KrystalKlor, Prodigy? Sounds too good to be true.

[chem geek]

Apparently, this product is getting resurrected under a new name. So instead of the Eco Ion System from Krystal Klor (link broken so use this one) or The Pool Prodigy, we now have the Pureion System (link broken so use this one or this one).

This patent application by the inventor is not at all specific, referring obliquely to a "reactant gas" which includes "reactant ions". As written, this application will be soundly rejected by the patent office due to a complete lack of specificity. The application does refer to copper ions as one possibility of such "reactant ions". However, since the system requires continued replenishment of hydrochloric acid, this appears to just be offline electrolysis of an acidic brine solution into chlorine and hydrogen gasses, similar to what is described in this patent.

They claim this is not chlorine gas, but it could be some chemical that reacts with the hydrochloric acid to produce a gas or a "mist". Perhaps this is sodium chlorite added to hydrochloric acid to produce chlorine dioxide that is then aerosolized, or electrolytically generated chlorine gas can react with sodium chlorite solid to produce chlorine dioxide gas.

Their latest description of how this works from a LinkedIn post is the following:

Our unit counteracts the spinning of the earth, which turns up the pH. Our electrolysis process with the iVortex makes ions every second of every day while it's running and has a lower pH than nature, putting into water and sanitizing water - killing all organic matter no matter what. The ion attaches to oxygen in the water itself, and when organic water needs to breath, it is essentially tricked into inhaling oxygen bubbles and inhales our ion instead, which kills all organic matter. When this kills organic matter, this lowers the pH of water, and when that happens, it is counteracting the pH rising. The ion, after killing it, dissipates out of pool like ammonia – disappears, leaves zero hardness. How many ions are needed in the pool is dictated by how much water, and we know how many ions are needed to make per million gallons of water. A minimum of 1 ppm of sanitizer in the water is needed to kill bacteria.

What in the world could this be? Is this just generating oxygen radicals producing ozone and hydroxyl radicals? In other words, are they just describing generating an oxygen radical (that they are calling an ion), O•, that combines with oxygen, O₂, to form ozone, O₃ which oxidizes organics and kills pathogens producing oxygen, O₂, that then outgases? 1 ppm would be too high for ozone -- 0.05 ppm is enough for a residual and this residual will break down.