Pulsar® Chemicals
It’s all about our chemicals
A 3-in-1 product that chlorinates consistently, increases calcium to protect plaster, and balances alkalinity to stabilize pH – calcium hypochlorite (cal hypo) is one of the most widely used chemicals for sanitizing swimming pool water and is the only commercial pool treatment sanitization method that chlorinates, removes organics and metals, boosts hardness and shock treats in one process.
At Pulsar®, we’ve been innovating cal hypo feed systems for decades, and our dedication to perfecting cal hypo feed systems is as strong as ever. As a result of that focus on delivering crystal clear safer water, today’s Pulsar® cal hypo feed systems routinely achieve solution consistencies within 0.1 to 0.2 ppm.
Pulsar® Plus Briquettes
The anatomy of a Pulsar® Plus briquette
The size and shape of Pulsar® Plus Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal Hypo) briquettes are quite different from standard cal hypo tablets – here’s why:
- Pulsar® Plus Cal Hypo briquettes are designed and manufactured for optimum performance.
- Our exclusive compact briquette shape eliminates air pockets and increases density.
- Standard cal hypo tablets have a sharp edge because the product is formed under compression using a conventional press.
- Pulsar® Plus briquettes are made using dual rollers that join to produce the size, shape and density of the product.
- The Pulsar® process is effective in eliminating air pockets that can form when producing cal hypo media at a fairly high rate of speed.
- Our proprietary method produces compact briquettes with consistent uniform hardness to dissolve evenly.
The “Plus” in Pulsar® Plus
In addition to helping balance pool water chemistry, the briquettes’ calcium base also protects the pool’s physical surfaces from damage. Unlike most calcium hypochlorite tablets, Pulsar® Plus briquettes contain a special inhibitor to reduce potential for carbonate scale. Not all calcium hypochlorite media provide this protection. This is the “Plus” in Pulsar® Plus, and in addition to the benefit of better dosage control when comparing Pulsar® Plus calcium hypochlorite briquettes to other sanitizing products, our briquettes provide for
- Excellent water appearance
- Low total dissolved solids buildup
- Ease in handling – their size and shape make them easily “scoopable” for loading into our feeders.
Standard Cal Hypo tablets vs. Pulsar® Plus briquettes
Pulsar’s® comparatively small, smooth briquette is designed to maintain optimum packing within our feeders. Standard calcium hypochlorite tablets are much larger than Pulsar® Plus briquettes, and their sharp edges can often hang up on each other and create voids at the critical moment of contact with water. These voids can result in solution inconsistencies, creating lower chlorine residual concentration in the final solution.
Once these larger tablets dissolve and those voids collapse and are filled, it can abruptly bring higher concentrations to the final solution. New voids are then created as the next layer of tablets descends into the water zone, which drops the solution concentration down again – resulting in concentrations that are continually changing.
The benefit of a well-packed bed is solution consistency. With Pulsar® differentiated feed system technology, our briquettes flow more like a granular material than a tablet, which allows our Pulsar® line of feeders, and Pulsar® Plus briquettes to:
- Achieve better dosage control, by contacting the entire bottom of the briquette bed evenly, providing consistent performance and a stable feed rate.
- Better leverage the natural properties of calcium hypochlorite to achieve solution consistency within 0.1 to 0.2 ppm of the desired target range at all times.
- Improve water clarity and balance, while requiring less feed adjustments from pool operators.
- Deliver low TDS and better regulate pool surface protection.
- Maintain proper water chemistry and achieve consistent chlorine residual within the desired range.
Head-to-head comparison: Cal Hypo vs Trichlor
The choice of sanitizer can have a significant cost impact on a large aquatic facility. When comparing the two most common solid sanitizers, Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal Hypo) and Trichloroisocyanuric acid (Trichlor), various considerations come into play:
- In addition to raising available chlorine, Cal Hypo boosts pH, alkalinity and calcium hardness (CH) levels.
- Trichlor actually reduces the pH and alkalinity.
- Cal Hypo affects CH, Trichlor increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA)
- Cal Hypo is effectively a “3-in-1” product that chlorinates consistently, increases calcium to protect plaster and balances alkalinity to stabilize pH.
- To see more information regarding the financial benefits of Cal Hypo for your operations, review the whitepaper for a cost comparison between Cal Hypo and Trichlor.
Need help designing your customized system?
Call 800-4-PULSAR today to get help designing your water treatment system. Our knowledgeable sales and support staff can answer all your questions.
