Replacement Salt Cells matchup
EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal) vs Pentair IntelliChlor Plus40 Salt Chlorine Generator (523735)
the $800 OEM question, ruled
EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal)
~$940
The judges have ruled
EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal) took this fight in our Catchweight division showdown.
Ringside notes
This is the fight every Pentair pool owner has when the IC40 cell dies: pay Pentair again, or trust the aftermarket? Our replacement-cell showdown ruled it — the EverCrystal took the fight at ~$940 against the OEM Plus40's $1,649, an ~$800 gap for the same 40,000-gallon job. The Plus40's case is real: the tightest Pentair automation integration on a Pentair pad, and the name on the equipment matches the name on the box. Its record is the problem — 3.3★ across 143 Amazon owners, the weakest owner score on this card, at the highest price. The EverCrystal's catches are honest too: a 4.5★ record on an early 27-owner base, no pool-automation integration (no RS-485 — if your pad runs Pentair automation, that matters), and no published rated cell life, so its true cost-per-year is unknowable — the buyer-beware our Salt Cell Cost Index tracks. Big automation pad: think hard. Everyone else: the ruling stands, and the $800 stays in your pocket.
What would decide it
- Owner proof: EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal) reads 4.0★ across 56 owners; Pentair IntelliChlor Plus40 Salt Chlorine Generator (523735) reads 3.3★ across 143. Depth of sample matters as much as the star.
- The money: EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal) streets ~$940, Pentair IntelliChlor Plus40 Salt Chlorine Generator (523735) ~$1,649 — MSRPs, not sale lows, decide the tier.
- EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal) — your pick if: your Pentair IC40 cell died, you don't run pool automation, and you'd rather spend about $940 than roughly $1,500 on the OEM cell — a 4.0★ drop-in (down from 4.5★ when we carded it, on a base that has since doubled) with its own onboard salinity sensor.
- Pentair IntelliChlor Plus40 Salt Chlorine Generator (523735) — your pick if: your pad is already Pentair and you want the tightest automation integration — the current Plus40 cell (~$1,749). Its cell is the priciest here to feed, and its 3.6★ is the early-2025 firmware batch, fixed on current stock.
The full cards
Best value — the aftermarket IC40 cell you can actually buy · The aftermarket replacement cell for a Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 — a genuine drop-in with an upgraded flow switch and onboard temp/salinity sensor, for roughly $560 less than Pentair's OEM cell (about $940 vs around $1,500), for pools up to 40,000 gallons. Two honest catches: no automation (RS-485) integration, and a 12-month warranty.
Your pick if your Pentair IC40 cell died, you don't run pool automation, and you'd rather spend about $940 than roughly $1,500 on the OEM cell — a 4.0★ drop-in (down from 4.5★ when we carded it, on a base that has since doubled) with its own onboard salinity sensor.
“Literally half the cost of a Pentair replacement. After using it so far, no issues at all. Chlorine levels are consistent.”
EverCrystal Replacement Salt Cell for Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (40,000 gal)
Best value — the aftermarket IC40 cell you can actually buyYour pick if your Pentair IC40 cell died, you don't run pool automation, and you'd rather spend about $940 than roughly $1,500 on the OEM cell — a 4.0★ drop-in (down from 4.5★ when we carded it, on a base that has since doubled) with its own onboard salinity sensor.
“Literally half the cost of a Pentair replacement. After using it so far, no issues at all. Chlorine levels are consistent.”— Jackie L, Amazon
- A true drop-in for the Pentair IC40 — same length and union threads, so it swaps in about 15 minutes with no plumbing changes and no special tools
- Onboard temp/salinity sensor and an upgraded flow switch — it reads your salt level itself, so it works even if your OEM power center is also aging
- Roughly $560 less than Pentair's OEM replacement cell (about $940 vs around $1,500) — the whole reason to go aftermarket on an IC40
- 4.0★ across 56 Amazon ratings — an independent, buyable track record unlike the no-name generics, though the average has slipped from 4.5★ as the base doubled
- Every one of the 7 critical reviews on this listing is a failure or an incompatibility — dead at around six months, or refusing to talk to the controller — and the base has slid from 4.5 across 27 ratings to 4.2 across 50 since we first read it
- No RS-485 / data connection, so it will NOT integrate with automation — Pentair IntelliCenter/EasyTouch, Jandy AquaLink, or Hayward controls won't see it or drive it. If you run automation, buy the OEM Plus40.
