Instachlor

Instachlor PR tablets are a range of rapid dissolving chlorine release tablets for professional applications in water treatment and disinfection. The range comprises four different sizes of tablet specially selected to suit a wide variety of uses.

Instachlor PR tablets are a range of rapid dissolving chlorine release tablets for professional applications in water treatment and disinfection. The range comprises four different sizes of tablet specially selected to suit a wide variety of uses.

Chlorination of Water

Instachlor PR tablets provide a convenient means of small-scale water chlorination. The tablets may be added direct to water containers, water tanks, wells or small reservoirs. The choice of Instachlor PR tablet will depend on the quantity of water to be treated. The tablets should be used in accordance with standard chlorination practice depending on the water to be treated and the purpose of treatment.

Where chlorination is to be carried out to disinfect the water, a free chlorine residual of 1 mg/l should be achieved in the treated water. Note that it will normally be necessary to add a higher dose to satisfy the chlorine demand of the water.

Whenever possible the water should be drawn from a clean source. A chlorine dose of 2.5 mg/l and a standing period of at least 15 minutes is recommended. If a clean source of water is not available, or if any contamination is suspected, a higher chlorine dose, say 5 mg/l should be applied. In both cases it is recommended that the Palintest Chlorocol or DPD tests be used to check that an adequate chlorine residual has been achieved in the treated water.

Instachlor PR-2.5 and PR-50 are intended for use in individual water containers and are ideal for personal water disinfection by travellers, military personnel or field expeditions; or for emergency water treatment in disaster situations. Instachlor PR-250, PR-1000 and PR-5000 are suited to the disinfection of water in storage tanks, bowsers, etc., for example on board ship, trains or aircraft.

Instachlor PR tablets are primarily intended for casual, periodic or emergency chlorination of water. It is recommended that water supplies so treated should not be consumed for more than ninety days in any one year period.

Disinfection of Water Tanks and Distribution Systems

Instachlor PR tablets can be advantageously used for the disinfection of water tanks and distribution systems. This includes tanks used for water supply and those associated with refrigeration or air conditioning systems, etc. Contaminated tanks have been recognised as a potential source of infection and the need for disinfection is paramount.

It is recommended that all water storage tanks and similar systems be disinfected regularly. This disinfection may be combined with manual cleaning operations as appropriate. New water storage systems should always be disinfected prior to use. A chlorine dose of 25 - 50 mg/l with a contact time of at least 30 minutes is recommended for the disinfection of water tanks. Systems may however be soaked for a longer period, up to 24 hours, to ensure disinfection. It is normal practice to flush out the system with clean water at the end of this period depending on the type of system.

It should be recognized that if the tank is very dirty, the chlorine dose may be wasted satisfying the chlorine demand without achieving proper disinfection. Moreover, layers of dirt loosened from the tank sides may well contaminate the water further. It is recommended that in such cases the tanks be thoroughly cleaned out and flushed prior to applying Instachlor PR tablets.

Instachlor PR tablets may be added directly to the water tank. Some agitation should be provided to ensure that the chlorine is dispersed throughout the system. The Palintest Chlorocol test may be used to check the chlorine level after treatment, and to check that adequate flushing has been carried out. The choice of Instachlor PR tablets will depend on the size of system to be treated. 

Sterilising and Sanitising

Chlorine solutions are used extensively for sterilising or sanitising of equipment, work surfaces, plant and pipelines etc. Application areas include food industries, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants and other situations where a germ-free environment is essential. Instachlor PR tablets provide a simple and accurate means of preparing sterilising and sanitising solutions for these applications. The solutions may be used either for simple manual washing and cleaning applications, or for mechanical cleaning of plant and equipment.

These applications require a higher chlorine level than those associated with water chlorination or tank disinfection procedures. In general a concentration of at least 200 to 250 mg/l should be achieved for sterilisation purposes, whilst for sanitising purposes at least 100 to 150 mg/l is normally acceptable. Official recommendations exist in certain industries covering the required strength for particular sterilising or sanitising operations.

More Information

For more information please see the product flyer (pdf).