The saltwater chlorination is based on a natural physicochemical principle to disinfect your pool. Saltwater chlorinator creates a chlorine gas which is dissolved immediately into hypochlorous acid. The bubbles that you observe at the backflow are mostly hydrogen and oxygen gas. This reaction is harmless and it does not reduce the efficiency of the saltwater chlorinator under normal conditions of use. The higher the alkalinity, the faster the pH level will increase. The quantity of acid required to decrease the Alkalinity and pH level is thus more important.