Pool Ionizer -- Non Chlorine Natural Silver and Copper Sanitation

A pool ionizer is a non chlorine method of sanitizing a pool. I find it very interesting because mineral ionization is something very talked about in the realm of natural health. But before we get any further, lets discuss what exactly an ion is? An ion is a particle that's dissolved and suspended in water, and has a positive charge. In the case of the pool ionizer, it dissolves and positively charges two minerals into the water of a pool, one is copper, and the other is silver.  In technical terms, the pool ionizer actually creates cations, which are the positively charged ions.  Anions are negatively charged ions.  But that's more information than you need.  So why these two metals?

That's where we get back to natural health. For a long time now people have been ionizing silver in water and drinking it in order to battle disease and infection. I take it myself whenever I start feeling under the weather. I happy to say that I haven't been sick in over 5 years. Silver ions kill germs because they inhibit the respiration of single celled organisms. The natural health product is called colloidal silver, or ionic silver. The other metal that is ionized by the pool ionizer is copper. So what does copper do? Copper was discovered awhile back to inhibit algae growth. Copper ions in significant levels can stop algae growth altogether, but are not harmful to humans. So a pool ionizer is a safe method for achieving a fairly good sanitation of your pool.

Sadly, no. A pool ionizer isn't a standalone sanitation method and must be supplemented by other sanitation methods. Why is that? The reason is mostly due to the other amounts of foreign particles that are found in pools. Beyond germs, bacteria, and algae, your pool often gets a lot of other forms of debris, things like skin cells, hair, bugs, lotions, sunscreen, grass, dust, and more. These foreign elements must also be eliminated through some method. Silver and copper won't do anything to eliminate these kinds of foreign particles.

There are a few options for how to do this. The most popular of which is:

1. An Ozone Generator

• An ozone generator takes regular oxygen molecules which are O2, and combines them with other oxygen molecules until they become ozone, which is O3. Ozone, when introduced into the water of the pool will eliminate foreign particles but will not sanitize the pool. It will oxidize dead organic matter and eliminate it, leaving the pool ionizer to do the job of killing the algae and germs. This is a pretty effective combination, but sometimes can get a bit pricey. Still, many people prefer this method to the alternative of constantly being exposed to high levels of chlorine.

2. Non Chlorine Shock

• I've written extensively about non chlorine shock in another hub. What it basically entails is adding a chemical in large amounts that will quickly oxidize and eliminate foreign particles very quickly. Among these non chlorine shock chemicals is the chemical known as monopersulfate, or MPS. This chemical has become very popular among pool and spa owners because it works very quickly and doesn't have a noxious odor like chlorine. Swimmers can enter the water sometimes in as little as 30 minutes after an MPS shock treatment, if the proper sanitation levels have been achieved.
  

The bottom line is that some chlorine will probably be needed in order to sanitize your pool along with your pool ionizer. Many other methods such as an ozone generator, boast that they reduce the need for chlorine by around 50%. That's pretty good, especially when combined with things like pool ionizers. If you have a powerful pool ionizer and an ozone generator in place, you might almost be able to get away will a chlorine free pool. Chances are though that you'll still need some. But in my research, I came across some pretty interesting combinations of natural chemicals that people have tried in order to easily and cheaply eliminate the need for chlorine. People are definitely creative. I'm not nit picky about 10% or so, so if you can whittle the chlorine use down to a small fraction, I've say you've won the battle.  For more on home sanitation, check out High Pressure Steam Cleaners.