🧂 Salt Chlorine Systems

Salt chlorine generators use electrolysis to convert dissolved salt (sodium chloride) into chlorine. Pool water passes through an electrolytic cell where a low electrical charge separates the salt molecule, producing pure chlorine that sanitizes your pool. The chlorine then recombines back into salt, creating a self-renewing cycle. You add salt once; the system produces chlorine continuously.

Salt chlorine generators cost $1,500-$3,000 installed, depending on pool size and brand. This includes the control box, salt cell, initial salt (about 400-800 lbs), and full pool chemistry balancing. Ongoing costs are minimal—just occasional salt top-ups ($50-100/year) and cell replacement every 5-7 years ($400-$800). You'll save $300-500/year by not buying chlorine tablets or liquid.

No! Salt pools contain about 3,000-4,000 ppm of salt—roughly 1/10th the salinity of ocean water (35,000 ppm). Most people can't taste it at all. For reference, human tears are about 9,000 ppm. The water feels silky smooth on your skin, and you won't have red eyes, dry skin, or faded swimsuits from harsh chlorine.

Initial salt addition is typically 400-800 lbs depending on pool size (about 50 lbs per 2,000 gallons to reach 3,200 ppm). After that, salt only leaves your pool through splash-out, backwashing, or water replacement. Most pools need 1-2 bags of salt per year to top up. We include initial salt with installation and test levels during service visits.

At proper salt levels (3,000-4,000 ppm), salt water won't damage properly maintained equipment. However, splash-out can leave salt residue on coping and decks—simply rinse periodically. Avoid soft stone coping (limestone, travertine) around salt pools. Use salt-rated equipment, especially heaters and lights. Maintain proper water chemistry to prevent corrosion. We ensure all new equipment is salt-compatible.

Salt cells typically last 5-7 years or 10,000-12,000 hours of operation. Lifespan depends on usage, water chemistry maintenance (especially calcium and pH), and cell quality. Replacement cells cost $400-$800 depending on brand and size. Self-cleaning cells with automatic reverse polarity (like Pentair IntelliChlor) last longer than manual-clean cells.

For normal operation, no—your salt system produces all the chlorine needed. However, you may need to "super chlorinate" (shock) after heavy use, rain storms, or algae issues. Most salt systems have a "boost" mode for this. Some pool owners keep liquid chlorine on hand for occasional shocking, but many never need to add any supplemental chlorine.

Yes! Any pool can be converted to salt water. We install the salt cell in your plumbing (after the filter), mount the control box near your equipment, add salt, and balance chemistry. Most conversions take half a day. No changes to your pool surface or plumbing are needed. If you have older equipment, we may recommend upgrading to salt-rated heaters or lights at the same time.

Salt systems are low-maintenance: Check salt level monthly (add salt if below 3,000 ppm), inspect cell for calcium buildup every 3-6 months (self-cleaning cells do this automatically), and maintain proper pH (salt systems tend to raise pH). That's it! Our weekly maintenance plans include all salt system monitoring and cell cleaning.

Salt cells are rated by pool gallonage: IC20/T-3: up to 20,000 gallons. IC40/T-9: up to 40,000 gallons. IC60/T-15: up to 60,000 gallons. We recommend sizing up—a larger cell running at 50% output lasts longer than a smaller cell at 100%. For a 15,000-gallon pool, we'd install a 40,000-gallon rated cell.