self-cleaning pool chlorinators

[dman]

I need to replace the salt water chlorinator of my swimming pool. I have had some conflicting stories from pool shops on the effectiveness of "self-cleaning" electrode systems. Apparently they reverse polarity every now and then to prevent calcium buildup.

I know they are more expensive to start with, and probably don't last as long and are more expensive to replace than standard electrodes - but do they actually work...? Has anyone had any experience with them?

[anawanahuanana]

By no means do I claim to be an expert on this, but I'll tell you my experience.
I bought a house just over a year ago, and it has a pool with a self cleaning cell. I have not had to clean the cell once yet. You can see the bulid up on alternate plates of the cell, then check it later on, and it's starting to build up on the others. So, in my opinion, they work. Although I'm really not looking forward to having to replace it when it dies. Might be cheaper to sell the house...............

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've had to replace the electrodes in our "ordinary" chlorinator more than a couple of times over the last decade. Every time because they had been broken (or some drongo used too strong an acid) while cleaning.

For me, at least, a self-cleaner would've paid for itself by now... provided that it worked reliably, of course.