Do you have a Pentair salt chlorinator or considering installing one? Salt chlorinators use a process called electrolysis to convert salt into chlorine gas in order to sanitise the pool water. Read this article to learn all you need to know about maintaining a salt chlorinator.
How to Maintain a Salt Chlorinator
Over time, salt chlorinators can build up calcium in the cell which will hinder its ability to produce chlorine. It is important to clean the cell regularly in order to keep the chlorinator working optimally.
Salt chlorinators are easy to clean with the cleaning stand and an acid solution. The stand can be purchased from any of The Pool Team stores. The acid solution is made up of 1 part Aqua Pro Acid to 10 parts water. For example: 1 litre of acid to 10 litres or water.
Pro Tip:
Add the water first and only then the acid in order to avoid the acid splashing out.
Follow these steps to clean your salt chlorinator like a pro:
- Place the chlorinator cell onto the cleaning stand.
- Pour the acid solution into the top of the cell.
- Allow the cell to soak in the acid solution for 20 to 30 minutes. This will break down the calcium build-up in the cell.
- Take the chlorinator unit off the cleaning stand and rinse it with clean water.
- Replace the cell back into position in the pool system, ensuring the arrow is facing the correct way.
It is important to ensure that there is no debris stuck at the bottom of the chlorinator unit. This can hinder the flow of water through the chlorinator which in turn reduces the cell’s ability to create chlorine.
To make your chlorinator maintenance even easier, the cell will indicate when it needs to be cleaned. This is generally once every 3 months, however, calcium levels in the water may differ depending on your geographical region. This will affect how much calcium would form in the chlorinator cell and how often the chlorinator would need to be cleaned.
Troubleshooting
The Pool Team is here to make maintenance easy for all pool owners. Here are a few frequently asked questions that we have identified that may help if your chlorinator is not working effectively.
- Why is the power pack not supplying power to the chlorinator cell?
This could be caused by a fault with the fuse in the power pack. The Pool Team recommends having an electrician assess the power supply so as to avoid further electrical faults.
- Why is the flow switch on the chlorinator cell red?
This could indicate that there may be debris stuck on the front of the chlorinator cell. This would affect the flow of water through the unit, which in turn affects the calcification build-up in the cell. The Pool Team recommends removing the chlorinator unit to assess if there is debris. If it is just debris, this can simply be removed, however, if the cell as calcified, it would then need to be soaked in an acid solution.
- Why is the cold water cut off switch red?
This is an indicator that the water is below 11 degrees Celsius. Think of this as a “power saving mode”- the unit will switch itself off to protect itself as most bacteria doesn’t grow below 11 degrees Celsius. This prolongs the longevity of the cell.
Head down to any of The Pool Team stores and chat to a professional for further advice on your personal salt chlorinator solution. We stock all the spare parts you may need to keep your chlorinator working efficiently.
2 years ago
