Best Salt Water Chlorinators 2022 | Reviews and Buyers Guide

Last Updated on 1 year by Todd

In this fast-paced world, if you own a clean and healthy swimming pool, that’s a clear indication that you have installed a salt water chlorinator. This is indeed a lifesaver device for those people who think cleaning and maintaining a swimming pool is a big hassle.

Salt water chlorinator not only saves your time and effort but also it saves your thousands of dollar that you spend in buying chlorine sprays and tablets for pool disinfecting purpose.

This genius device efficiently converts all the salt that you have poured into your pool into chlorine. Thereby keeping you safe and protected from the notorious effects of chemical chlorinated water.

Salt chlorinator keeps your eyes and skin irritation-free rather it gives a soft, silky, and luxurious feel to your swimming pools.

Summers are about to start, it means a luxurious and well-maintained pool is required all the time. this is possible only after installing the best salt water chlorinator for your pool.

We have jotted down some top-notch salt chlorine generators that have superior and reliable performance. let’s have a look!

What Is Salt Water Chlorinator?

Also known as salt chlorine generator. It is one of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly methods to keep your pool water clean and clear. A pool chlorine generator is your helpful assistant in maintaining and cleaning pool water. This device works by converting the salt,( which you have added into the pool) into an active form of chlorine, which then sanitizes the pool. This means you don’t have to add sanitizing agents by yourself. Just add a bag of salt to your pool and salt water chlorinator will convert the salt into chlorine. All you have to do is to make sure that the pool pump is running. The pool will be sanitized constantly provided the pool pump is running.

How Does Salt Water Chlorinator Works?

The pool chlorine generator works cyclically. When you pour a bag of sat in your pool, connect the chlorinator and turned on the pool pump. The salty pool water will enter into the main compartment of the chlorinator that is the cell. A cell consists of parallel titanium plates which are coated with ruthenium and iridium. And here the main process takes place. All the salt has now been converted into hypochlorous acid via low voltage current that has been sent by the control box to the cell.

The process is called electrolysis. This chlorine gas runs throughout the plumbing system of the swimming pool, thereby removing and destroying algae and bacteria. At this step, the pool and the plumbing systems are now sanitized. After the sanitization process is completed, the chlorinator will convert the chlorine gas to chloride and combine it with sodium so that it becomes salt again.

Advantages of Salt Water Chlorinator:

There are many advantages of salt water chlorinator some of them are as follow:

• It gives smooth and crystal clear water
• It reduces your annual cost of cleaning and maintaining the pool
• It makes water eye and skin-friendly
• You don’t need to buy buckets of chlorine
• You don’t have to face the chlorine smell

List of top 7 Salt Water Chlorinator 2022:

Best Salt Water Chlorinators 2022:

1. Intex Krystal Clear – best salt water chlorinator for above ground pools

Breaking the ice with one of the intelligent and smart salt water chlorinators that is Intex Krystal clear salt water system. This system has been designed keeping in mind the need of non-commercial swimming pools. It is one of the cost-effective and pocket-friendly chlorinator.

Intex Krystal is specially designed for low-capacity pools. Its sleek and stylish design looks quite attractive. The device is compatible with a filter pump of flow rate 700GPH and 3000GPH.

I use a TDS meter to check the Salt PPM level in my pool. I won’t go over 2600 ppm in a full pool because if it drops by 10%, it will be well above 3000.

There’s something everyone needs to know about this system: it assesses salt based on the amount of current drawn by the current system. The pool has a limited power supply, and the more salt you add, the greater the demand on the power source. You will get a high salt error if your power supply voltage drops below a specific level. If your extension cord isn’t big enough to accommodate your pump + 2 amps, you will also receive this message. At your lowest pool depth, 3000 ppm should be considered a maximum.

The only thing I don’t like about this equipment is that it resets every time the electricity goes out, necessitating manual power on.

