Filtering System Reduces Chloramines in Indoor Pool Areas

Pool rooms look great. But chloramines are invisible irritants that annoy swimmers.

Ductwork connected to the DRY-O-TRON unit.

Trays of the Chloroguard media filters are placed inside the DRY-O-TRON.

While replacing an aging dehumidifier for its 7,000 sq.ft. natatorium, managers at the Nottawasaga Inn Resort, Ontario, Canada, made use of recent advancement in dehumidification technology. Their goal was to reduce the amounts of chloramines that collect in the air and cause eye and lung irritation to swimmers using indoor pools. Chloramines are formed in all pools when chlorine molecules attach to ammonia and other organic byproducts of the human body. When swimmers complain of chlorine odors or irritation, experts say it’s actually chloramines that are to blame.

The year-round convention/resort facility 40 miles north of Toronto is the first indoor pool resort facility in Canada to use gas-phase air purification — provided as an option to a dehumidifer installation – to combat the chemical odors that are common in natatoriums.

A proprietary blend of adsorbent compounds was developed specifically for indoor pools by Circul-Aire, the air purification subsidiary of IAQ equipment manufacturer, Dectron Internationale, Roswell, GA. Dectron now markets indoor pool air purification under the brand of Chloraguard®, which is an option for use with DRY-O-TRON® pool dehumidifiers. Nottawasaga is the first Canadian application of a Chloraguard system on its new DS-150 dehumidifier that also recovers heat to provide free pool water heating. The dehumidifier controls air temperature/humidity and ties into the resort's central plant boiler and heat pump systems. 

Nottawasaga’s gas-phase air purification uses Circul-Aire’s proprietary, custom-mixed green blend of coconut-based media. Since all gas-phase media lose their effectiveness between four to six months in pool applications, media effectiveness can be tested by Tech-Chek™ samples that are sent to Circul-Aire’s in-house  laboratory.  
John Mills, vice president, Xtra Mechanical, Toronto, a commercial HVAC contractor that performed the Dectron startup at the Inn, and currently services the unit.

“It’s common for many indoor pool rooms to have naturally high chloramines levels,” Mills explains. “The pools may be shallow, such as wave pools, so you have to flush out so many gallons of water and make it up with fresh water. However, the process doesn’t allow enough time for the chemicals to work on the contaminants.

“The Chloroguard filters are great for use as an aftermarket application. After the equipment is in use for a few years, the Chloroguard can help extend its life.It goes into the return air section, like a bank of filters.”

Mills has amassed 30 years of HVAC industry experience. He joined Xtra in 2007 following the merger of the service division of his former company, Concept Air Systems, with Xtra Mechanical. John is a certified HVAC technician with further education in business and building automation systems (BAS).