DIY Guide to Installing a Salt Water Chlorinator

Before Installing a Salt Pool System

Converting a pool to salt is three steps — choose the right system, install the salt system, and set up the salt system. This guide is the deep dive on Step 2: install — plumbing the cell into your return line, mounting the controller, wiring it up, and getting it running. It also covers adding salt to your pool water. The last step of converting your pool is finalizing its setup, which is Step 3: setting the output;covered below and in Finding the Right Output For Your Salt Chlorine Generator.)

Why Add a Salt System

Quick recap before we get our hands dirty: a salt chlorinator gives you steady, automatic chlorination, far less maintenance, softer water, and up to 40–50% lower chemical costs over its life. See the benefits of salt pools for the full picture.

What You’ll Need Before Installation

Before you start your DIY salt chlorinator installation, it’s important to have a good understanding of your current pool equipment setup and to get prepared. SAFETY FIRST: Always follow your particular model’s instruction manual, especially when connecting to power. This overview is not a substitute for your manual. Always turn off power at the source before beginning work. Only qualified individuals should perform installation; follow all national and local codes.

Tools and Supplies to Gather for Salt Pool System Installation:

• Your salt chlorine generator: Responsible for converting salt into chlorine, this is the new equipment you’ll purchase and add to your pool system. Salt chlorinators typically consist of a salt cell and control module (and often a flow switch, for many models).

• You salt to add to the pool: most systems need roughly 30lbs of pool salt for every 1000 gallons of water. Be sure to test your pool’s salinity first and check your manual to know for sure exactly how much to add.

• Pipe cutters (or hacksaw): Used to easily and precisely cut the pipe sections where the salt cell and connectors will be installed. In case you do not have access to a pipe cutter, a hacksaw can be used to cut the PVC pipes (be sure to sand or file smooth the edges of pipe cut with a hacksaw).

• PVC primer and glue: PVC primer and cement are vital for securely bonding the pipe sections together, ensuring leak-free connections. We recommend medium-body glue, and colored glue/primer to help you ensure proper coverage.

• Tape measure & marker: Used to accurately measure and mark the pipe sections for cutting and installation.

• Drill / driver (possibly): Used to set the wall anchors / screws when mounting the controller (anchors / screws are included with some models).

• Reducer bushings (possibly): These may be required if the diameter of your pool’s existing pipes is 1.5”, as many saltwater chlorinator models come with 2” unions. See more below.

• PVC pipe & fittings (possibly): If your current pool system is very “tightly” plumbed and there is little space in which to place new components, you may need to extend sections of the plumbing using additional PVC pipe and fittings to allow room for new pool equipment.

• Wiring & Wiring Accessories (Maybe): Many models come with a pre-installed power cable, and some even come ready to be plugged into a weather-protected outlet. A small number of models however do not come with a power cable pre-installed, and depending on your local code you may want to protect your wiring with conduit for added protection. See more below.

Know your plumbing before you cut: most pads are 2” or 1.5” (inner diameter) Sch40 PVC, and some above-ground setups use 1.25” or 1.5” flex hose — each needs slightly different unions or adapters. Unless marked otherwise, most salt chlorinators come with plumbing unions for 2” PVC pipe. If needed, you can easily add 1.5” PVC pipe reducer bushings or above-ground hose adapters, or get these from the hardware store locally.

Know your power source before connecting: pool equipment can run off of either 240V or 120V. Some setups will have the salt chlorinator on the same circuit as the pump, and some setups will have the salt chlorinator always powered. If utilizing a plug-in model, make sure your weather-protected GFCI outlet is within reach of where you’ll install your salt system.

Know your tools and materials. For example, when gluing PVC, press parts firmly together for 5–10 seconds to avoid slippage; allow sufficient curing time before pressurizing the pool system (follow instructions on PVC cement label).

Successful Salt Pool System Installations Do These Things First

You can start taking care of these things starting with the day you order your new salt pool system. You’ll be able to turn your salt chlorinator on as soon as possible, instead of finding yourself having to wait and backtrack while your system sits there idle. Taking care of these steps ensures that everything after this point is on the path to success.