This filter is still working well and my pool is crystal clear. When the pool is full, I continue to operate it at 2500-2600 ppm. It has since come to light that if the salt level drops below 2000ppm, the plates will be damaged. Because I’ve had so much rain in Florida this year, I had to keep an eye on the salt level. All levels are where they should be as of today, and I now only chlorinate 2 hours each day.

I built my own controller with a ORP sensor for the purpose of monitoring how this equipment is functioning on a Raspberry PI. I’ve had no problems since I learned how to manage the salt concentrations, PH (particularly crucial), Alkalinity (PH hand in hand) and moved to a bigger sand filter.

Apart from this, it has all those ravishing features that enhance your convenience. For –example, it has auto –cleaning feature, with the help of which you don’t need to take the stress of its cleaning. The Auto-cleaning feature is a great addition for busy peoples.

Besides this, Intex Krystal features a water flow sensor that helps you understand multiple aspects of the chlorinator.

Moreover, it has user-friendly and well-designed dashboard that gives you an overall view of how the system works.  With a dashboard, you can have a clear eye on your device. The dashboard will keep you updated about your chlorinator.

As far as its installation is concerned, it is really very easy to install.

 

 

2. Hayward Goldline PL-PLUS – Salt water Chlorination System

As far as pool sanitization is concerned salt water chlorinators have done the job. But what about monitoring the chemical level and pH of pool water?

Don’t worry! We have a chlorinator for this purpose that is Hayward Aqua plus salt water chlorinator.

This not just keeps your pool sanitized but it will keep a strict check on pH level.

I was very pleased with this product because it works as promised: makes pool maintenance a lot easier. It took me around two weekends to install, which is probably 20 hours altogether. Keep in mind that it’s mostly a luxury electrical panel. From your main circuit breaker, you’ll need to run four -#6 or #8 wires (two black, one white, one green).

Because I was just connecting the pool motor and chlorinator, we used a 50 amp 2 pole breaker in the main panel of the house. The PL-Plus then needs 15 amp single-pole breakers for the Prologic itself (about $4 each), as well as 15 amp 2-pole breakers for the 240V pool motor.

So if you need a relaxing weekend with no hassle of checking pH level on and off, then Hayward Aqua plus is the right choice for you.

Hayward Aqua plus guarantees clean, virus and bacteria-free, and reliable water all the time. This salt water chlorinator is designed for big pools with a capacity of 40000 gallons.

The best thing about Hayward Aqua chlorine generator is, it automatically senses the pH level of water and will notify you when it’s time to add salt to the pool.

As far as the installation is concerned, this in-line chlorinator is a bit tricky to install. You will need a professional plumber’s help for installing it.

But once it is installed it will not just add chlorine to your pool water but also it completely manages your pool. You have the freedom to connect the device with other products of Hayward, such as LED lights, solar panels etc.

The dashboard is user-friendly and displays all the information in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

 

3. Circupool SJ-40 – Best Salt Water Pool Chlorine Generator

If you are in need of a luxurious swimming experience without spending thousands of bucks then the Circupool SJ series is the right choice for you.

Circupool SJ-40 is efficient enough to keep your pool water sparkling blue every day without any hassle of adding chlorine every day.

The worth mentioning point of Circupool SJ-40 is, it is compatible with almost all types of filters and pumps. You don’t have to install new filters and pumps with it.

If you’re handy, it’s really simple to put up. Although the supplied wiring was a bit short for my needs, your installation requirements will differ. It wasn’t clear in the instructions whether or not it can endure weather, either of the walls where I planned on placing the control unit had direct exposure to the rising sun or continuous exposure from the southern overhead sun.

I decided to construct an enclosure rather than a faded blue control unit since I didn’t want one. The amount of wires supplied restricts where you may position the control unit in relation to the sanitizing tube, as I previously said. My choices were either behind the pool’s plumbing, heating, or filter, or off to the side.

