Why Ozone and Salt Chlorinators Make the Perfect Team for Your Pool

A company in Australia recently contacted me and asked if I would try their ozone generator for swimming pools. A few days ago, I installed it on my own system at home. The installation was quick and simple, and so far it seems to be working perfectly.

I’m very optimistic about the results, but I’ll give it a few weeks before making a final judgment. The main goals are to lower the chlorine level in the pool, reduce the workload on my salt chlorinator, and make the water crystal clear. If this system can do that, it will be a great addition.

Why It Works Well

• Salt chlorinator (SWG): continuously makes a low, steady level of free chlorine. That chlorine stays in the pool water, protecting against bacteria and algae between filter cycles.

• Ozone generator: creates ozone gas (O₃) that is injected into the return line. Ozone is a super-strong oxidizer that kills and destroys organics very quickly, but it only works inside the pipework—it disappears before it reaches the pool.

👉 Together: ozone does the heavy “instant kill” work, while chlorine from the SWG stays in the pool as long-lasting protection. This means the SWG can run at a lower output, which saves the cell and reduces chemical demand.

Chemistry Balance

• Keep free chlorine in the pool at ~1–2 ppm (you don’t need high levels since ozone helps with oxidation).

• Use CYA (stabilizer) around 50–70 ppm for outdoor pools in strong sun.

• Keep pH around 7.4–7.6 (salt cells push pH upward over time).

• Watch alkalinity and calcium hardness—important in Thailand because water can scale easily.

Advantages of Both

• Clearer, fresher water (less “chlorine smell” because ozone destroys chloramines).

• Lower chlorine demand → longer salt cell life.

• Better safety margin for heavy swimmers or hot sunny days.

• Less need for “shock” treatments.

Things to Watch

• Make sure ozone off-gas is vented safely (never let raw ozone bubbles into the pool).

• Don’t turn the SWG output too low—you always need at least some free chlorine in the water.

✅ Salt chlorinator + ozone generator is a strong combination. It gives you the crystal-clear water of ozone plus the everyday protection of chlorine, with less wear on your SWG.