The best salt water chlorinators in Australia

A salt water chlorinator makes your pool’s chlorine for you, from salt dissolved in the water, every time the filter pump runs. Clark Rubber calls salt water chlorination the most popular way to sanitise an Australian pool, so many buyers are replacing a tired unit rather than converting. Prices below are from Pool and Spa Warehouse, Bunnings, Clark Rubber and Amazon Australia on 18 October 2026.

How a chlorinator works

The pool is dosed with salt to a few thousand parts per million. Water from the filter passes through the cell, a set of coated titanium plates, and low-voltage current from the power pack turns some of the salt into chlorine by electrolysis. The chlorine sanitises the water, reverts to salt, and the cycle repeats, so salt is lost mainly when water leaves the pool. The power pack usually doubles as the pump timer. One detail most people miss: Onga’s notes say its unit maintains chlorine rather than building it, so you still add chlorine by hand at start-up and after a heavy swim day.

Size it on grams per hour, not litres

Every chlorinator is rated in grams of chlorine per hour (g/h), and every maker also prints a pool size. The g/h figure is comparable between brands. The pool size is not.

Units of almost identical output are rated for pools from 40,000 L to 96,000 L. Heat, sunlight and swimmers all use up chlorine, which is why the careful makers attach a climate. If you live in Queensland, the Northern Territory or anywhere with long hot summers, size off the conservative end of the table. Onga’s sizing guide adds a margin on top: allow an extra 10 to 20 percent of output if the budget allows. On AstralPool’s warm-climate figure of 40,000 L per 25 g/h, a 50,000 L pool in Brisbane needs about 31 g/h before that margin, not the 25 g/h box that says 96,000 L.

Self-cleaning is worth paying for

Electrolysis leaves calcium scale on the plates, and a scaled cell makes less chlorine. Self-cleaning cells reverse their polarity on a cycle to shed it. A standard cell has to come out for an acid soak: Saltmate suggests checking its SMT models weekly at first and cleaning generally monthly. The self-cleaning RP20 costs $400 more than the SMT120 at Pool and Spa Warehouse. If you know you will not keep up with monthly cleaning, pay it. If your water is hard, Saltmate’s notes warn of more frequent cleaning and a chance of early cell failure either way, so test calcium hardness before blaming the chlorinator.

The cell is the real running cost

The power pack lasts for years; the cell is the consumable. Zodiac rates its cells at 3 to 5 years depending on water chemistry and maintenance. Here is what a genuine replacement costs against the unit itself.

Spread an $899 cell over Zodiac’s 3 to 5 years and you are paying about $180 to $300 a year before salt and electricity. Generic cells cut that: Pool and Spa Warehouse sells an AquaSolis cell for the FreeFlo 25 at $705 against $820 genuine. When the old cell dies, compare the cell price with a whole new unit: a new Saltmate RP20 is $1,249 against $749 for its cell alone, so if the power pack is also old, the extra $500 buys a new one with a fresh warranty.

Replacing an old unit: start with what fits

A retrofit model uses the existing cell position and unions, so the swap is a few screws and a power plug rather than new plumbing. The Zodiac Ei3 is a direct replacement for the Zodiac LM3. The Madimack InverCHLOR and the AquaSolis CLS+ range retrofit AstralPool E, VX, V, eQ and Halo plumbing. Read the brand and model off your old power pack before you shop, and filter by it. If the cell sits after a heater, keep it there: the AquaSolis instructions put the cell on the return line after the filter, heater, solar or heat pump.

Low-salt and mineral chlorinators

Low-salt units run at less than half the usual salinity. The AquaSolis CLS+15 LS runs at 1,200 to 1,800 ppm and costs $1,499, against $1,049 for the standard CLS+15 at 3,000 to 4,000 ppm, for the same 15 g/h. AstralPool’s Halo Pure runs at 1,500 ppm and was $4,799 on clearance at Clark Rubber. Mineral blends are pool salt mixed with other minerals such as magnesium; Saltmate, Onga and Madimack all list their units as mineral compatible. The catch is output. Madimack’s own table shows the InverCHLOR 20 making 20 g/h at 3,000 ppm but 9 g/h at 1,200 ppm, so a low-salt pool needs a bigger unit to make the same chlorine.

Above-ground pools

In-ground chlorinators are built for 40 mm and 50 mm pressure pipe. Above-ground and frame pools need a system made for their hoses and smaller pumps. The Intex Krystal Clear QS1200 is $549 at Clark Rubber and the smaller QS500, for pools up to 26,497 L, is $389. The QS1200 makes 12 g/h for pools up to 56,800 L and needs a filter pump flowing 2,650 to 12,112 L/h. Amazon AU sells and ships the 26670AU Australian-voltage version of the QS1200 itself; check the current price on Amazon. Bestway’s Hydrogenic 6 g/h unit, rated for pools up to 26,498 L, is also listed there.

The picks

The Onga/Pentair FreeFlo 25RP is the one most owners of a typical in-ground pool should buy: self-cleaning, a timer with battery backup, and three full years on the power pack and cell. For big pools or hot climates, the Saltmate RP20 gives 33 g/h for $100 more. The Saltmate SMT120 is the cheapest way to replace a dead unit if you will clean the cell. Owners of a Zodiac LM3 should buy the Zodiac Ei3 24 to avoid replumbing. The Baracuda Saltmaster is the self-cleaning option at Bunnings. The Madimack InverCHLOR 20 suits anyone who wants app alerts or a low-salt pool. Above-ground pools get the Intex QS1200. The AstralPool Halo Chlor is the start of a full automation system rather than just a chlorinator. If you also run a solar cover, note that the Zodiac Ei3 has low and cover modes for covered pools. Replacing the cleaner at the same time? Start with the robotic cleaner guide.

The one trap

Reading the headline warranty instead of the cell warranty. The cell is the part that wears out, and the fine print varies more than the box does. Onga’s five years is three full plus two pro rata on the cell. Saltmate’s five years is two full plus three pro rata. Zodiac’s Ei3 is two years full. Madimack’s InverCHLOR is four years or 10,000 hours, whichever comes first. At Bunnings, the True Blue SALT-PRO30 ($1,290) lists three years on the power pack but 12 months on the cell. Pro rata means you pay a growing share of a new cell each year, so a five-year warranty with two full years is closer to a two-year warranty on the part you will actually replace.