How to Repair a Salt Cell

Published: Jul 18, 2011
Updated: Nov 20, 2021
2 minute read

The chlorine is filtered into the water to keep the pool clean and pleasing for swimming In most circumstances, salt cells experience problems due to a build up of calcified salt, which is fairly straightforward to remedy. With the right instructions you'll repair the salt cell yourself and save money on a service charge.

Things You Will Need

  • Water pump pliers
  • Small metal scraper
  • