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Salt chlorinators, also known as saltwater pool systems, are very popular these days and for good reason. There is no better or cheaper way to keep your pool sanitized. Modern units have sophisticated circuitry that require very little supervision and are generally quite reliable. Most last for years with only an occasional cleaning of the cell. However, when they stop working, pool owners often need help identifying the source of the failure and this article was written with that in mind.

If you check the chemistry of your water regularly, the first sign of a problem could be a sudden absence of chlorine in the water. If your salt system display looks normal, the first thing to check is the water; Have him checked for phosphates and make sure the cyanuric acid (stabilizer) is up to the mark. Phosphates are a more common problem than ever; perhaps due to unusual weather patterns. If necessary, buy the PhosFree treatment and get a reading below 100 PPB.

If you don’t check the water chemistry regularly, the first sign of problems is likely algae in the shallow areas of the pool. Whether the generator is running or not, you may need to treat the pool immediately with a granular shock and an algaecide to prevent large-scale algae blooms. It is always cheaper to attack algae early and aggressively than to wait. In hot climates, it grows rapidly.

After eliminating the possibilities outlined above, it’s time to take a closer look at the salt chlorination system. If the unit is totally dark and there are no signs of life, check the power source and make sure it is receiving power. Ideally, check the source with a voltmeter. If proper voltage goes to the unit, check to see if the chlorinator control unit has a reset button or internal fuse. These protect the unit against a short circuit in the cell. It only takes a bit of grass or a hairball to momentarily lodge between the titanium plates to activate the reset button or blow the fuse. If the cell has a calcium crust and the plaques are bridged, this is obviously the problem. Clean the cell, change the fuse, and you’re good to go.

If the control appears to be working normally, it is time to check if the cell is producing chlorine gas. If your unit has a transparent cell body, you can simply observe the cell while it is working and if you see the mist coming off the plates, it is working. If the fog is minimal, the cell could wear out. Most brands have cells that last around 8,000 hours and a couple of brands have cells that are made to last 15,000 hours. Using your history of hours run per day, you can do the math and determine if the cell is at the end of its useful life. If you’ve ever cleaned your cell with too strong an acid solution or if you’ve ever made the mistake of soaking it for too long, all bets are off and you may be facing early cell failure. Take out the old Visa card. Some pool stores have a device that tests a salt cell, but many technicians doubt the validity of these machines. (Cell fault = Commission)

If your salt system has an opaque cell body, the only way to test for activity is to capture some of the water coming out of the pool jets and test for chlorine. Use an empty coke bottle or something like that, put your thumb over the opening and hold it against the return jet from the pool. Try not to get the sample too thin with the water in the rest of the pool. If your system is working, you should see a difference in the chlorine level in this sample vs. a reading taken in the farthest corner of the pool.

In some cases, salt systems work as they should, but the display gives erroneous salinity and / or temperature readings. This is usually a sign that the calibration circuit has been affected by a power surge. The owner can recalibrate many units on site. Check your owner’s manual or check Google for calibration instructions for your model. If the display or warning lights indicate “water failure” or “water flow” problems, verify that the water is flowing freely through the generator cell. If the water is flowing, you may have a faulty flow switch. Most units have a separate flow switch, but some have this function built into the cell. In some, the water failure indication can occur if the calibration mentioned above is drastically out of place. In all cases, closely examine the electrical connections between the cell and the control and between the flow switch (if present) and the control. These connections must be clean, tight and dry. Often times, a little sandpaper on these terminals can bring an idle system back to life.

Even if you can’t get your generator to work, following these steps will prepare you for a phone call to factory technicians. Most manufacturers expect their installers to take care of the problems, but if you do try, you can usually speak to one of their technicians and get their help. Like everything else, salt chlorinators aren’t really complicated once you understand how they work.

Thanks for reading and happy swimming!