I went to The Home Depot and purchased some suitable 3-conductor wire and a weather jacket for the power. I’ll be keeping the control unit for the long run, so I’m sure I’ll need a new sanitizing equipment before then. It also has a proprietary connection, so I wasn’t going to try to replace it.

For commercial swimming pools, Circupool SJ-40 is a great option as it works with low salt levels and gives a silky soft feeling in pool water.

The device is compatible with the pool size of 45,000 gallons.

Apart from this, this is one of the most reliable and durable chlorinators on my list. The reason is, its cells are made up of titanium which has five years of warranty.

Circupool SJ-40 features a low-salinity sensor and a water flow sensor that helps maintaining pool water in every aspect. Not only this, the device has a boost function which the manufacturer calls 125% true boost mode. In this mode, the system will release extra chlorine into the water.

I highly recommend this device because of the fact that it is really very simple to install. You won’t need to look for any professional plumber for installing it.

 

4. BLUE WORKS – Saltwater Generator Chlorinator

When you need a chlorinator with advanced control and some level of automatic features, Blue Work pool chlorine generator is the best hit.

BLH-30 is also a pocket-friendly option which is a durable and long-lasting device. Its cells have titanium plates which are made by USA manufacturer.

I had trouble finding a decent salt water generator (SWG). Every maker seems to have its own set of problems, and ratings are all over the place. I went with Blue Works based on the overall Amazon rating and, of course, thelow price. I was prepared to be disappointed, but things have turned out to be fantastic.

The device is compatible with many other systems such as Hayward, SwimPure, AquaRite, and many other systems

Blue works pool chlorine generator is compatible with pools that have a capacity of 25000 gallons. The device can produce up to 1.59lbs of chlorine per day.

With the help of Blue work slat chlorinator you won’t have to add chlorine to your pool to sanitize, Blue work BLH 30 will effortlessly do it for you.

Talking about its maintenance, BLH-30 is so simple and easy to clean and maintained. You don’t have to worry about it, as the system comes with auto-clean features. With the help of its built-in cleaning system, the polarity of cells changes and that’s how it gets rids of potential sedimentation.

Blue Work BLH-30 requires the professional need for installation. That’s the downside of this device. Also, the device is quite costly. But if you own a commercial swimming pool, then BLH-30 would be the bestest decision ever.

 

5. Hayward W3AQ-TROL-RJ – Best Salt Chlorination System for Above Ground Pools

Hayward AquaTrol pool chlorinator is specially designed for above-the-ground pools. Hayward is a great name that has manufacturing pool chlorinators, filters, and pumps for ages. So this means their products are of top-notch quality with superior performance.

Hayward AquaTrol is suited for pools with no more than a capacity of 18,000 gallons. Best for residential swimming pools.

I’m ecstatic I canceled my Blue Work unit and went with this Hayward model. What a fantastic deal, as we saved money! We took a chance because no one could tell me what the difference was between the W3AQ-TROL-RJ and the AQ-TROL-RJ models. It does include the T-CELL-5, which is something I was concerned about, so that was nice to know, and we did learn later that this model is a direct replacement for the AQ-TROL units.

Everything was plug and play, as my previous system had been, so we were up and running in less than 30 minutes! The only significant change I noticed is that the fittings provided are different. If you want to securely plumb the cell and install a shut-off valve on the return for easy cell removal and cleaning, you’ll need to buy an additional G1-132527-20 Union Adapter (only 1 included in the box).

The Union Adapters state they are 2″ in diameter, but the hole is actually 2 3/8″. You’ll need some 2 3/8″ to 2″ PVC Reducer bushings from a big box hardware store. We’ve used no-name brand components on and off for three years with poor results. It’s great to have our Hayward system back on our pool!

Talking about its features, it has an integral time clock for controlling pump and chlorinator operation.

Apart from this, Hayward AquaTrol is known for producing quality water. When compared Hayward AquaTrol with other devices, AquaTrol offers an excellent level of quality and taste of water.

