Best Salt Water Chlorinator

What a chlorinator is, in one paragraph

Salt dissolved in the pool passes through a cell of titanium plates with a current across them, and electrolysis turns the chloride into chlorine that dissolves immediately - the same hypochlorous acid a tablet or a jug of liquid makes. It is a chlorine pool with a chlorine factory attached; it does not stop being a chlorine pool. That argument, and what actually changes for the owner, is on salt water vs chlorine. This page is about buying the factory.

How we compared them

• **Published daily output in pounds of chlorine.** This is the specification. A gallon rating is the maker's guess at which pool that output suits; the output is the fact behind the guess.
• **Gallon rating, and the margin it leaves.** Every maker recommends oversizing. A cell running at 50 percent lasts considerably longer than one pinned at 100.
• **Warranty length, and whether a DIY install voids it.** Cells are the consumable, so the warranty is a large part of what you are buying.
• **Install type.** Inline in the return plumbing, or drop-in over the wall. Your pool decides this before you do.
• **What the maker measures but will not print.** Hayward's listings omit output entirely. We do not fill that gap with a figure from somewhere else.

Turning your pool's demand into a cell size

That calculation is what the gallon ratings are standing in for. Where a maker publishes output you can do it yourself; where it does not, you are trusting the rating and hoping.

What each maker publishes

The table is the ranking. CircuPool is the only maker here that states output, and it also states the longest warranties and that a self-install keeps them. Hayward is the most-installed brand in the country with parts on every shelf - a real and practical advantage - but its listings give you a gallon rating and nothing you can do arithmetic with.

Per day means per day of pump run

An inline cell only makes chlorine while water flows through it, and its flow switch stops it the moment the pump stops. A rating of 1.4 lb per day therefore assumes the pump runs all day. On the eight-hour schedule most owners run to keep the electricity bill down, the cell has eight hours in which to make the day's chlorine, and its effective ceiling is a third of the rating.

Inline or drop-in: the pool decides

An inline cell is plumbed into the return line after the filter and heater, with a flow switch that stops generation when the pump is off. It sees the full flow, it is out of the pool, and it is the better design wherever there is hard plumbing to put it in. Every inground pool and most hard-sided above-ground pools qualify.

A drop-in cell hangs in the pool over the wall with the controller on the deck. It needs no plumbing, which is the entire point on an Intex or Bestway pool, and its own timer runs it regardless of the pump. That independence is also its hazard: a cell generating with the pump off makes chlorine in one place. Run it while the pump runs and treat the timer as a backstop. The Intex unit is a third case - it attaches to the pool's own hose fittings.

The cell is the running cost

A cell is a consumable rated in hours of generation. Running at 100 percent to keep up with a hot pool consumes those hours twice as fast as running at 50 percent, which is the whole case for oversizing and the reason a larger unit is often cheaper over its life. Scale forms on the plates when pH runs high - and a salt pool's pH runs high by nature - so a self-cleaning cell that reverses polarity is the feature to look for, and a listing that does not mention it is telling you something.

The other running cost is the salt, which you only buy to replace what leaves through splash-out, backwashing and rain overflow. That is on best pool salt, with the arithmetic for how many bags a first fill takes.

The picks

Top pick - Large pools and hot climates

CircuPool RJ45+ Salt Chlorine Generator System, 45,000 gallons

Publishes daily output in pounds, which is the only figure a chlorinator should be compared on, and the largest such figure here.

The published figure

Titanium cell producing up to 1.9 lb of chlorine per day, 45,000 gallon maximum, clear housing, 7-year limited warranty, 120 or 240 V

CircuPool states up to 1.9 lb of chlorine per day. That is the number that matters: 1 ppm in 25,000 gallons is about 0.21 lb, so 1.9 lb is roughly nine ppm a day of headroom on a big pool. The arithmetic is worked through on the page.

The 45,000 gallon rating is a maximum, not a target. Every salt maker recommends oversizing so the cell runs at a lower percentage and lasts longer, and on a 25,000 gallon pool this unit would loaf - which is the point.

A 7-year limited warranty that the maker states survives a self-install is unusual; most brands void coverage without a licensed installer.

What it does well

• 1.9 lb/day published, the highest here
• Warranty stated to hold with a DIY installation
• Clear cell housing lets you see scale forming before a sensor reports it

What it costs you

• Overkill for an above-ground pool
• Needs plumbing into the return line and a power feed
• The most expensive unit on this page

Skip it if your pool is under 15,000 gallons. You are buying output you cannot use.

