A chlorinator is any device that produces chlorine. It typically refers to a machine that makes chlorine from table salt unless otherwise specified. A chlorinator is helpful for pool owners, since salt is much less expensive than chlorine tablets. A salt molecule is composed of an atom of sodium and an atom of chlorine. An electrical current in a salt solution will split the sodium atom from the chlorine atom. The chlorine mixes with the pool water to form hypochlorous acid, which provides the disinfectant properties your pool requires.
Things You'll Need:
Things You Will Need
Drill two holes through one side of a 4-inch length of PVC pipe. Drill the holes to be the same size as the metal rods. Align these holes on one side of the PVC pipe.
Secure one end of the red electrical wire to one of these rods with electrical tape. Tape one end of the black wire to the other rod.
Insert one rod into one of the holes in the PVC pipe. Seal the hole with caulk. Place the other rod into the other hole and seal that hole with caulk. Attach the PVC pipe to the pipe that pumps water into your pool.
Add about 25 lbs. of salt to your pool for every 1,000 gallons of water it contains. Run the pump for 24 hours to mix the salt into the pool.
Connect the electrical wires to the electrical generator and start the generator. The black wire traditionally connects to the negative terminal, and the red wire connects to the positive terminal. The generator should be able to produce 0.375 amps for every 1,000 gallons in the pool. This will allow you to chlorinate the pool completely in about 24 hours.