The Chlorine Genie VS a Saltwater Generator
Many of you probably have never heard or even seen the Chlorine Genie before. It was a small independently run company started in 1995 and was recently acquired by Ultimate Water. With a price tag of $4,000 of course this is not a product for everyone but there is a market for this device.
How the unit works is very similar to a typical saltwater generator. Except for the salt being contained in the brine tank of the Chlorine Genie and not in the pool. That is why no salt needs to be added to the pool water itself. Another major difference is that the salt cell in the Chlorine Genie will remain much cleaner and free of most scale since “pure soft water” is used in the brine tank (the descaling filter removes the hard water).
In addition to this, a typical saltwater generator makes Sodium Hydroxide which is one of the reasons the pH rises so high in a saltwater pool (the other reason being water turbulence in the salt cell itself). Since the Chlorine Genie has a “pH drain” you can drain out the Sodium Hydroxide byproduct and the pH will remain much more stable. The water soft water in the brine tank is also lower in pH allowing you to balance your pH by adjusting the pH drain on the unit.
Salt Water Generator vs Chlorine Genie with the winner of each category on top
Cost:
Salt Water generator (SWG) – prices range from $1,500 to $2,000 depending on the system size.
Chlorine Genie (CG) – MSRP of RT30 $4,095 CT50 $6,299 (Wholesale pricing available).
Production:
SWG – can produce 0.6 lbs. -2 lbs. of chlorine a day depending on the cell size.
CG – RT30 can make 0.6 lbs. of chlorine and CT50 1.2 lbs. a day.
Maintenance:
SWG – Salt cell cleaning and replacement when needed.
CG – Monthly bag of salt needs to be added. All parts need a monthly inspection. Hard water. filter replaced when needed. Salt cell cleaning when needed through the acid port in front.
Salt Level:
CG- No salt in pool is needed, all salt is in the brine tank of the unit.
SWG- 3000-3600 ppm of salt in the pool is needed for operation.
pH:
CG – pH is controlled by the pH drain as you can drain off the Sodium Hydroxide and the water in the basin is lower in pH. You can balance a pools pH without muriatic acid or soda ash in most cases.
SWG – pH is constantly rising due to the Sodium Hydroxide produced by the cell and by water turbulence inside the cell itself.
Side Effects:
CG – Since all of the salt is in the brine tank all of these side effects are mitigated.
SWG - The salt in the pool raises the TDS to 4500-5000 ppm and the salt water can cause equipment corrosion. White flake blowback is common in many salt pools and is a byproduct of chlorine production in a high phosphate environment or an LSI out of balance.
Reliability:
CG- Started in 1995 and recently acquired by Ultimate Water – the technology is simple with 3 main components. With proper maintenance, the unit will last for several years.
SWG- Most brands are very reliable with a few defective units here and there.
Size:
SWG – take up a small area on the plumbing and a power unit can be hung in the equipment area
CG- Need an 20” x 20” spot no further than 10 ft from the pool pump.
Overall a SWG is less expensive but creates more side effects than the CG and of course requires you to have a saltwater pool to operate. I like the fact that the CG is a self-contained unit and no salt needs to be added to the pool water. You can also regulate the pH with the Chlorine Genie.
The market segment for the Chlorine Genie would be those homeowners who want the benefits of having a saltwater generator without the side effects created by a saltwater pool. With the higher price point this is more of an elite piece of pool equipment.
The Chlorine Genie will generate chlorine for your pool without the need of adding 400, 600, or 800 lbs of salt to the pool water, all of the salt used to generate chlorine remains inside the Chlorine Genie itself! This is by far the safest and cleanest chlorine production unit on the market today! As a side bonus, the Chlorine Genie will also allow for pH adjustments so in most cases you no longer will need to add Muriatic Acid or Soda Ash to balance the pH in your pool.
There are currently two different units available:
RT30 Single Cell unit is optimized for residential settings and is for pools up to 40k gallons in size. The CT50 Dual Cell unit is optimized for semi-commercial settings and pools up to 80k in size. The primary difference is that the RT30 produces 0.6 lbs of chlorine each day and the CT50 produces 1.2 lbs of chlorine each day. Both are installed and operate in the same way except the CT50 has two cells.
How the unit works is very similar to a typical saltwater generator. Except for the salt being contained in the brine tank of the Chlorine Genie and not in the pool. That is why no salt needs to be added to the pool water itself. Another major difference is that the salt cell in the Chlorine Genie will remain much cleaner and free of most scale since “pure soft water” is used in the brine tank (the descaling filter removes the hard water).
One thing that I think can be improved upon is a digital control much like a VS pump so that you can use a relay and connect it to an automated panel or the aux relay on the back of a VS pump so that you can turn it on and off when the pool pump goes on and off.
You can learn more on their website:
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