Abstract: Swimming pool or drinking water is chlorinated by the use of an intermittent spray-type chlorinator assembly. The chlorinator assembly includes a chamber for holding a quantity of solid dry chlorinating chemical, typically in the form of briquettes or pellets.The water spray impacts, abrades, and dissolves the briquettes to a degree, and at a rate which is controlled by the velocity of the spray; the diameter of the support grid; the percentage of open space in, and the thickness of the support grid; and the cyclic timing of the spray. The chemical-water mixture falls into a chamber below the spray and is evacuated therefrom through discharge/check valve assembly to a return line that leads back to the source of the water being chlorinated. The spray duration times and the intervals therebetween can be selectively changed by an attendant.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for dissolving a chlorine containing treating material such as calcium hypochlorite in which water is fed to a container preferably in the form of a column containing the treating material. The water is caused to cyclically rise in the container to a predetermined height to dissolve a portion of the material and then discharge to a storage container to empty the material containing container. The height at which the water rises within the container, the cross-sectional area of the container and the length of time the liquid is in contact with the material during the cycle is set to produce a solution having a concentration of from between about 2 to about 18% available chlorine at a feed rate of at least about 2 lbs/hr available chlorine. The cyclical action is preferably achieved through the use of a siphon tube connected to the material holding container and through which the fluid in the container is discharged.