How Does a Pool Chlorinator Work?

How does a pool chlorinator work? Keeping your pool clean and safe for swimming is vital to get the most enjoyment out of it; and of course for your health. However, pool care is also a chore that can take many hours of work every season. Luckily, there are ways to automate the pool chlorinating process to reduce the time and effort it takes from you.

With robotic pool cleaners, you can use automatic pool chlorinators – even if you have a saltwater pool. While these devices cost a little more than adding chlorine manually, they help you avoid the mistake of forgetting to chlorinate your pool on time.

In this article, we’ll talk about the types of water chlorinators and how they can help you keep your swimming pool water pristine and swimmer-ready all year round. Whether you need a regular chlorinator, chlorinator repairs, a salt chlorinator, or just need help making the right decision for your swimming pool, we’ll point you in the right direction.

What Is an Automatic Pool Chlorinator?

Automatic pool chlorinators automatically filter chlorine into your pool over a set period. These convenient devices save you the trouble of adding chlorine directly into your pool via a floating dispenser or by pouring liquid chlorine directly into the pool. A chlorinator will add liquid chlorine as water returns to the swimming pool, they can help reduce chlorine corrosion in your pump and filter system by controlling the amount of chlorine that is added over a timed period.

While automatic pool chlorinators are convenient, you should use extreme care when refilling chlorine drums. When you open the drum, you may be hit with a wave of chlorine fumes, which can be highly irritable if you are sensitive to it. So chlorine drums should always be well ventilated and opened with care.

You’ll need to monitor all the equipment associated with the chlorine dosing equipment and  perform routine maintenance on it, as it can degrade over time. However, other than that, the automatic chlorinator will require little maintenance, distributing chlorine as needed.

What Is an Automatic Saltwater Chlorinator?

Salt chlorinators use an electrolytic cell to chlorinate and sanitise your pool. By adding a set level of salt to the pool water; the cell converts the salt into chlorine and dispenses it throughout your pool. These chlorinators are both efficient and cost-effective, making them a leading choice for pool owners everywhere.

 Salted water is beneficial for many reasons, including helping alleviate skin irritations from the harsh chemicals and with the added benefit of mineral blends available that can be supplied to work in conjunction with your salt chlorinator, you can see the benefits are adding up to make this a wise choice for your pool.  .

Using a control board, you can directly monitor the amount of chlorine going into your pool. Some salt chlorinators can even be controlled via smartphone or bluetooth.

We recommend selecting a chlorinator with a capacity of at least 1.5 times greater than that of your pool size . For example, if your pool is 20,000 litres, you need a chlorinator of around 30,000 litres of capacity, so the salt cell is not under strain to keep up.

What Is a Chlorine Dispenser?

Simpler than their chlorinator counterparts, these devices store chlorine tablets while they float around your swimming pool, distributing a steady stream of new chlorine. Relatively cheap, these are great entry-level devices for those looking to keep a small pool clean and adequately chlorinated.

A significant downside to these devices is that they can get cornered in areas of your pool, heavily chlorinating that area only. With a sound pump system in place, this issue is little more than a minor inconvenience that can take care of itself. Beware that some chlorine tablets can contain a blend of chemicals with Isocyanuric acid, so the stabiliser levels can become un-monitored and dangerously out of control. Always check the water balance regularly when using tablets.  

What Are the Benefits of Automatic Saltwater Chlorinators?

1. Fewer Chemicals

While you will still use chlorine, adding salt will help remove the need for other sanitizing chemicals and ones like oxidizers. This saves you money, time, and skin irritation, as your water will be purer. Likewise, pools with fewer chemicals do less harm to the environment. For more info on adding salt to your pool – Read How to Add Salt to Your Pool.

2. Easier Maintenance Schedule

Since they’re automatic, chlorinators require minimal maintenance and can run via the filtration pump once you set them up. You can adjust chlorine production on the chlorinator to best match your pool size and the number of people using it. Remember to maintain a regular water testing schedule to ensure everything is in balance.

3. Low-Cost

While you may spend more initially, buying a chlorinator is a sound investment – they’ll save you money and time due to their use of fewer chemicals. Remember that salt cells have limited lifespans (two to six years, depending on use), which will be a recurring cost.

4. Smart Features

Newer models sport Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, making it easier than ever to monitor and adjust your pool’s chlorine levels. Many also contain smart sensors that regulate chlorine output in colder temperatures to reduce wear and tear on the salt cell.

5. Simple Chlorine Tablets

Many automatic chlorinators use dissolvable chlorine tablets or sticks. This makes the process of dealing with the chlorine relatively mess-free – and much safer than dealing with pure, liquid chlorine.