What do you need to look out for when buying pool salt?

Make absolutely sure that your product complies with the EN 16401 standard and the Biocide Regulation BPR EU 528/2012.  Make sure that your pool salt meets the purity, transport, storage and labelling criteria.

You are probably wondering why salt has to comply with the Biocidal Products Regulation.

Salt is a preliminary product for the production of hypochlorite lye by chlorinators.

This hypochlorite lye (chlorine) is used to disinfect swimming pool water.  It prevents the formation of germs and bacteria and the tipping of the pool water due to algae infestation. The regulation ensures that the production and making available on the market of active substances and biocidal products have no harmful effects on human or animal health and no unacceptable effects on the environment.

The standard and regulation must be labelled and clearly visible on the packaging. This gives you absolute certainty that the salt is safe and of high quality.

You want to know more?

Here is an overview of the current standards and what they mean:

• EN 16401: This European standard regulates the requirements and test methods for sodium chloride used in electrochlorinator systems for the treatment of swimming and bathing pool water. Once again, the salt must not contain any additives. EN16401 Type A is the standard for the salt with the highest degree of purity.
• BPR EU 528/2012: The European Biocidal Products Regulation regulates the placing on the market of biocidal substances.
• EN 14805: This standard applies to products for the treatment of water intended for human consumption. Sodium chloride is used in the electrochemical production of chlorine using a membrane-free process. The standard regulates both the requirements for the sodium chloride and the respective test methods. EN14805 type 1 contains the salt with at least 99.9 % NaCl.
• EN 973: This is an EU standard. It regulates the use of sodium chloride in connection with water softening. Treated water must be suitable for human consumption or the production of food, only then does the sodium chloride comply with this standard. The standard therefore regulates the requirements on the one hand, but it also regulates the respective test methods for sodium chloride. Softener salt that fulfils these requirements and withstands the test procedure has the highest degree of purity. EN973 Type A is the standard for the salt with the highest degree of purity.
• EN 16370: The European standard applies to sodium chloride used for the disinfection of water intended for human consumption. The water is treated by means of electrochlorination using membrane cells. The standard regulates both the requirements for the sodium chloride and the respective test methods. A key feature is that the salt must not contain any additives and must consist of 99.9 % NaCl.