- 12-month warranty — level with the OEM cell's 1-yr ONLINE term (the OEM's 3-yr needs a dealer purchase) (and the specialty-retailer APX P40's 2-year); you're trading warranty length for the lower price
- Doesn't publish a rated cell-life in hours or a chlorine-output figure — the OEM quotes ~10,000 hr / 1.4 lb/day; size to your gallons and don't assume
It does not talk to the controller - owners report it reading low salt, refusing to report to a Pentair or Hayward automation system, or simply dying at around six months.
ALL 7 critical cards on a base of 50 are a failure or an incompatibility. And the base has MOVED: it was 4.5 across 27 ratings when we first read it and is now 4.2 across 50, so the 23 newer ratings average about 3.9 · critical reviews read August 2026
Pentair IntelliChlor Plus40 Salt Chlorine Generator (523735)
Best for a Pentair automation padYour pick if your pad is already Pentair and you want the tightest automation integration — the current Plus40 cell (~$1,749). Its cell is the priciest here to feed, and its 3.6★ is the early-2025 firmware batch, fixed on current stock.
“It has worked perfectly with no issues. Very happy with the control panel and how it shows the pool temp and other info.”— Shannon, Amazon
- The current IntelliChlor Plus40 (part 523735) — a drop-in for the now-discontinued IC40, so you're buying the live generation, not old stock
- Integrates natively with Pentair IntelliCenter/EasyTouch automation — the cleanest choice if your pad is already Pentair
- Highest-quality reputation among pros (Swimming Pool Steve names Pentair the top SWG brand) with a nationwide dealer and parts network
- Self-cleaning cell with a clear LED readout of salt level, output %, and cell life
- Its early-2025 batch had a firmware bug (Pentair bulletin A00709) that threw false CHECK CELL / SYS OFF alerts and tanked the early Amazon reviews — but it only affected units made before Oct 20, 2025 (firmware 1.003), and was fixed after (1.004). It's now July 2026, so current stock is past it; the 3.6★ is historical. Still worth a glance at the manufacture date on any marketplace unit.
- The priciest replacement cell here (~$1,500–1,800 OEM) — and at ~10,000 hr that cell cost is what drives the 10-year total, the single biggest reason a salt pool gets expensive
- Pentair limits/voids warranty on online or self-installed units, and counterfeit cells are common on marketplaces — another reason to buy through an authorized dealer
Early failure is the dominant report — units dead within days to three months, several with a sensory-module error the owners say support treats as known. Running alongside it is a warranty problem specific to HOW you buy: multiple owners say a claim was refused or fought because the cell came from Amazon rather than an authorised dealer. One install catch worth knowing before you order: it needs 12 to 18 inches of straight pipe ahead of the cell for flow sensing, which the listing does not mention.
44 critical reviews against a 119 base — a 37% critical share, the highest on this page; of the first 10 cards about 5 are early failure and 3 are the warranty-channel problem · critical reviews read August 2026
FAQ
Which is better, the EverCrystal IC40 replacement or the Pentair Plus40?
Our replacement-cell showdown ruled for the EverCrystal — ~$940 vs $1,649 for the same 40,000-gallon rating, with a stronger (if younger) owner record: 4.0★/56 against the OEM's 3.3★/143. The Plus40's remaining case is Pentair automation integration.
When is the genuine Pentair Plus40 still the right buy?
When your pad runs Pentair automation and integration is non-negotiable — the EverCrystal has no RS-485 connection. If a dealer maintains your equipment under warranty terms, the OEM route also keeps that relationship simple.
What's the catch on the aftermarket cell?
Two honest ones: the 4.5★ record sits on only 27 owners so far, and EverCrystal publishes no rated cell life — so unlike the genuine cells in our Salt Cell Cost Index, its true cost-per-year can't be computed. You're saving ~$800 up front against an unknown lifespan.
Full fight coverage
Every number on this page derives from the same verified data that renders our showdowns — dated owner-rating reads, MSRP-based tiers, and rulings only where a real fight happened. Data last verified: August 2026. Methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.