What are Alternatives to Chlorine?

The chlorine shortage of 2020 taught pool and spa professionals nationwide just how much consumers relied on chlorine to care for their pools and spas. It also called attention to the need to offer chlorine alternatives for pool retail stores and pool service technicians. Shortage or no shortage, professionals and customers alike need to know their options when it comes to chlorine alternatives. If you’re not yet offering chlorine alternatives to your product line-up, here are some options to consider.  

Chlorine Alternatives

PHMB or Biguanide

PHMB, which is short for polyhexamethylene biguanide, is a nice alternative to chlorine as it is more stable than the commonly used chlorine. Using PHMB also provides the option of not having to use chlorine as a sanitizer. It also irritates eyes and skin less than chlorine and is not as harsh on vinyl pool liners, pool walls and pool floors.

Baquacil® is a trusted brand of PHMB and is one of the most popular chlorine alternatives on the market. 

Bromine

Bromine is more common in spas than it is in pools since it stays consistent at high temperatures. It’s often not considered an alternative to chlorine for pools due to its susceptibility to sunlight.

However, this is not the case for indoor pools. Since indoor pools aren’t exposed to sunlight the same way outdoor pools are, you don’t have to worry about your bromine disintegrating in the sun. Bromine also doesn’t give off gas the way chlorine does, so there won’t be a stuffy, lingering “chlorine smell” in an indoor pool room.

So if you own or operate a commercial indoor pool and are looking for a chlorine alternative, consider bromine. GLB® offers Generation Brominating Disinfectant, which are slow-dissolving bromine tablets made specifically for pools.

Saltwater

Saltwater helps you sanitize your pool in a natural way by using salt to produce and create chlorine. The salt in the water breaks down into chlorine, which lowers the chloramines in the water (these are what create that chlorine smell we’re all familiar with). This increases the water’s free chlorine, which helps pool water stay clean. Because it’s a more natural alternative to chlorine, it does not affect your eyes or skin. Not only is salt water a nice, natural alternative to chlorine, but it also allows you to spend less money on the chemicals one typically has to buy for a pool.   

If you’re looking for a saltwater alternative to chlorine to add to your product line-up, AQUASALT® is your best option. It’s the bestselling pool salt in America today and is the highest-purity pool salt for chlorine generators.

Another great option is Powerclean® Salt Ultra from CMP. This powerful system produces up to two pounds of chlorine per day, all without tabs or shock. Yet it’s easy to use and service, taking all of the guesswork out of switching to a saltwater pool. Also, the Powerclean Salt Ultra doesn’t require you to use acid to clean it – it comes with a handy cleaning tool for simply scraping off the salt instead! The system has a clear cell housing, so you’ll always see when it’s time for the salt cell to be cleaned.

Ozone Generators

A pool with an ozone generator decreases the amount of chemicals that you have to use in that pool (sometimes ozone generators can decrease the amount of chemicals used by 90%). Additionally, ozone generators make pool water softer than it normally is. And, thanks to the pH neutral solution, problems with organic contaminants and calcium scaling are not as prevalent. 

Our top recommendation for ozone generators for pool and spa professionals is the CMP DEL Ozone system. It uses Advanced Plasma Gap™ (APG) ozone cells that generate more ozone per cell and provide clean pool water, plus reduces chemical use.

Alpha West Has Resources for Chlorine Alternatives

If you’re looking for chlorine alternatives in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Idaho territories contact us at Alpha West. Our pool manufacturer representatives can provide all the chlorine alternatives you and your customers may need.