Another Avoidable Chlorine Incident
August 8th, 2017
The recent release of toxic chlorine gas at the Downtown Durham YMCA sent 40 children and two adults to area hospitals. Indications are there was a pump malfunction and the combination of two gases. That usually means there was the potentially lethal combination of chlorine and muriatic acid. This type of incident is totally avoidable when you use ChlorKing salt-based pool sanitization systems. There’s no need to store and handle toxic chlorine or risk accidents that cause illness and evacuation.
The Downtown Durham Y inspects its pump room daily, and the 10 a.m. inspection raised no red flags, as reported in the news media. Reports say they will add chlorine gas detectors, which are not required by North Carolina state law, to provide warnings of dangerous gas levels.
Of course, they could eliminate the problem altogether with a salt-based system that uses salt instead of bulk chlorine to create a lower concentration of chlorine that is just as effective in disinfecting the pool. They could also avoid the need and expense to build special chlorine storage facilities.
The storage of chlorine was referenced by a pool maintenance specialist in a Charlotte TV news report that looked at 17 violations found in 75 pool inspections. Their source said it’s rare that chlorine and sulfuric acid (muriatic acid) are mixed and that it shouldn’t happen. However, we believe that incidents this summer show that accidents do happen with horrifying consequences.
We believe it’s time to put cost aside to improve the safety of swimmers. Salt is not volatile like chlorine. You won’t need to worry about mishandling chlorine or accidentally mixing it muriatic acid. You won’t need to worry about problems created by chlorine when there’s even the slightest malfunction with a pump. You won’t need to install chlorine gas detectors.
But if money is still a concern, the cost of a salt-based sanitization system is offset by the lower, more stable cost of salt. Our NEXGEN onsite batch chlorine generator produces bleach for 43 cents per gallon, about one-third the cost of bulk chlorine. You can also avoid the costs of shutting down and remediating your pool with NEXGEN or our CHLOR SM systems. And finally, there’s the value you can place on your peace of mind and the peace of mind of the parents who entrust their children’s safety to you.
We can ease your financial peace of mind, too, with our 36- and 60-month Equipment Supply & Maintenance Programs. Trade a large capital outlay for a fixed monthly payment and put the latest technology to work now.
You can avoid the avoidable safety incidents and all the problems they create.