With a pool chlorinator, you won't need to add chlorine to a pool chlorinator as often as you'd need to add granular chlorine to your pool water. And you won't need to worry about floating chlorine dispensers getting stuck behind ladders or adding chlorine tablets to your skimmer that can stain your pool's vinyl liner.
A well-maintained salt chlorine generator will last 3-7 years. Replacing the salt cell costs $700-$1100. Replacing the control board costs $500-$900. You can extend the lifespans by maintaining a consistent salt level, cleaning the cell only when needed, and using the reverse polarity function.
A salt water pool with a chlorine generator or chlorinator uses electrolysis technology which converts your salt in the water into chlorine. This continual production of chlorine ensures that pathogens and bacteria such as algae are killed, which would have otherwise made your pool unsafe for swimming.
Inline chlorinators are sturdier and have fewer parts that would ever need to be replaced. Like the online model, this unit is cheap and affordable, but the major difference is that the inline chlorinator needs to be installed directly into the piping that's connected to your pump and filter system.
With a properly sized filter and salt chlorinator, run times of 7 – 8 hours will generally be necessary. The defining factor governing filtration times in a salt pool is usually determined by the size of the filter/ioniser and the need to make sufficient chlorine.
Assuming you're chlorinator has been appropriately sized for your pool, you'll want to run it at LEAST 8 hours per day in summer, 12 if you live in an extremely hot part of the country (such as far north QLD, NT, e.t.c.) or have any form of pool heating.
We definitely think a chlorinator is a worthwhile investment: It automatically and evenly dispenses chlorine (even when you're out of town) You can control the rate that chlorine flows into your pool.
Chlorine tabs (placed in a chlorinator, floater, or skimmer basket) maintain a chlorine residual in the water. You do need to use both tabs and shock. Without tabs, the chlorine shock will dissipate quickly out of the water; without shock, the chlorine level will not get high enough to fully sanitize the water.
An airlock in your chlorinator can reduce both water flow and the overall effectiveness of your chlorination. 4. Chlorinator lid is leaking or stuck on - if you cannot open the top lid to your chlorinator, or if it is leaking, chances are that you have an o-ring or gasket issue.
You should never turn on your salt chlorinator until you have balanced your pool's water and all levels are within range. It is important to maintain salt and chlorine stabilizer levels in order to prevent scaling and to maximize system effectiveness and life.
Your pool system including chlorine generator should be operated often enough to completely turn your pool water over at least every 12 hours or twice a day.
Crank up your salt water chlorinator
Since it's summer, set your salt water chlorinator to 80% to 100%.
Add tablets to the chlorinator as needed.
Usually this needs to be done once per week. Always turn off the pump before opening the chlorinator. Don't stand right over the chlorinator because if the unit is plugged up, it can build up dangerous levels of chlorine gas inside and you do not want to inhale that.
Salt water chlorinator pools and traditional chlorine pools both contain chlorine. The chlorine is just added to the water differently in each type of pool. You don't add chemical chlorine directly to the salt water chlorinator pool – you add salt, which generates the chlorine for you.
The pool chlorine generators (AKA saltwater pool chlorinators) create their own chlorine, eliminating the need to add chlorine manually to your pool. Saltwater Pool Chlorinators use an electrolytic cell to sanitise your swimming pool by adding a small amount of salt to the pool water.
You need to wait for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours after using a chlorine-based shock before you can swim.
If you've been shopping around for a swimming pool chlorinator, you've probably noticed that you have two options: inline and offline chlorinators. They both function the same and cost about the same, too (most fall within the $35 and $95 price range). The main difference lies in how they are installed.
High-quality chlorinators can cost you between $600 and $2,000, depending on the size of your pool and additional features, like temperature sensors or automation capabilities.
POSITION THE CHLORINATOR: The In-Line Chlorinator must be permanently installed in the pool return line. To prevent damage from high concentrations of chlorine, locate in return line between pool and any other components of the circulation system, including heater, filter and pump (see Figure 1).
As much as you can
If your question is “How often should I run my pump to keep the pool at its best?” the answer would be 24/7 for as much of the year as the pool is in operation.
It's best to run your pool pump during the day
Not only does sunlight give fuel for algae to grow, it also destroys your pool chlorine and this is why you should always run your pool during the day!
Do You Run a Pool Pump While Swimming? While you can run your pump while taking a dip, it is not necessary so long as it has been running recently enough to ensure the water is clean and debris-free.