Saltwater System Guide: Find Your Perfect Fit

Buying a saltwater system for your pool is a big step!

It makes sense to do a little research before you buy, right? If you want to convert from chlorine, eliminate harsh chemicals, invest in better water quality and less maintenance, or you’re just trying to figure out which system is right for you, we’re here to help.

We’ve put together this guide for shoppers, researchers, and anyone else that wants to find the perfect saltwater system.

How to Pick a Salt System Based on Your Pool

Finding the right salt system depends first and foremost on what kind of pool you have.

• How big is your pool?
• Is it above ground or in-ground?
• What kind of budget are you working with?

Like most equipment, you’ll want to pick a salt system that really fits your pool’s specific needs, so you need to know what your pool specs are before you buy. We’ll break down the major factors anyone considering a salt system should consider, including tips and suggestions for which brands and models fit those needs.

1. What's your pool size?

When we talk about pool size, we’re talking about how many gallons of water your pool can hold. Salt systems are rated for a variety of pool sizes, so you’ll want to make sure you get a system that can handle more than that amount of water.

Getting into the specifics, your salt system is meant to produce all the chlorine you need to keep your pool clean. As pool size increases, the demand for chlorine increases, too.

Breaking Down Pool Sizing

Even a “small pool” holds a lot of water and can be a big task to keep up with! These size labels are just relative to the range pool sizes that are out there.

Small ~15,000 gal

Medium ~30,000 gal

Large ~30,000 gal

Commercical ~40,000 gal

2. What type of pool do you have?

Barring some unique exceptions, most pools fall into three major categories: inground, above ground, or some kind of spa setup.

Fortunately, salt systems are incredibly flexible. As long as you keep the pool’s size in mind, most salt systems can work for all three pool types. There are a handful of little considerations when it comes to picking one that works for your pool, of course, so that’s what we’ll cover in this section.

Three Major Pool Types

As the name suggests, inground pools are literally in the ground. They’re the stereotypical pool most people imagine in backyards, and they’re usually made from a variety of materials.

They come in all sizes, but often they’re in the medium to large size ranges. Inground pools usually have rigid PVC plumbing and circulation systems resting on a pool equipment pad nearby.

Recommended Salt Systems for Inground Pools

As one of the most common pool types, inground pools also come with a lot of options for salt systems. Generally speaking, most salt systems are designed to work with inground pools as long as the size is right, but here are a few fan favorite systems.

The creatively named above ground pool is, as you might imagine, relies on a structural frame that’s built above ground.

While their construction is obviously different compared to inground pools, the water management is incredibly similar when it comes to sanitizing your water.

Above ground pools are often in the small to medium size ranges. Above-ground pools may have PVC pipe, flex pipe, or hoses that connect to their nearby pool equipment.

Recommended Salt Systems for Above Ground Pools

Above ground pools are flexible with a lot of variation, so look for a system that fits your specific pool while shopping around. If you’re looking for a good place to start your research, check out these popular above-ground compatible salt systems.

The only real outlier here is the spa and specialty pool category. This encompasses the wide range of addons like spas, hot tubs, swimspas, or other differently designed pools with specialty features. These are often smaller in size.

Still, the water needs to be clean just like any other pool, and a salt system can help with that. Spas and hot tubs often have circulation systems built underneath or behind cosmetic skirting.

Recommended Salt Systems for Spa & Specialty Pools

Specialty pools and spas aren’t all that different from standard pools when it comes to sanitizing options. Still, it’s a good idea to do a little research before settling on a system. Make sure it’ll work for your spa before you buy!

Salt cells can work for all three types of pool.

As we mentioned, salt systems are super flexible.

If you can use chlorine to clean a pool, you can use a salt system to produce chlorine for the same purpose. In most cases, the only real difference between a system designed for an inground pool and a system designed for another type is the plumbing.

