Have you ever bought a home with a swimming pool then you know there is nothing is worse than having a swimming pool which is green from algae or has gunk on its walls and floor. Nearly all pool owners are contented to add powdered chemicals constantly to maintain chlorine levels high. But for some the chlorine generator has replaced the job of adding chemicals.

There are two kinds of chlorine generators used in residential pool systems. A brine unit uses a container of salt and by electrolysis produces chlorine which upon contact with water generates hypochlorous acid, which is then injected into the pool water as it is filtered. Hypochlorous acid is the vigorous ingredient utilized in chlorine laundry bleach and is an efficient disinfectant when used properly. The downside to this kind of chlorine generator is that the electrolysis process produces large quantity of sodium hydroxide (lye) which must be cleaned out of the unit and disposed of correctly. Because of this waste disposal issue, brine units are less commonly used nowadays.

The most common chlorine generation unit requires that salt be added to the pool water, usually about 25 pounds per 1000 gallons. There are two diverse kinds of salted water chlorine generators. Both types use electrolysis such as the brine unit, but instead of utilizing concentrated salt make use of the salt in the pool water. The foremost type of salted water chlorinator utilizes convection to circulate pool water and makes chlorine even though the circulating pump is turned off. The other kind of salted water unit is set up in line with the filtration system and only produces chlorine when the filtration system is active.

There are two benefits to this system in that a little salted water often "feels" better than fresh water and that waste production is greatly decreased. Even if, it should be kept in mind that for finest performance the units should be filtered frequently, and certain systems provide reverse polarity options which make the units self-cleaning and greatly lessen maintenance. Some users might be concerned about cost, as chlorine generation units are not inexpensive, but some costs are recovered in the fact that pool chemical expenses are greatly lessened in a salt system.