the water without a chlorine residual.  This residual is what prevents algae growth and bacteria formation.  After all, the pool worker can make mistakes, or can forget to complete tasks.  Because a saline chlorinator is part of the filtration system, the sanitizing takes place every time the filtration system is switched on.  There is less reliance on the human factor.

Q.  Is my ChlorKing® Salt System covered by a warranty?

A.  Yes.  All models come with a substantial product warranty.  A 3 year limited warranty of the ChlorKing® system, 2 year pro-rated warranty on the electrode stack and a 1 year warranty on all electrical components.

Q.  Why have I not heard of saline chlorination before now?

A.  As with any change, there is reluctance on our part to break away from our age-old chemical habits.  The United States pool industry is lagging way behind the countries where natural salt dominates pool and spa water sanitization.  At last, with the ChlorKing® system, the trend away from packaged chemicals is well under way.  We feel that this is a technology whose time has come.