Most salt systems use slip fittings that can work with 2” or 1.5” pvc plumbing; hose plumbing can often be adapted. Some salt system models can simply “drape over” the wall for spas and some small pools.

3. How much are you looking to spend?

For salt systems, cost is hard to measure when you’re still figuring out the broad idea of what you want. We’ve got a more detailed breakdown of the costs associated with salt systems further in the guide, so for now, let’s break ‘cost’ into three categories: entry level, mid level, and premium.

While the specific price tag might vary within each category, these levels will help you figure out exactly what you really want out of your salt system. And if you’re working with a specific budget, it’s a good way to decide which features are absolutely necessary and which ones you might want to upgrade to later.

Don’t have a pool yet?

So what if you’re interested in a salt system, but you don’t have a pool yet? Maybe it’s still being built, or maybe you’re starting to shop around for the right pool builder.

There are a few things you need to know, but the good news is that salt systems are always an option.

Like we said earlier, salt systems are incredibly flexible. If you start out with chlorine and want to switch later, you can. Or, if you want to start your pool with a salt system, it’s easy to do.

If you’re not really sure what’s so exciting about a salt pool, here’s a brief look at the major reasons we like salt systems:

When we talk to soon-to-be pool owners about installing a salt system, we usually get a lot of the same questions. We’ve put together a quick Q+A section below to help you learn a little more about what it’s like to own a salt system, and if there’s anything you need to be aware of before committing.

How Much Does a Salt System Cost?

Choosing a salt system should start with finding the right size and features, but assuming you’ve made it this far, your next big question is probably about the price. In this section, we’ll look at both the financial and time investments needed to set up your system.

Fortunately, salt systems are largely affordable. While there is an initial upfront cost that comes with getting your salt system, the actual operational costs, install, and maintenance are usually fairly cheap.

Compared to chlorine, you’ll spend dramatically less on chemicals throughout your salt system’s lifetime, since it eliminates the need to buy chlorine, shock, and algaecide.

1. Converting to Salt

Don’t be daunted by the idea of “converting to salt” — the process itself is super simple, and there’s not really a technical “conversion process” involved to begin with. When we talk about converting to a salt system, we’re really just talking about installing your salt system and adding the salt to the water so it can start producing chlorine.

Still, the idea of converting can sometimes be confusing when you are new to it, so we’re going to break down the associated costs and shed a bit of light on the process.

What do I need to convert to a salt pool system?

• A Salt System

  The most obvious element you’ll need is the salt system itself. When we say salt system, what we mean is a “salt chlorine generator” which comes with components such as: the salt cell, control module, and relevant plumbing attachments. That’s essentially what comes in the box when you buy a ‘salt system’.

  

  For example, if you go into our product listings and buy (insert product), you’re going to get a box with (insert product salt cell), (“” control module), and (the plumbing elements). These are the major components that make up a salt system, and the main items needed to turn your pool into a saltwater pool.

• An Install Kit

  Next up, you’ll want an install kit. You can either buy a quick install kit online, or if you have the tools on hand, you’ll need something to cut your PVC, some PVC primer, and some PVC cement or glue.

  Install kits are cheap, and all you really need is something to cut the pipes where you plan to install your salt cell. They average around $30, and if you have a hacksaw and PVC primer or glue on hand, it’s cheap enough to just grab the rest from a hardware store.

• Salt

  Finally, you’ll need salt. Pool salt is widely available in just about any home goods store, hardware store, and other major retailers like Walmart.

  While anything labeled pool salt will work, you can also use plain regular water softener salt. You essentially want to choose 99% sodium chloride with no special extra additives or impurities, so avoid anything like rock salt, calcium chloride, or anything with “anti-caking agents” or “rust inhibitors”. The more granulated the salt you get, the faster it will dissolve..

Conversion vs Installation

When we talk about conversion and installation, there is technically a small difference.

Conversion FAQ

• Do I need to drain the pool or make major changes to facilitate conversion?

