A salt pool still uses chlorine. The difference is where it comes from. A salt cell on your equipment pad turns salt in the water into chlorine as water flows through it. People love the softer feel of the water. But a salt system isn’t hands-off, especially in Phoenix. We service, clean, and repair salt pools and salt chlorine generators for homes and businesses across the Valley. Call (623) 526-4945 to get started.

What We Do on a Salt Pool Visit

Weekly salt pool service covers everything a regular pool gets, plus a few things salt pools need:

• Skim, brush, and empty the baskets
• Test chlorine, pH, alkalinity, and stabilizer
• Check the salt level and add salt when it’s low
• Look at the salt cell for scale buildup
• Check the cell’s settings and any warning lights on the control box
• Watch the pH closely, since salt pools tend to push pH up
• Add chlorine by hand when the cell can’t keep up

You get an emailed report after every visit showing what we tested and what we added. You can also see your water history in our customer portal, with charts that make it easy to spot a trend.

The Summer Problem

Here’s something a lot of salt pool owners in Phoenix don’t know. When your water gets into the 90s in summer, chlorine burns off faster than the cell can make it. The sun is brutal, the water is warm, and algae grows fast. Even a healthy cell running hard often can’t keep up.

So during the hot months, we add liquid chlorine or tabs to salt pools to back up the cell. That keeps the water clear without running the cell at 100% all day, which wears it out faster. When the water cools down in the fall, we let the cell carry the load again.

Salt Cells and Hard Water

The Valley’s hard water is rough on salt cells. Calcium in the water sticks to the metal plates inside the cell and forms white scale. Scale blocks the plates, so the cell makes less chlorine. Many systems also show a “check cell” or “inspect cell” light when this happens.

We inspect the cell and clean it when it needs it. That means taking it off, soaking it in a mild acid mix to dissolve the scale, rinsing it, and putting it back. Keeping the pH and calcium balanced slows down the buildup, so the cell needs cleaning less often. We wrote a whole post on this: why your salt pool stopped making chlorine.

One warning: don’t clean a cell too often or with strong acid. It strips the coating on the plates and shortens the cell’s life.

Repair and Replacement

Salt cells don’t last forever. The plates wear down over time, and at some point the cell stops making enough chlorine no matter how clean it is. When we test a cell and it’s at the end of its life, we’ll tell you and give you options.

We also fix the other parts of a salt system:

• Flow switches that stop sensing water and shut the cell off
• Control boards and power supplies
• Salt sensors that read wrong
• Wiring and connections at the cell

We work on salt systems from Pentair, Hayward, and Jandy, and most other brands. If you want to switch a regular chlorine pool to salt, we install salt chlorine generators too. Not sure if salt is right for you? Our saltwater vs. chlorine post lays out the pros and cons.

Salt Pool Tips for Owners

Know your salt number. Most cells want somewhere around 3,000 to 3,500 parts per million. Check the label on your cell or the manual, since it varies by brand.

Add salt the right way. Use pool salt, not rock salt or water softener salt with additives. Pour it in the deep end with the pump running, and brush it around until it dissolves.

Rain and draining lower your salt. Heavy monsoon rain can water it down. So can a drain and refill. Test after either one.

Watch the pH. Salt pools make the pH climb, and high pH causes scale. It’s the main thing that shortens cell life here.

Mind the equipment. Salt water can be tough on some metal parts, stone, and deck finishes over time. Rinse off salt crust you see on the deck or coping.

Common Questions

Do salt pools need less work than chlorine pools?

Less chlorine buying, yes. Less work, not really. You still need to brush, skim, test, and keep the pH in check. In Phoenix you’ll also need extra chlorine in summer.

My cell says “high salt” but I didn’t add any. Why?

Often the cell is just dirty, or the salt sensor is off. Scale on the plates can throw off the reading. We’ll test the water with a separate kit before adding or draining anything.

Can you clean my cell if I do the rest of the pool myself?

Yes. We do one-time cell cleanings and salt system repairs. Rates for repair work are on the pricing page.

My salt pool turned green. What happened?

Usually the cell stopped making chlorine, or it couldn’t keep up with the heat. Our green pool cleanup will get it clear, and then we’ll find out why the cell fell behind.

Get Help With Your Salt Pool

Call (623) 526-4945 or request a visit online. We serve salt pools from all five of our offices.

NextGen Pool Care, Arizona ROC #356379. Licensed, bonded, and fully insured.