Saltwater pool conversion, starting with what it actually is

What is saltwater pool conversion?

Converting a pool to salt means installing a salt chlorine generator - a cell plumbed into the return line that passes current through lightly salted water and produces chlorine continuously - and dissolving salt into the pool to the concentration the cell needs. The pool remains a chlorine pool. What changes is that you stop handling and dosing chlorine and start managing a cell, and that the water is now mildly saline, which matters to some of the metal and stone in and around the pool. The conversion itself is a pad job plus an electrical connection.

Signs you need saltwater pool conversion

• You are tired of buying, storing, handling and dosing chlorine, which is the genuine and sufficient reason most people convert
• Swimmers in your household find the water harsh on eyes and skin, and you want a steadier sanitiser level
• Your chlorine level swings between too high after dosing and too low before the next dose
• You are already rebuilding the equipment pad, which is the cheapest moment to add a cell
• You have a fiberglass pool, where there is no plaster surface for salt water to act on
• You travel and want sanitisation to continue without someone dosing the pool by hand

Seeing something not on this list? Browse pools problems by symptom →

How saltwater pool conversion actually works

1. 1

   Establish what you actually have and what you actually want

   A good installer starts by correcting the premise: this is still a chlorine pool, and you will still test and balance water. What you are buying is automation of the dosing, not the elimination of chemistry.

   Watch forAnyone selling it as chemical-free. It is not, and a seller who says it is will also be vague about the maintenance the cell needs.

2. 2

   Survey the pool and its surroundings for salt-sensitive materials

   Salt water is harder than fresh on some metals and some porous stone. Handrails, ladders, light rings, fasteners, coping, natural stone decking and certain heater heat exchangers are the things to look at before, not after.

   Watch forA conversion sold with no site walk. This is the step that distinguishes a considered installation from a box on a wall, and it is the source of most conversion regret.

3. 3

   Size the cell to the pool volume and the season

   Cells are rated for a pool size, and sizing up beyond the pool's volume is common practice because it lets the cell run at a lower duty and last longer. Climate and bather load also affect the demand.

   Watch forA cell sized exactly to the pool. Run at full duty all season, it wears out faster, and cell replacement is the main recurring cost of owning a salt system.

4. 4

   Plumb the cell and fit the flow switch

   The cell goes into the return line after the filter and heater, with a flow switch that prevents it generating when water is not moving. Orientation and clearance matter for gas release and for servicing.

   Watch forA cell installed before the heater, or with no space to remove it for cleaning. Both are avoidable and both are annoying for as long as you own the pool.

5. 5

   Electrical connection and bonding

   The control unit needs a suitable supply, and the installation must respect the pool's bonding arrangements. This is licensed work.

   Watch forA control box mounted where it will sit in sun and weather all day. Electronics on a pool pad have a hard life; siting matters more than people expect.

6. 6

   Salt added, water balanced, output dialled in

   Salt is added gradually and circulated, the level verified by test rather than by calculation, and the generator output tuned over the following weeks to hold a steady chlorine level.

   Watch forSalt dumped in at once and the output set high to "get it going". Over-salting is much harder to fix than under-salting - the only real remedy is diluting the pool with fresh water.

What does saltwater pool conversion cost?

A conversion is the generator, the plumbing and electrical work to fit it, and the initial salt. The recurring cost is cell replacement on a cycle of years, which is the number to ask about - it is what determines whether salt is actually cheaper than buying chlorine for your pool.

See the full saltwater pool conversion cost guide - by material, size and region →

If the number is the problem, here are the ways people pay for it →

Volume and chemistry calculators → Cell sizing and salt dosing start from volume.