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Salt chlorinator above ground pool

Updated: 21 October 2026

The filter is already on the grass, the hose is a loose spiral, and the salt system in the listing might be 32 mm, 38 mm, or a piece of rigid pipe that will never meet either. A salt chlorinator above ground pool install is a hose problem first. The cell sits on the return after the filter, on a diameter you can seal, and only on the kind of pool the manual allows. Prices are on the [Salt chlorinator](/hub/pool-care/salt-chlorinator) comparison. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Listings were read on 19 October 2026. We did not lab-test the cells.

The filter is already on the grass, the hose is a loose spiral, and the salt system in the listing might be 32 mm, 38 mm, or a piece of rigid pipe that will never meet either.

Our top picks

Intex Intex CG-26664

Best overall

Intex Intex CG-26664
7.2/10about £118.56
View offer
Intex Intex 26670

Rank 2

Intex Intex 26670
8.1/10about £301.32
View offer
Intex Intex 26666

Alternative

Intex Intex 26666
5.7/10about £341.12
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Where it sits in the loop
  2. 2.32 mm and 38 mm
  3. 3.Flow and the two Intex listings
  4. 4.Storable pools and the plug
  5. 5.Which units in this set are hose units

Where it sits in the loop

The cell sits after the filter, on the way back to the pool. The QS400 manual puts it in that order. The pump has to run whenever the cell runs. The hose units here are the Intex models. The Bonvoisin and the YUCHENGTECH state about 48–50 mm PVC. A drop-in does not belong in this loop.

32 mm and 38 mm

Intex support describes 32 mm and 38 mm hoses. The QS400 manual states 32 mm fittings. The CG-26664 bullets do not. A review describes a 32 mm section between 38 mm hoses. The 26670 does not state a hose size. It states a filter of at least 2,650 litres per hour. You can meet the flow and still have the wrong tail. The 26666 states neither.
Intex Intex CG-26664

Testsieger

Intex Intex CG-26664
7.2/10about £118.56
View offer

Flow and the two Intex listings

The 26670 states 12 g/h and at least 2,650 litres per hour. The QS400 manual states 1,136–3,785 litres per hour for the smaller family. Grams per hour against volume stay on the salt chlorinator buying guide. One UK review says the CG-26664 did not cover a 17,000 litre pool. The 4 g/h figure is in the manual, not the bullets.

Storable pools and the plug

The QS400 manual limits that product to storable pools. It wants the product more than 2 metres from the pool and the plug more than 3.5 metres away, through an RCD not exceeding 30 mA, with no converter plug. A verified UK review says the 26670 arrived with a Euro plug. Do not cut it off. The pour, once the hose is dry, is how to use a salt chlorinator.

Which units in this set are hose units

The CG-26664 at about £118.56 suits a small storable pool if you accept 32 mm from the manual. The 26670 is the 12 g/h system if the pump meets 2,650 litres per hour and you will sort the plug. Which fits is best salt chlorinator UK. Leave the 48–50 mm cells, and the drop-ins, off this hose.

Common questions

Will it fit 32 mm or 38 mm hoses?
Intex support describes 32 mm and 38 mm hoses and does not promise a third size. The QS400 manual states 32 mm fittings. The CG-26664 bullets do not, and a review describes a 32 mm section between 38 mm hoses. The 26670 bullets do not state a hose size at all. Measure what you have. A reducer that weeps is a leak.
Does the salt cell go before or after the filter?
After the filter, as the last unit on the return. The QS400 manual puts it there. Before the filter, the cell takes the debris. The pump must run at least as long as the cell. A shop note on the 26670 says to set the pump about an hour longer. That sentence is the retailer's description, not a line on every ASIN.
What pump flow do I need?
The 26670 listing states at least 2,650 litres per hour. The QS400 manual states 1,136–3,785 litres per hour for the smaller family. If your pump's listing does not state a flow, you cannot tick the box from the chlorinator page. A dirty cartridge can drop you below the band even when the headline looks high enough.
Can I use it on a permanent steel-wall pool?
The QS400 manual says that product is for storable pools only, not permanently installed pools. A pool that stays up, with a fixed supply, is outside that sentence. Intex support also describes these systems as primarily for Intex above-ground pools. A non-Intex hose can still be 32 mm or 38 mm. The storable-pool limit is separate from the diameter.
Is the small Intex enough for a 4 m by 2 m pool?
A 4 m by 2 m footprint is not a volume until you know the depth. One UK review of the CG-26664 says it did not cover a 17,000 litre pool. Another describes about 27 kg of salt, plus a possible further 12 kg, for a roughly 4 m by 2 m pool. The bullets state neither litres nor grams per hour. Near 17,000 litres, that review is the warning. The 26670 is the listing that prints 12 g/h.
Where does the plug have to sit?
More than 3.5 metres from the pool, with the product more than 2 metres away, on the QS400 manual, through an RCD not exceeding 30 mA. Do not use a converter plug. Reviews say the 26670 and the 26666 have arrived without a UK plug. A shop's 3-pin version is not this ASIN. If the lead is a Euro plug, an electrician changes the supply.
Do I still run the filter pump longer than the cell?
Yes. The cell only treats water the pump is moving. If the cell's timer outlasts the pump, the last part of the cycle has no flow. Poolpro's 26670 description says to set the pump about an hour longer. Use that as a retailer note, and set the timer you actually own. A cell left powered on a stopped loop is not a longer chlorine dose.

Related pages

Hot tub salt chlorinator

Salt chlorinator

Best salt chlorinator UK for your pool or a hot tub

Salt chlorinator buying guide: match rate and pipe

How to use a salt chlorinator: salt first, then cell

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources used for this page in October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these seven listings.

  1. Hayward UK salt chlorinator configurator (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Bayrol: how a salt chlorinator works (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. BSI BS EN 16401:2013 sodium chloride for electrochlorinators (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Intex QS400 saltwater system manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Intex hose sizes and connections (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. NAPIT: BS 7671 Section 702 swimming pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE: swimming pools (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. PWTAG TN60: free chlorine and pH (retrieved 19 October 2026)