When you turn the knob of a chlorine generator to change the power level, what actually happens. We found this little piece over at www.controlomatic.com.

Chlorine generators, also called chlorinators make chlorine from salt that you have added to the water making it saltwater. Chlorinators have titanium plates with a special coating that when voltage is applied causes electrolysis and the breakdown of the water and the salt creating hydrogen, oxygen and chlorine. The power level is not actually a power or voltage applied to the titanium plates, but how long the power is applied to the plates. If the chlorine generator has the power to the plates 24 hours continuous per day, that would be 100% or full power. A power level of 50% might be 12 hours per day. For the ColorChlor, a power level of 5 (out of 10) is 6 hours on per day.

 Some chlorine generators actually change the voltage across the plates but this isn’t necessarily a power level. If you want to be able to support a wide range of salt concentration then you need to change the voltage to the plates to keep the current density to the plates within limits as increasing current density equates to lower life span of the plates.