Start With a Clean Pool and Balanced Chemistry

Crucially, for the easiest salt system installation experience, you’ll want to start with a clean, balanced pool. This will ensure stress-free setup. Measure your water chemistry, balance any levels that need attention, and make sure there is no algae currently living in the pool.

Adding the Salt to the Pool Water

It’s ideal to add the salt to your pool water before installation, because it can take as much as a day or two for it all to dissolve. Getting ahead of this can help you get your salt pool conversion completed quicker! Before you power up your salt chlorinator and leave it on, you need to add the proper amount of salt to the water for your model salt system to work.

While it varies slightly by model, the typical target salinity is 3,500 ppm, which works out to be about 30 lbs of pool salt for every 1,000 gallons of water in the pool. However, before adding any salt, you’ll always want to test your water first — it can be common for there to be some level of naturally occurring salt level in the pool. If so, you’ll add slightly less salt; the system’s manual will have a chart that shows you how much salt to add based on your pool size and current salinity level in the water.

When you’re ready to add the salt, spread it across the pool, don’t just dump it in one pile. Add it to sections of the pool that are shallower, warmer, and get more circulation; these things help the salt to dissolve more quickly. Optionally, if you want to spend some effort, you can brush the floor where the salt is — though this is not typically required. Give the pump enough run time for all of it to fully dissolve and reach your target before energizing the cell — as mentioned, this typically means leaving the pump circulating for about 24 hours (or more, if necessary).

Importantly, test the water after enough time has passed. You want to confirm you have reached the proper salinity, and make adjustments as needed.

Remember that the amount of salt that you add at installation is for all intents and purposes a one time thing, unless you ever completely drain your pool. Salt doesn’t get used up when generating chlorine, or get lost through evaporation. However, you’ll continue to periodically check and add small quantities of salt (usually seasonally) in order to maintain the salinity level after rain storms or other things that dilute the pool.

How to Install a Salt Water Chlorinator, Step by Step

These are the essential steps involved in installing a salt chlorinator’s components. While each model might vary slightly (for example: some models might not have a separate flow switch, or some models might have the controls integrated into the cell), this overview will prepare you to follow the particular steps that are outlined in the manual of the actual salt system that you choose.

Where the Salt Chlorinator Goes in Your Pool System

The salt chlorinator’s cell is the last piece of equipment before the water returns to the pool — so the order on the pad is pump → filter → heater (if present) → salt cell → returns. Putting the cell last ensures that the treated water with higher chlorine levels go directly back into the pool. If your returns split to two sides, you typically want to plumb the cell upstream of the split (see product manuals for more options).

Tight on space? Most cells need roughly 14–18” of straight pipe — however, if you use a vertical installation kit or choose a salt chlorinator that is a compact model, you can bring that down to about 7” or so (depending on the model).

6 Steps to Installing the Salt System

1. Identify the location on the return line, after the heater.

2. Measure and cut the pipe to fit the cell and its unions (as well as the flow switch, if present).

3. Plumb the system in

   • Install the flow switch (if present) — prime and glue the flow switch housing in place.

   • Install the cell — prime and glue the couplers, seat the o-rings, hand-tighten the threaded unions, and connect the flow switch if your model uses one.

4. Mount the controller on a wall, post, or other vertical surface near the equipment. Connect the cables of the cell and flow switch (if present) to the controller.

5. Connect the wiring of the controller so it powers on with the pump (see the aside below).

6. Initial startup — first, allow enough time for the glue to fully cure before turning on your pump and pressurizing the system. When ready, start the pump and run it 5–10 minutes. Check for leaks. Turn the salt system back off until salt has been added to the pool water (see next step). .

Wiring

Most controllers are designed to run on the same circuit as your pool pump, so the generator is on whenever the pump is powered on — commonly the same timer or relay terminals the pump uses. However, many models can also be powered on all the time, and activated by their flow switch; this is common when using a programmable variable-speed pump. Additionally, some models can even be plugged into a weather-protected (optionally timer-controlled) outlet for maximum convenience.

Important: Always follow your particular model’s instruction manual, especially when connecting to power. This overview is not a substitute for your manual. Only qualified individuals should perform installation; follow all national and local codes.

What You Need To Know About Salt Chlorine Generators

Understand exactly how these systems work in your pool system & what will be happening

• Component Overview
• How Electrolysis Works
• Maintenance Schedule

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