$1,745.00 - View on Amazon

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Pick 2 - The simplest inground install

CircuPool CORE35 Salt Chlorine Generator System, 35,000 gallons

Controller and cell in one housing, so the install is one pipe cut and one plug - and it still publishes the output number.

The published figure

Titanium cell producing up to 1.4 lb of chlorine per day, 35,000 gallon maximum, all-in-one cell and controller with no separate wiring, IP66, 8-year limited warranty

The stated 1.4 lb per day covers most residential pools with margin: 1 ppm in 20,000 gallons is about 0.17 lb, so this is roughly eight ppm a day at full output on a typical pool it would rarely approach.

The all-in-one design removes the separate control box and the wiring run between it and the cell. CircuPool states it monitors flow, salinity, temperature, cell scaling and cell life, in an IP66-rated enclosure.

An 8-year limited warranty is the longest on this page, and is stated to survive a DIY installation.

What it does well

• 1.4 lb/day published
• One-piece install with no control-box wiring
• 8-year limited warranty, DIY-friendly per the maker

What it costs you

• Lower output than the RJ45+ for a similar pool ceiling
• An all-in-one unit means replacing the whole thing if either half fails
• Still a significant outlay

Skip it if you run a 30,000 gallon pool in a hot climate. That is where the RJ45+'s extra half pound a day earns its price.

$1,645.00 - View on Amazon

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Pick 3 - Matching equipment you already own

Hayward AquaRite Salt Chlorine Generator, 25,000 gallons

The most installed name in the category, and the one listing here that does not publish a daily output figure - which on a page ranked by output is why it is not first.

The published figure

Rated for pools up to 25,000 gallons; LED display with service alerts; integrates with existing plumbing per the listing

Hayward's listing states a 25,000 gallon rating, an LED monitor with service alerts, and installation into an existing system without extra plumbing. It does not state pounds of chlorine per day. We do not fill that gap with a number from elsewhere; if you need it, ask Hayward, because it is not on the listing.

The value of AquaRite is the installed base. Replacement cells, flow switches and boards are stocked everywhere and any pool technician has worked on one - a real advantage the smaller brands cannot match.

The cell is the consumable, and it is sized to the pool. Most technicians recommend oversizing the cell even on a smaller pool, because a bigger cell runs at a lower percentage and lasts longer.

What it does well

• Parts and service available nearly everywhere
• Service alerts on the display
• Fits an existing Hayward pad without extra plumbing per the listing

What it costs you

• No daily chlorine output published on the listing
• Rated at 25,000 gallons with no oversizing margin on a pool that size
• Replacement cells are a significant recurring cost

Skip it if your pool is 25,000 gallons or more. Buy a larger-cell version or a CircuPool with stated output headroom.

$1,999.00 - View on Amazon

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Pick 4 - Above-ground pools with real plumbing

Hayward AquaTrol Salt Chlorine Generator for Above-Ground Pools, 18,000 gallons

The above-ground AquaRite: a proper inline cell rather than a drop-in, for owners whose pool has the plumbing to take one.

The published figure

For outdoor above-ground pools up to 18,000 gallons; includes the TurboCell, return jet twist-lock fittings and twist-lock line cord

Hayward states 18,000 gallons and ships the cell, the twist-lock return fittings and the cord. It is an inline system: it goes in the return line and generates only while water flows through it.

Inline is the better design when you have the plumbing. The cell sees the full flow, a flow switch protects it, and it is out of the pool rather than hanging over the wall in the way of swimmers.

As with AquaRite, no daily output figure appears on the listing.

What it does well

• Inline cell with a flow switch, not a drop-in
• Cell, fittings and cord included
• Hayward parts availability

What it costs you

• No output figure published
• Needs hard plumbing and a pump running while it generates
• 18,000 gallons is near the top of the above-ground range with little margin

Skip it if your pool is an Intex or Bestway with hose fittings. The Solaxx drop-in and the Intex unit need no plumbing at all.

$1,229.00 - View on Amazon

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Pick 5 - No plumbing at all

Solaxx Saltron Retro Drop-In Salt Chlorine Generator

Hangs in the pool, plugs into the wall and runs on its own timer - which is exactly what a soft-sided pool with no real plumbing needs.

The published figure

Drop-in cell with no plumbing required; built-in timer independent of the pump; operates at 3,000 ppm salt; up to 20,000 gallons with oversizing recommended

Solaxx states up to 20,000 gallons and recommends oversizing, so treat it as a 10,000 to 15,000 gallon unit in practice. The cell drops into the water over the side and the controller sits on the deck.

