If you’d prefer to stay away from relying on chemicals for treating the water in your swimming pool, there are some non-chemical alternatives available to you. One example is a system that relies on titanium oxidation with copper ionization.
In this type of system in Los Angeles, CA, as the water flows from the pump into the pool, it goes through an ionization and oxidation chamber, where the water either receives copper ions or becomes oxygenated, depending on the controls you’ve set. Either setting will result in the pool water being sanitized, which will kill off viruses, bacteria and algae. This is widely considered the most effective non-chemical strategy for sanitizing pool water. Read on to learn more about the process.
Copper ionization
The process of copper ionization was initially developed for the Apollo Space Program in 1967 as a means of ensuring drinking water was safe and that scale wouldn’t form in cooling systems during space missions. The ionization systems used in pools today are quite similar to that initial technology.
A major benefit of this process is that the copper ions generated by the system are completely safe for humans, plants and animals, unlike many of the chemicals used in other types of pools. You can still get excellent results in terms of killing off bacteria, viruses and algae without worrying about the effects it’ll have on your family, pets or landscaping.
The copper ions get added into the water for a few hours each week (or just a few minutes each week for hot tubs and spas). Because the processes of titanium oxidation with copper ionization are natural, you don’t have to worry about any chemical backwash issues, meaning it’s perfectly safe for you to drain out and backwash your pool.
Non-chemical oxidation
The non-chemical oxidation that can be performed on today’s pools is a high-tech form of sanitization and purification. The water passes through a chamber while a low voltage electrical current gets passed through the coated titanium plates in the chamber. While the pool is in oxidation mode, the electrolysis process results in a separation of the water into hydrogen and oxygen. This separation process results in a combination of hydroxyl radicals and free oxygen atoms, making for some of the most powerful oxidizers you’ll find for disinfecting water.
The oxygen atoms and hydroxyl ions are then responsible for taking out body oils, dead organic matter (killed first by copper ions), sun tan lotions and any other substances that might be found in the pool water.
Using a combination of copper ionization and non-chemical titanium oxidation will result in much clearer, cleaner and purer water than you’d get in other types of systems, including chemical-based treatment methods. If you have any further questions about titanium oxidation with copper ionization, feel free to reach out to the team at Avanti Pools, Inc. to speak with a professional pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA. We look forward to discussing the benefits of this treatment system for your pool!