Don't run your salt chlorine generator below 60°F.

No. Running it in cold water will damage the cell and waste your time.

Salt chlorine generators (salt cells) rely on electrolysis to convert salt into chlorine. That chemical reaction slows way down in cold water—below about 60°F, it’s basically useless. You’ll be pumping current through the cell with almost no chlorine output, which is a good way to scale up the plates and shorten the cell’s life.

Most manufacturers explicitly say not to run the generator below 50–60°F. Some will void your warranty if you do. Even if yours doesn’t, the temperature shock of cold water hitting a warm cell can crack the ceramic or plastic housing.

What you should do: leave the pump running for circulation (if the water isn’t freezing), but turn the generator off. Add liquid or tablet chlorine manually if needed until the water warms up. Your cell is expensive—don’t cook it over a few degrees.