The device also comes with auto-clean features, which means you don’t have to worry about the cleaning of the chlorinator.

Besides all these amazing functions, it has a boost mode, which releases more chlorine into the water. Along with it tells you about the chlorine production percentage.

Hayward AquaTrol has a user-friendly display that LED lights for various statuses.

The installation process is quite simple. As per the statement of the manufacturer you can get it installed within 30minutes all by yourself.

 

6. Saltron Mini Salt System – Best Saltwater Chlorine Generator for Hot Tubs & Swim Spas

If you own a hot tub or swim spa, you can convert it into the salt tub with the help of a Saltron mini chlorinator.

As the name indicates it is designed for small swim spas or hot tubs. It’s a drop-in salt water chlorinator which is enough for the swim spa of capacity up to 2000 gallons.

I converted my (small, 3-person if one is a kid, 350 gallon) hot tub from Bromine to this. The Spa Frog setup just wasn’t working anymore; I was constantly fiddling with it because there wasn’t enough or too much bromine and new mineral cartridge had to be purchased repeatedly. This, on the other hand, was quite simple: I cleaned the hot tub and drained it, refilled it with salt, and inserted the saltwater system cartridge. Within a few hours.

This is too powerful for my spa, which will run for an hour at a time every day, and it generates to much free chlorine where I must add neutralizer once or twice a week, but that’s the only water maintenance I’ve had to do since I got it 3-4 months ago (besides the usual Spa Up weekly). When you hold the water up to your nose, there isn’t any chemical odor. It’s wonderful; I wish I’d done it sooner.

Saltron mini Salt system is literally so simple to install. You can do it even if you are not a professional plumber. All you have to do is just connect it to the power supply and drop the chlorinator unit into the water. The chlorinator will start working. This conversion will take a little bit of time, which you can spend arranging things for your relaxing hot salt water spa.

In the end, Saltron mini drop-in-chlorinator is one of the highly used chlorinators in the US. As all homes that have swim spa uses it.

 

7. Circupool SJ20 – Best Salt Chlorine Generator for Swimming Pools

Circupool SJ-20 is an outstanding addition to every swimming pool out there. This mind-blowing device is compatible with pools of capacity up to 20,000 gallons.

SJ series of Circupool is one of the most reliable and durable chlorinator series. The reason is, it has high-quality plates which have been designed by renowned USA manufacturer.  That’s the reason it has 5 years of warranty.

Installing Circupool SJ-20 is an easier task. You won’t require too much effort on it.

This is a wonderful machine! It’s well worth the money! You get what you pay for with this product. We bought an Intex salt water system a month before, and we had problems to start with. However, this salt water system was fantastic to set up and has performed flawlessly every day since we purchased it.

We were concerned because we spent $375 on the Intex system before, and it was junk. Buying this one was a lot more expensive than that, but it was well worth it if we had purchased this one the first time instead of messing with replacing the first Intex system due to inadequacy. If you purchase this system rather than the other one owing to its lower price, you’ll save money in the long run.

Circupool SJ-20 works automatically with your existing pool and pumps and thereby keeping your pool constantly crystal clear.

When compared SJ-20 with the other devices of the same price bracket, SJ-20 promises to give superior performance. It can produce up to 3.1lbs of chlorine per day.

The device is equipped with an auto-cleaning feature that cleans the cell automatically by reversing the polarity. This way it saves your time and effort.

In short, if you own a residential swimming pool that is neither too big nor too small, then Circupool SJ-20 is the best choice. It not only just sanitizes your pool but it promises to maintain your pool completely.

 

 

Things to Consider Before Buying Best Salt Water Chlorinators

At this point, you have met some well-known and best salt water pool chlorinators. Now it’s time to tell you some basic factors that you need to consider while choosing the best salt water chlorinator. Here you go!

