Salt water vs chlorine is really a question of how chlorine gets into your pool. A salt water pool makes its own chlorine from dissolved salt using a chlorinator; a traditional chlorine pool is dosed by hand. Both sanitise the water. Salt costs more up front, is less hands-on and is the usual choice for new Adelaide pools.
Salt water vs chlorine at a glance
| Salt water (salt chlorinator) | Traditional chlorine | Mineral (magnesium blend) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How chlorine is added | Made from salt by the chlorinator cell | Added by hand: liquid, granules or tablets | Made by a chlorinator from a mineral salt blend |
| Upfront cost | Chlorinator, typically $1,200 – $2,500 installed | Lowest | Similar to salt, plus a dearer salt blend |
| Day-to-day effort | Low: check levels, top up salt, clean the cell | Higher: regular dosing and testing | Low, like salt |
| Running cost | Salt top-ups, power for the cell, cell replacement over time | Ongoing chlorine purchases | Mineral salts cost more than pool salt |
| Feel | Soft; no strong chlorine smell when balanced | Can feel harsher if levels swing | Often described as silkier |
| Watch-outs | Salt can affect some stone, metal and older equipment | Storing and handling chemicals | Same as salt |
How a salt water pool works
A salt chlorinator has a cell that the pool water passes through. A small electric current turns dissolved salt into chlorine, which sanitises the water and then turns back into salt. The salt level is low — typically a few thousand parts per million, roughly a tenth of the salt in seawater — so the water doesn’t taste like the sea.
A salt pool is still a chlorine pool. You still need to test the water, keep pH and alkalinity in range, add stabiliser where needed and clean the cell, which builds up scale over time. The difference is that you’re not buying and adding chlorine every few days.
Traditional chlorine pools
With a traditional chlorine pool, you add chlorine directly, as liquid, granules or slow-release tablets. The equipment cost is lower because there’s no chlorinator, but the pool needs more frequent attention. Chlorine levels rise straight after dosing and fall away between doses, which is where the harsh feel and strong smell people associate with “chlorine pools” usually come from. It’s also why it needs more regular testing.
Manual chlorine can make sense for a small pool used occasionally, as a back-up when a chlorinator fails, or for an older pool where the surrounding stone or equipment isn’t salt-tolerant.
Mineral pools
Mineral pools use a chlorinator too, but with a blend that includes magnesium and potassium salts as well as sodium chloride. Many owners like the softer, silkier feel. Claims about therapeutic benefits are not well established, so choose a mineral pool for the feel, not as a health treatment. The salt blend costs more than standard pool salt, and you’ll need a chlorinator rated for it.
Running costs compared
Exact costs depend on pool size, sun exposure, how often the pool is used and how well the water is balanced, so treat these as general patterns rather than figures:
- Salt: pool salt is inexpensive and mostly stays in the pool, topped up after backwashing, rain overflow and splash-out. The chlorinator uses a little electricity, and the cell will need replacing eventually.
- Chlorine: no chlorinator to buy, but you keep buying chlorine for the life of the pool, and Adelaide summers use a lot of it.
- Mineral: similar to salt, with a dearer salt blend.
Over the life of a pool, many owners find salt cheaper and far less hands-on than manual chlorine. A good pool cover reduces chlorine use for every option because it keeps out sun and debris.
Comfort and upkeep
When the water is well balanced, salt and mineral pools tend to feel softer, and there’s less of the chlorine smell people associate with public pools. That smell usually means the chlorine is busy breaking down contaminants, not that there’s too much chlorine. Whatever you choose, balanced water matters more than the sanitiser: low pH can sting eyes and damage surfaces, and high pH lets algae get a hold.
Salt can be hard on some natural stone, metal fittings and older equipment, so check your coping, paving and heater are salt-tolerant before converting an existing pool.
Which should you choose?
- New pool, regular use: a salt chlorinator is the usual choice.
- You like a softer feel: consider a mineral blend; it costs a little more to run.
- Small or rarely used pool, or salt-sensitive surrounds: manual chlorine can still make sense.
Converting an existing chlorine pool to salt is usually straightforward: add a chlorinator to the equipment line and dose salt to the right level. It’s often done alongside a pool renovation or equipment upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Is a salt water pool better than chlorine?
For most households, a salt pool is easier to look after because the chlorinator makes chlorine continuously. It isn’t chlorine-free, and you still need to test and balance the water. Manual chlorine has a lower upfront cost but needs more frequent attention.
Is a salt water pool cheaper to run?
Often, yes, over the life of the pool, because pool salt is inexpensive and mostly stays in the water. You’ll pay for the chlorinator up front, a little electricity and an eventual cell replacement.
Can I convert my chlorine pool to salt water?
Usually, yes. A chlorinator is added to the filtration system and salt is added to the water. Check that your heater, fittings, coping and paving can handle salt first.
What is a mineral pool?
A pool that uses a chlorinator with a mineral salt blend, typically including magnesium. Many people prefer how it feels. It costs a little more to run than a standard salt pool.
Get a quote
New pools are quoted with a salt chlorinator unless you ask for something else, and we can price a mineral upgrade or a chlorinator for an existing pool. Tell us about your project through our pool building or pool renovation pages.
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