Are Mineral-Based Alternatives To Chlorine Any Good? Do They Really Work?

Take the Guess-work Out of Pool Water Chemistry!

In my experience, I have seen several pools which have used mineral-based sanitizers which are plumbed into the pools circulation/filtration system. What these devices are designed to do is not to replace the chlorine but to reduce the amount used for sanitation. Many of them allow for a chlorine reading of just .5ppm.

The 2 most common minerals used in the pool and spa water industry are Silver and Copper. Both have the ability to kill bacteria and silver has been used for over a hundred years for that purpose in the medical industry.

There is quite a bit of technical information about these devices but that can be found online and from the manufacturers but this article is written for the layman who wants to know one thing; do these things work. I have installed them and operate several pools with them so, I wouldn’t say I am the expert but, I am qualified to give you the benefit of my experience and my opinion.

The ones that use silver have given me much better results and have been more consistent. I have used algaecides which feature silver as their active ingredient and I know how well it works to choke off the algae and help prevent it from returning. There are 2 devices registered with the EPA that use silver. One uses colloidal silver released from beads. The other uses a form of silver salt. The second form of device also incorporates calcium carbonate which helps to control pH levels.

The copper based systems also work fairly well but you must be aware of the chlorine levels. Copper and chlorine used together can cause plaster staining. This can happen easily and quickly. It is extremely important to maintain low chlorine levels whenever introducing copper into the water, whether through a copper-based algaecide or a copper-based mineral sanitizer.

It is important to look for an EPA registration number when purchasing one of the above devices. Formerly they were not required to be registered but that has since changed and it is against regulations to market such a product without one.

      Pool Water Chemistry, Simplified