Both the TechniChlor and ColorChlor salt water chlorine generators require electrical power. They will continue to operate and sanitize your spa without the spa turned on, but electricity must be kept on to their power supplies.

If there is a short power outage, the units will adjust their output to straighten things out when the power comes back on. You can count on them performing this if the power comes back within a half day or so. For longer periods, other precautions and remedies may come into play.

If you know there is going to be an outage and can plan accordingly, pick up a small bottle of liquid chlorine at a local pool store. By adding a large shock right before the power is lost, you will help the warm water to resist the buildup of algae and bacteria. Of course, you should not use the spa during this period. Just let it sit, covered and warm waiting for the power to come back on.

If you didn’t get a warning the power was going out to the spa and chlorinator and will be off for some time (days), we recommend another course of action. You should uncover the spa and try to cool off the water as quickly as possible (cooler water breeds less bacteria) and add liquid chlorine or bleach if you have it around the house. If your outage is being caused by inclement weather, you may not be able to open the cover very far if at all. In this case you may need to add chlorine again later once the water has cooled on its own. Either way once the water has cooled, recover the tub to keep dust and debris from falling in.