Choosing Your Sanitizer - Salt vs Chlorine
Make an informed decision between manual chlorine, salt water generator, or other sanitizers based on your situation, not marketing hype.
The Fundamental Truth: It's All Chlorine
Every pool sanitizer system produces chlorine. The only question is HOW it gets there.
Manual liquid chlorine (bleach): You pour in sodium hypochlorite → instant FC in water
Salt Water Generator (SWG): Electrolysis converts salt → chlorine gas → hypochlorous acid → same FC
Trichlor tabs: Solid cyanuric acid + chlorine → dissolves slowly → FC + CYA buildup
Cal-hypo shock: Calcium hypochlorite → FC + calcium (raises CH over time)
Dichlor granular: Like trichlor but faster dissolving, still adds CYA
The ONLY difference: delivery method, byproducts, cost, convenience, and control
Don't believe 'chemical-free' or 'no chlorine' marketing - it's always chlorine doing the work
• SWG marketers say 'saltwater pool' to sound exotic - it's still a chlorine pool
• Mineral systems, ionizers, UV, ozone are SUPPLEMENTS, never replacements for chlorine
• If someone claims 'no chlorine needed', they're lying or don't understand pool chemistry
• Pools without chlorine grow algae, period - don't fall for alternative sanitizer scams
• Non-chlorine shock (MPS) does NOT sanitize - it only oxidizes, you still need FC
Checklist
- 1Understand that ALL systems produce chlorine - salt systems just automate it (but add complexity).
- 2Manual liquid chlorine (bleach): Lowest upfront cost, maximum control, zero equipment to maintain.
- 3Salt Water Generator (SWG): $1,500-$3,000 upfront, $300-$600 cell replacement every 3-5 years, adds scale management complexity.
- 4Calculate 5-year total cost of ownership: include equipment, electricity, cell replacement, and increased acid use.
- 5Assess your maintenance style: hands-on control (bleach wins) vs. set-and-forget convenience (SWG).
- 6Understand salt's hidden costs: accelerated corrosion of ladders, heaters, and stone coping; difficult reversal if you change your mind.
- 7Consider water source: high CH fill water + SWG = constant CSI battles and scale management.
- 8Evaluate your testing commitment: SWG requires same testing frequency but with added salt and cell monitoring.
- 9Ignore marketing claims about 'softer water' and 'chemical-free' - it's still chlorine, just produced differently.
- 10Make decision based on your priorities: control & simplicity (bleach) vs. automation & convenience (SWG).
- 11Other systems (mineral, ionizer, UV, ozone): understand they're supplements, not replacements for chlorine.
Related Playbooks
Budget-conscious equipment guidance: what you truly need, what you can add later, and what's pure marketing.
Pre-construction planning guide: how design choices today impact your maintenance burden for the next 30 years.
Identify what equipment you have and understand what it does. Essential for inherited pools.