Getting Salty

Servicing a salt pool? You can now.

The newly designed Powerclean Salt Ultra by Georgia-based CMP lets users ditch the acid to clean chlorine generator cell plates.

In early 2019, when CMP acquired Saline Generating Systems and some of its employees, the team wanted to work out some kinks in one of the popular SGS sanitizer systems by going into the field. Most salt chlorine generators require acid to clean gunked-up cells during maintenance, making the job messy and even dangerous. Seeking to change that, CMP asked servicers what features technicians and customers wanted in a salt chlorine generator.

Using this input, the revamped Powerclean Salt Ultra system was released in the spring.

Brandon Miller, owner of Cajun Pools & Spas in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, started installing the unit after he saw it at a trade show. He’s now installed it in 70 pools and counting, and he even put it on his mother-in-law’s pool.

“I’ve had great success with it and zero failures on any of them,” Miller says. “Other than homeowners destroying them [due to negligence] or losing the O-ring, they’ve held up great.”

Miller found it tough to service other saltwater generators because he couldn’t get his hand inside the unit to perform maintenance properly. Now he and customers can easily pull the cell out with no problem.

Because CMP’s system has no glued-in parts, Miller doesn’t have to cut pipes or parts to troubleshoot. He loves being “in and out and done in minutes,” he says: “I think it was designed with the consumer in mind as well as the builder. It’s a very simple product that works. They didn’t overthink it.”

The original SGS product was already “fantastic” and the recent changes only made the product stronger, says Victor Walker, CMP’s product development and marketing manager. When it comes to revamping a new product, consumers can get picky. Luckily for CMP, no one has complained about the improved design and liberties they took with the former SGS salt chlorinator.

The new design offers a clear window so a quick glance will indicate whether maintenance is required. “It’s your friendly backyard chlorine generator,” Walker says. “It’s not smoke-and-mirrors technology. We want you to interact with this and make it safe and easy to do so. And you won’t have to use harsh chemicals.”

Additionally, the metal plates within the system are individually powered, making it easier to knock salt off by hand and preventing buildup that often leads to permanent damage.

Some other new features include changes to the product’s colors, design adjustments and plumbing unions.

CMP also added technology support. On the unit’s exterior, pool technicians or owners can scan a QR code to access support and how-to videos on the product.

“I really fell in love with the clear housing on the chlorinating cell,” says Chris Matthews, president of Easy Living Pools in Columbus, Ohio. “And that is what really turned me onto the product. I think they worked a lot of [the previous] bugs out.”

Matthews’ clientele base is about 90% saltwater pools, so he says finding a salt chlorine generator that’s simple to maintain makes both his team and his customers happy.

The chlorinator’s maintenance schedule is based on a few factors including usage, pool size and water hardness. Walker recommends maintenance about every six weeks, but ambitious homeowners or servicers may want to do it monthly. Further, CMP customer service is always on standby to help pool pros out, Matthews says.

He also says the transition from SGS to CMP couldn’t have been more seamless. From the product upgrade down to the optional extended life cell warranty, he and his customers appreciate the thoughtful redesign.

“From the reps to the service side to the technician side, they are so great to deal with,” says Matthews. “I think [CMP has] a very bright future ahead with this product.”

Powerclean Salt Ultra Stats

• Works in pools up to 60,000 gallons
• Produces approximately 2 pounds of chlorine daily
• Auto shut-off for low salt
• Up to 15,000 hours of life
• Cleans with zero Acid
• Cell plates are fully removable
• NSF certified