The Cell:

When you are buying the best salt water chlorinator you need to pay attention to the cell. This is the real place where the conversion process happens. The cell of the chlorinator should be made up of high-quality and durable material. Besides this, it is also important to keep in mind the gallon rating of the cell. The reason is, gallon rating will tell you what size pool the chlorinator is compatible with. Last but not the least; do check the cell’s compatibility with the pump of your pool.

Control Pad:

Some chlorinators come with a control pad whereas for others you need to buy it separately. The control pad is extremely useful and makes it very easy to operate the system. if you are buying a control pad make sure to look for a user-friendly control pad, that has easy-to-navigate buttons. Also, the buttons should be properly labeled. Interestingly, there are certain control pad models that are enabled with Wi-Fi. Such control pads are efficient enough to control the chlorinator even if you are away from home.

Chemical Monitoring:

When you are choosing a best salt water chlorinator for your pool, always look for such chlorinators that have some chemical monitoring feature. Such chlorinators are time-efficient, as they save your maintenance time. The salt chlorinator system will itself keep an eye on the chemical levels in your pool. You will be amazed to know that salt water chlorinator measures the pH, chlorine level along with hardness level of water.

Timers:

Turning the pool’s pump on and off is a big hassle. And if someday you forget to turn it off, the result would be quite horrible. So to avoid such a situation, we always recommend looking for chlorinators that have a built-in timer in them. Chlorinators with timers are a big blessing as they will automatically turn the pool’s pump on and off.

Auto Clean:

Maintaining a clean and clear pool is a big job indeed. Along with it, if you start cleaning chlorinators, then the job would be double. When you are looking for a salt water chlorinator, always look for models that have an auto-clean function. This feature will wave off the hard work of soaking and cleaning the cell. This way, it saves your time.

Other Attractive Features:

Above mentioned features are the basic features that you have to look for while buying a salt water chlorinator. But if you find some chlorinators with other attractive features such as winterize mode and chlorine-boost mode. Then immediately grab that chlorinator.

Let me tell you, with winterize mode your chlorinator will remain protected from freezing temperatures whereas, in chlorine-boost mode, the system will release extra chlorine into the water.

How long do salt chlorine generators last?

It all depends upon the size of the pool and the longevity of cells. If you have a small pool with high-end salt water chlorinator chances are that it will last long. Usually, the cell will last up to 7 years easily.

What are the cons of Chlorinator?

There are few disadvantages of the chlorinator. Such as, it’s hard to find replacement parts and if you find, then they are quite expensive.

Does salt water system work fine with all types of pools?

No. with vinyl liner pools that have metal wall panel, chlorinators are not advisable. The salt will for sure corrode the panels and other stuff made with galvanized steel. Whereas, you can fearlessly use it with fiberglass pools, vinyl liner pools with polymer wall panels, and concrete pools with a tiled interior surface.

How much salt does my pool require?

For this check the chlorinator manual to see the recommended amount of salt.

What kind of salt does a chlorinator use?

You can add the following types of salt:

·       Solar salt (organic impurities)

·       Mechanically evaporated salt (mineral impurities)

·       Mined salt

Always use those salts that are intended for swimming pools such as food-grade, granular and non-iodized salt.

Can we use rock salt?

A big no. rock salt is not pure enough to it won’t dissolve well. Its recommended to use 99% pure salt.

Conclusion:

Chemically added chlorine is not eye and skin-friendly. Chlorine combines with the bacteria in water and becomes chloramines which are responsible for skin and eye irritation. Luckily, salt water chlorinators add hypochlorous acid which is a weak acid and disinfect the pool properly without making any bond with bacteria. Salt water chlorinators are the biggest hack of today’s world to get rid of itchy eyes and skin.

We do hope that our reviews about the best salt water chlorinator might be helpful to you!

Love yourself, install a salt water chlorinator, and relax in crystal clear water.

How do I choose a saltwater chlorinator?

