Inline vs Offline Chlorinators. What's right for you?

Hello and welcome! Today we’re going to be discussing the benefits of an automatic chlorinator and why you should consider buying one for your pool. Later we will be breaking down the benefits of an automatic chlorinator versus using chlorine tablets, but before we do that let’s take a moment to talk about why you should be using chlorine in the first place. Chlorine keeps your pool water clean and prevents the build-up of water-borne germs that can make swimmers sick. We’ll talk about the two types of available chlorinators: inline and offline. Both are cost-effective and function very similarly to one another. The big difference is the installation, below we will detail the exact differences between them, but before that let’s talk a bit about how a chlorinator works.

So how an automatic chlorinator works is it connects directly to your filter system and pump, and from there it releases a predetermined amount of chlorinated water from your pool’s return. As water passes through the chlorinator, it slowly dissolves the chlorine tablet inside. It then dispenses that chlorine into your water based on your settings. To determine the settings, you’re going to aim to keep your chlorine levels between one and three parts per million based on the volume of your pool. Not sure about the volume of your pool? Well, that’s simple enough to find out, but unfortunately, to get there we’re going to have to do a little math. Start by multiplying the length of your pool by the width to get the surface area. Then find the average depth by adding the shallowest depth to the deepest depth and dividing that number by two. Your final formula to figure out approximately how many gallons of water your pool holds would look like this: Surface area X Average depth X 7.5. 

Now that you know what you need to keep your pool fully chlorinated let’s discuss the “how” by finally talking about the types of chlorinators, I brought up earlier. The two types are inline and offline. Inline chlorinators are sturdier and have fewer parts that would ever need to be replaced. Like the online model, this unit is cheap and affordable, but the major difference is that the inline chlorinator needs to be installed directly into the piping that’s connected to your pump and filter system. If you already have an existing pool and massive construction isn’t an option, then an offline pool chlorinator is the option you want to go with. Using an offline chlorinator, you will not need to cut a piece of the pipe. Instead, you will only need to put small holes in the PVC plumbing. The offline chlorinator is installed on the side of the system and connected with a tube. Check out the illustrations below for an example of the differences between inline and online chlorinators.