  Typically speaking, no.

  You don’t typically need to make any major changes to accommodate a salt system or the conversion process. Once the system is installed and your pool is converted, you can stop using chemical chlorine tablets and enjoy the benefits offered by a salt pool.

• Will a salt system work with any kind of pool?

  Salt systems are designed to work with virtually any pool that is meant to be around chlorinated water. Unless you’ve got incredibly exotic materials or something that is not really intended to be a pool (like an agricultural steel trough or container), a salt system should not cause any issues.

  Salt systems are commonly used on pools that are plaster, tile, vinyl-lined, fiberglass, flagstone, concrete, Gunite, Diamond Brite, Pebble Tec®, etc… both in-ground and above ground. Like we said earlier, if your pool and pool equipment are designed to work with chlorinated pool water, they’ll work just fine with a salt system.

• Is converting to salt permanent?

  No, but people don’t go back!

  As far as the conversion process, it would be possible to return to chlorine at any time - simply turn off your salt chlorine generator and go back to buying & manually adding chlorine again. Salt systems are designed to last a long time, so technically once you install it, all the permanent parts should last for years and years.

  However, the salt cell component does need to be replaced every few years, with most cells lasting between 3 to 7 years on average. Fortunately, they’re a fraction of the cost of your salt system, and super easy to find and replace.

Installing a New Salt System

Installation is more straightforward — you basically cut the PVC in your return line and glue the salt system into place.

If you picked out your own salt system and had a builder install it, you might not need this information, but if you’re installing the system yourself, we’ll go over a few of the big questions we get from new salt pool owners.

Salt System Install FAQ

• What do I need to install a salt system?

  We covered this in the conversion section above, but to recap, all you need is the salt system itself, an install kit, and about 15 to 30 minutes.

  If you don’t have an install kit, they run about $30. PVC is a standard material, though, so if you have a hacksaw, PVC primer, and PVC glue/cement laying around, you can use those as well.

• Will my salt system require changes to my circuit breaker?

  Not typically.

  Salt systems are designed to run on the same circuit as your pump. They don’t usually require an additional breaker or any kind of changes to your electrical setup. Typically they run at about 1-2 amps, which is like a handful of lightbulbs that you shouldn’t even really notice on your electrical bill.

• Where should I install my salt system?

  

  Your salt system will be installed in your return plumbing as the last piece of equipment the water runs through before returning to your pool. The salt cell itself will be glued into the plumbing so water can run through, and the control module should be hung on a wall or post nearby where it’s convenient.

Salt System Operational Costs

So your salt system is installed, you’ve added salt and balanced the water, now what? Well, you’re basically done! Now it’s time to kick back and enjoy the benefits of your brand new saltwater pool.

After the initial conversion process, the only real costs associated with a salt system are the standard operational costs. Salt systems are extremely efficient pieces of equipment, so across the board they tend to save you both time and money.

How much does it cost to run my salt system?

The cost of your salt system can be broken down into a few different factors, including overall pool costs, comparative costs versus chlorine pools, and the bits and bobs you’ll need to pick up throughout a system’s lifetime.

Power Costs

Overall pool costs will probably stay mostly the same. Your pool pump is the main energy consumer, and using a salt system shouldn’t necessarily change your pump’s run times, salt system isn’t going to meaningfully impact power costs; thanks.

Salt Chlorination does not increase your power usage Thanks to the energy efficient design of most salt systems, they don’t draw much power. You shouldn’t even notice them on your light bill.

If by chance you’ve been choosing to run your pump 24 hours a day because you’ve been struggling with your chlorine pool, then this may be an opportunity to save on power. Sometimes people do this to compensate for poor chlorine sanitation, but most pool owners with salt systems only need to run their pumps 8-12 hrs a day or less on average.

Chemical Costs

Salt systems really begin to shine when you compare them against standard chlorine pools. Thanks to the free chlorine generation of a salt system, you can essentially cut out the cost of chlorine tablets, liquid chlorine, and extra shock chemicals from your pool’s seasonal budget.