With such a wide range of chlorine demands, most pool owners will want to get a salt chlorinator with a 1.5-2x capacity equivalent to their actual swimming pool size. For example, if you have a 20,000-gallon pool (1.5x more), you’ll want to invest in at least a 30,000 gallons maximum capacity system.)

Are saltwater chlorinators worth it?

On the other hand, a saltwater chlorinator is a considerably greener choice because it utilizes non-toxic salt to operate. They also require little energy to run so that they won’t add much to your pool’s carbon footprint or energy consumption.

What percentage should my chlorinator be set to?

Start your salt chlorine generator at 50 percent output and run it for a few days, then check the chlorine level. The chlorine concentration should be 1-3 ppm in a well-balanced pool. If your chlorine levels are low, you can raise the percentage; if they’re high, you can decrease it.

How often should I run my saltwater chlorinator?

The water in your pool should be completely rotated at least every 12 hours or twice a day by your pool system, which includes the chlorine generator.

What are the disadvantages of saltwater pools?

• Saltwater pools are more expensive than traditional pools and need a deeper start-up investment. Even little issues in saltwater pools can be challenging to resolve because they are more complicated than traditional pools.
• Certain materials may be damaged by salt, so certain types of heaters, fixtures, underwater lights, liners, or even some forms of masonry work might have to be avoided.

Do you have to shock a saltwater pool?

It’s perfectly acceptable to shock your saltwater pool, and it is, in fact, essential! Overusing your pool’s super-chlorinate function puts a strain on the motor and accelerates its wear.

What is the average cost of a saltwater pool?

Saltwater pools can be more expensive to build than traditional pools, with an average expenditure of $25,000 compared to the cost of a normal pool of $23,000 on average. The cost of constructing a typical 20,000-gallon pool may range from $12,000 to $67,000.

Is it OK to put chlorine tablets in a saltwater pool?

Yes, you can put chlorine tablets in a saltwater pool.

Are automatic chlorinators good?

Because we realize that this does not sound particularly enticing, we strongly advise using an automatic pool chlorinator to help you maintain the correct chemical balance in your pool and be safe for swimming.

What should my chlorinator read?

On a Hayward Salt Chlorinator, the salt reading should be between 2,700 and 3,400 PPM (parts per million), with an ideal level of 3,200 PPM.

How many hours a day should you run a saltwater pool pump?

It’s often advised to run your pool pump for 12 hours a day. This is based on the idea that your average pool pump has an 8 to 12-hour turnover rate.

Is it better to run a pool pump at night or day?

Running the pool pump at peak hours is usually a smart idea. The sun is one of the reasons for chlorine loss in your pool. If you run your pump during the night, the sun has all day to assault the chlorine that’s been sitting in your pool. Algae will overgrow as a result.

How many hours a day should you run your saltwater pool?

The typical operation of a pool pump is 8 hours per day, although it’s not unusual to run longer in the summer or shorter in the winter when bather loads are low.

What’s better, salt or chlorine pool?

Saltwater pools require less chlorine since higher chlorine levels make saltwater pools gentler on the skin and eyes. Although saltwater pool levels are high enough to disinfect, they aren’t high enough to fade costly swimwear and equipment. Because of the natural chlorine, saltwater pools require significantly fewer chemicals (and less care) than chlorinated pools.

Why is my saltwater pool turning green?

Green algal blooms are the most difficult to eradicate from saltwater pools. Green algae flourish in the summertime when the weather is hot. They drift freely in the pool, turning it green. You may even observe them growing on the bottom of the pool, along the walls, or inside crevices.

How often should you shock a saltwater pool?

Weekly, shock your pool with Salinity Surge Shock or Salinity Oxidizing Shock. Pool shock is beneficial to the pool’s protection against bacteria and pollutants. You may use your pool after just 15 minutes with oxidizing shock.

How long after adding salt to the pool Can you swim?

After adding salt to your pool, it’s recommended that you wait at least 20 minutes before diving in. If you’re using calcium chloride, wait two to four hours before swimming again.