The built-in timer runs independently of the pump. That is the convenience and it is also the risk: a drop-in cell generating with the pump off makes chlorine in one spot, so run it while the pump runs and let the timer be the backstop.

3,000 ppm is a standard salinity - the same bags of salt as any other system. No output in pounds per day is stated.

What it does well

• No plumbing, no fittings, nothing to cut
• Own timer, so it works on pools with a simple plug-in pump
• Made in the USA per the listing

What it costs you

• No daily output figure
• A cell hanging in the pool is in the way of swimmers and cleaners
• The 20,000 gallon rating is a ceiling, not a target

Skip it if your pool has hard plumbing. An inline cell is a better design whenever you can fit one.

$449.00 - View on Amazon

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Pick 6 - Intex and Bestway pools

Intex Krystal Clear QZ1100 Saltwater System, 26665EG

Built for the hose fittings an Intex pool already has, which is the whole reason to choose it over a generic unit.

The published figure

For above-ground pools up to 15,000 gallons; control panel with scheduling; HydroAeration Technology; 2-year limited warranty

Intex states a 15,000 gallon ceiling and a control panel with scheduling. It connects to Intex's own filter pump fittings, which is why it works on a soft-sided pool where a generic inline cell has nothing to thread into.

No output in pounds per day is stated, and unlike some of Intex's other saltwater units this listing states no required pump flow range either - so check your own pump against Intex's compatibility guidance before buying.

HydroAeration is Intex's term for aerating the return. Treat it as a design note rather than a specification.

What it does well

• Designed for Intex hose connections, so no plumbing work
• Control panel with built-in scheduling
• The cheapest route into a salt pool here

What it costs you

• No chlorine output figure and no stated pump flow requirement
• 15,000 gallon ceiling
• Hose-fitting construction, which is what it is

Skip it if your pool is hard-plumbed above-ground or inground. The AquaTrol or a CircuPool is the right design for a return line.

$209.99 - View on Amazon

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Pick 7 - Salt chlorinators

Morton Pool Salt, 40 lb

Salt is salt, and this is the bag most chlorinator manufacturers assume you are buying.

The published figure

40 lb bag of pool-grade sodium chloride

A salt chlorinator makes chlorine from dissolved salt by electrolysis. The salt is not consumed, so you top up for splash-out and rain dilution rather than dosing on a schedule.

Purity is the only spec: anything containing anti-caking agents or iodine will stain, and pool-grade salt has neither.

Add it with the pump running and give it a full day to dissolve before trusting a salinity reading.

What it does well

• Pool grade, so no anti-caking agents or iodine
• Widely stocked in general retail
• Not consumed by the chlorinator, so top-ups are infrequent

What it costs you

• 40 lb bags are heavy
• Slow to dissolve; a same-day reading will read low

Skip it if you do not have a salt chlorinator. Adding salt to a chlorine pool achieves nothing except a softer feel.

$24.85 - View on Amazon

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Pick 8 - Checking salinity without the panel

AquaChek Salt Test Strip Titrators, 10 strips

A second opinion on the number your chlorinator's own display is reporting, which is worth having when that display is what fails.

The published figure

Titrator-style strips reading sodium chloride concentration

A salt cell reports salinity from a sensor that ages. A cell reading low when the water is actually fine sends people out to buy salt they do not need, and over-salting is corrected only by draining water.

Titrator strips read by how far a color band travels rather than by matching a shade, which removes the judgment that makes ordinary strips imprecise.

Ten strips is a season of occasional checks, not a weekly test.

What it does well

• Independent check on the chlorinator's own reading
• Titrator format rather than color matching
• Catches a failing salinity sensor before you act on it

What it costs you

• Only ten strips
• Reads salt only - no other parameter

Skip it if you have a chlorine pool. There is no salt to measure and no reason to own these.

$12.67 - View on Amazon

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Three things a chlorinator does not fix

• **pH.** A cell pushes pH up continuously. You will add acid more often on a salt pool, not less - see pool pH too high.
• **Stabilizer.** Generated chlorine burns off in sunlight exactly like any other kind. HTH gives 60-80 ppm cyanuric acid for saltwater pools against 30-50 for tablet pools, and a cell running without it is working flat out for nothing.
• **Algae.** A chlorinator maintains a level; it does not shock. A bloom still needs a weighed shock dose, and running the cell on boost for a day is not the same thing.

Testing a salt pool

Two extra tests over a tablet pool: salinity, which the cell reports and a strip confirms independently, and cyanuric acid at the higher target. A salt strip that states its reading range is one of the picks here; the FAS-DPD kit that handles the rest is the Taylor K-2006, which is sold in a salt version.