We cover some of the exact cost breakdowns in detail here, but the summary is that over the same amount of time, salt systems can save as much as 40-50% or more over conventional chlorine.

Beyond that, there’s also the time saved and the benefits provided for your water, which are harder to put exact dollar amounts on. But if you value your time, you get consistent results with a salt pool system. When changes are needed, it’s going to be a lot easier to adjust your salt system’s settings than it is to go around managing chemicals, adding chlorine tabs, and shocking your water any time you want a clean pool.

Salt Costs

The main time that you add salt is during installation. Salt doesn’t get used up, evaporate, or break down - instead it's recycled by the system over and over. Only because of rain and when you drain the pool do you have to add a little salt back in to compensate.

During installation, the average cost for salt at startup is roughly $50-$100; you usually add about 30 lbs of salt for every 1000 gallons of water. After installation and throughout the year, it would be typical to only spend somewhere along the lines of $10-$20.

Find the Best Salt System for You

Not all salt systems are created equal! While picking the right size and price range will narrow down your choices, salt systems come with a huge range of features. Features range from things like better and more inclusive warranties, to clear cells that can help you see when it’s time to clean your salt cell.

Let’s take a look at how you can choose not just the right salt system, but the best system for your pool.

1. Top Rated Salt System Features

A ‘good’ salt system means a lot of different things to a lot of different pool owners depending on budget and the needs of the pool.

Instead of saying “this is the best salt system, bar none”, we’ve put together a list of best selling models and the features that helped them make the list.

There are a few must have features, and tons of desirable features that appear on this list, so hopefully it’ll help you figure out what you really want from your salt system.

Must Have Features

Here, we’re going to talk about the features a system really needs to have if you want it to feel complete. As a general rule, if you’re looking at a salt system and it doesn’t have one of these features? You might want to add another system to your list.

• Boost Mode

  

  Boost mode is a standard feature on just about all salt systems.

  Also called “Super Chlorination” mode, it’s a one-touch feature that lets you temporarily boost the system’s chlorine production to maximum in order to compensate for rain storms or heavy pool use.

  It’s roughly the salt system equivalent of what you used to do when you added pool shock (without the goal of such high CL levels in the water).

• Salinity Indicator

  

  While you don’t need a super fancy readout or digital display, a good salt system should have at minimum a basic salinity indicator that shows you when you need to add more salt.

  Even if it’s just a blinking LED that says “low salt” on your control box, it’s a convenient feature that most people don’t want to go without since it ensures your salt system is able to keep working.

• Affordable Replacement Cells

  Salt cells eventually wear down, usually after 3 to 7 years of use on average depending on the model, and you’ll need a replacement cell. When you’re selecting a system, make sure that system has a range of affordable and available replacement salt cells!

  You don’t want to end up struggling to find a cell or overpaying because it uses a cell from an overseas manufacturer that’s not readily available or because it uses a specialty salt cell whose design makes it uncommonly expensive.

  Replacement cells are often about half of the price of the salt system, on average; the closer a replacement cell is to the cost of the whole system, and the more frequently it needs to be replaced, the lower the return on your investment.

• A ‘Good Warranty’

  Salt systems come with a wide range of available warranties, so here are a few things you should know when researching warranty coverages.

  • Salt Systems have limited warranties

    Salt cells are by nature consumable items that eventually need to be replaced, which simply means manufacturers have limitations within their warranties that reflect that.

    For most systems out there, the limited warranties simply mean that there is some level of pro-ration within the warranty. Unlike other items that might come to mind (prorated warranties on tires or automotive batteries, for example), salt system warranties usually still have significant coverages even towards the end of the warranty.

