Walk into any pool shop in Perth complaining about cloudy water or algae, and they'll try selling you a new pool chlorinator within five minutes.
Half the time, your chlorinator's working fine. The problem's somewhere else entirely.
I'll show you when you actually need replacement and when you're being sold expensive gear you don't need.
The Green Pool Scam
Your pool turns green. You panic. The pool shop guy inspects your equipment, shakes his head sadly, and declares your chlorinator's finished.
He's lying 60% of the time.
Green pools happen for dozens of reasons. Low chlorine output, yes. But also poor circulation, unbalanced pH, insufficient filtration time, phosphate buildup, or simply forgetting to check salt levels for three weeks.
A Thornlie customer got quoted for complete chlorinator replacement after one green pool incident. We tested his cell - perfectly functional. His actual problem? The timer controlling his pool pumps had failed. Equipment ran two hours daily instead of eight. No amount of chlorination fixes inadequate circulation time.
Fixed the timer, balanced the chemistry, cleared the algae. Saved him over three grand he nearly wasted on unnecessary replacement.
The Cell Life Lie
Pool shops love claiming chlorinator cells last "three to five years maximum." Then they conveniently stock the exact replacement you need.
Reality? Quality cells last seven to ten years with proper maintenance. Some go twelve years in well-maintained pools.
The difference is water chemistry. Balanced pH and proper salt levels extend cell life dramatically. Neglected chemistry destroys cells prematurely. Then shops blame "normal wear" instead of poor maintenance.
A Secret Harbour pool had its original chlorinator cell running beautifully after nine years. Owner tested water weekly, kept pH stable, maintained correct salt concentration. The cell finally needed replacement at eleven years - triple the "maximum lifespan" the pool shop quoted.
What Actually Kills Chlorinators
Three things destroy chlorinator cells prematurely:
Wrong salt levels. Too low and the cell works overtime producing inadequate chlorine. Too high and calcium buildup accelerates, coating the plates and reducing efficiency. Most Perth pool owners never test salt concentration after initial setup.
Calcium scaling. Perth's hard water deposits calcium on cell plates. Regular acid washing removes buildup. Skip this maintenance and cells clog completely within years instead of decades.
Incorrect pH. High pH reduces chlorine effectiveness, so owners crank up output trying to compensate. The cell runs harder than necessary, wearing faster. Low pH corrodes cell plates directly.
None of these problems require new equipment. They require proper pool chemistry and basic maintenance.
The Diagnostic Test They Won't Show You
Before spending thousands on replacement, run this simple test:
Remove your cell and inspect the plates visually. Heavy white calcium buildup? Soak it in diluted hydrochloric acid solution for twenty minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Reinstall.
If chlorine production returns to normal, you just saved thousands. Your cell wasn't dead - it was dirty.
Black deposits between plates indicate genuine cell failure. Cracked or separated plates mean replacement is actually necessary. But white calcium buildup is maintenance neglect, not equipment failure.
A Baldivis customer was quoted for urgent replacement due to "failed cell." We acid-washed his cell for minimal cost. Worked perfectly afterwards. He'd been days away from buying unnecessary equipment based on deliberately incomplete diagnosis.
When Replacement Actually Makes Sense
Sometimes you genuinely need new equipment. Recognise legitimate replacement scenarios:
Your cell produces zero chlorine after thorough cleaning and chemistry balancing. The plates show physical damage or separation. The power supply unit fails completely. Your chlorinator's technology is fifteen-plus years old and replacement parts are discontinued.
These are real problems requiring real solutions. But they're far less common than pool shops suggest.
The Upgrade Trap
Sales staff push "upgrade while you're replacing anyway." Bigger capacity, fancier controls, smartphone connectivity, self-cleaning features.
Most residential pools need basic chlorination. Fancy features add cost without meaningful benefit. Self-cleaning cells sound great until you realise they still need manual acid washing in Perth's hard water.
Smartphone control is genuinely useful if you travel frequently. Otherwise, it's expensive tech solving problems most people don't have.
Match replacement equipment to actual needs, not impressive feature lists.
The Chemistry Foundation
Here's what actually matters: proper water chemistry prevents most chlorinator problems entirely.
Test pH weekly. Maintain 7.2 to 7.6 range. Test salt levels monthly during summer, every two months in winter. Keep between 3,000-4,000 ppm for most chlorinators.
Acid wash your cell every six months in Perth conditions. Takes thirty minutes, costs almost nothing, extends cell life by years.
Run your pool pumps adequate hours daily. Six to eight hours minimum during summer. Chlorinators can't compensate for insufficient circulation.
A Hamilton Hill customer maintained meticulous chemistry for eight years. His mid-range chlorinator outlasted three of his neighbours' premium models. The difference wasn't equipment quality - it was maintenance discipline.
The Money Question
Quality chlorinator cells cost anywhere from several hundred to over a thousand dollars depending on pool size and model. Complete system replacement including power supply runs significantly higher.
Proper maintenance costs maybe fifty dollars yearly in testing supplies and acid for cleaning. The return on that minimal investment is years of additional equipment life.
Yet most Perth pool owners spend nothing on preventive maintenance, then complain about expensive replacements every few years.
What You Should Actually Do
Before buying any chlorinator replacement, get honest assessment from someone who doesn't profit from selling you new gear.
We'll test your cell properly, check your chemistry, assess whether you need replacement or maintenance. If you genuinely need new equipment, we'll recommend appropriate options without upselling unnecessary features.
Book assessment at poolheatingsolutionswa.com.au. Open seven days.
Stop replacing equipment that just needs cleaning.