    Less frequently, manufacturers may limit the available warranty coverages if the cell has been used for more than a certain number of hours, if it wasn’t bought as a part of a complete pool equipment package, if it wasn’t bought at retail through a store salesman, or if extra professional installation services weren’t purchased. These would be warranties that are less advantageous to the pool owner.

  • Warranty length

    The longer the warranty, the more protection you have over the lifespan of the system. Warranty lengths are generally going to have a correlation to the expected lifespan of the cell. The longer lasting your cell and the longer your warranty the better.

  • Look for a DIY friendly warranty

    Some warranties specify that you must purchase a professional installation in order to get the full available warranty for your salt system, which can be fairly limiting or add to the cost of installation.

    We recommend DIY friendly warranties so you can have a bit more agency over your equipment, so you aren’t forced to make a trip to a store, pay retail, and you won’t have to wait or pay for professional services if you have your own preferred installer or if you have the basic skills to do it yourself.

Top Optional Features and Upgrades

If you’ve got all your boxes checked on the size, price range, and must-have features, all that’s left is to decide which optional upgrades or items you want. While none of these features are necessary for everyone, lots of pool owners enjoy the extended benefits these features offer.

• Flow Switch

  

  If you’ve got a variable speed pump, you might want to consider getting a flow switch for your salt system. Since VS pumps are programmable and aren’t usually connected to external time control, a salt system’s flow switch helps coordinate operation and ensures the proper flow of water through your salt cell.

• Digital Displays

  

  Digital displays take the standard LED control module to the next level, providing a variety of different screen types which list out things like system settings and diagnostics. These typically allow for a more precise reading of your pool’s status.

• Clear Cells

  

  A clear cell is true to its name — clear cells are salt cells made with a transparent outer casing that lets you see into the cell even while it’s active.

  While that sounds simple, a lot of people like being able to look and confirm their salt cell is working. It’s also a good way to see when your cell requires mineral scale cleaning, or if there’s any kind of filter debris stuck within the cell.

2. Best Selling Salt Systems

As salt pool owners ourselves, we put in a lot of research to make sure the salt systems we sell have a history of quality and meet a rigorous standard for pool owners that buy from us. That means we don’t sell any salt system on our site if it's not from a dependable brand or if we don’t think it provides a high level of value across all the metrics we’ve talked about so far.

With that, here are some of the top salt systems on the market today. We can recommend these systems based on their features, price points, and overall value — that includes systems that have been purchased, reviewed, and rated highly by pool owners all across the spectrum.

3. Learn More About Salt Systems

To help new salt system owners, we’ve put together a directory of resources that provide more in depth information about particular aspects of salt systems. We’ve covered some info in the guide, but if you want to do more research, check out the links below!

What components do I actually need?

We discuss that earlier in the guide here!

These are the basic elements that come with the salt system:

• A salt cell
• A salt system control module
• Relevant plumbing fixtures (usually included with the salt system)

For more information about the components and how they work, or how to install them, check out these links:

• Understanding Salt System Components
• What You’ll Need to Convert Your Pool
• Learn More About Salt Cells

How does a salt system work?

Learn more about how salt systems generate chlorine and keep your pool clean:

How long do salt systems last?

Salt systems can be permanent additions to your pool!

Salt cells, however, will eventually need to be replaced every 3 to 7 years (depending on model).

Learn more about salt cells and their lifespan here:

• Learn More About Salt Cells
• Shop / Research Replacement Cells

Is saltwater better than chlorine?

We certainly think so! But first, let’s clear up any misconceptions — salt systems still generate chlorine.

Learn more about the benefits of saltwater systems here:

• Why We Love Salt Pools
• Salt System vs Chlorine

Your Salt System Experts

We love salt pools and talking all about them! If you want to learn more about salt pools, check out the rest of our website, and if you’re in the market for one, give us a call!

We can help you figure out which salt system is the perfect fit for your pool, or at least point you in the right direction if you prefer to do the research on your own. We’re always happy to help pool owners discover the next exciting addition to their backyard!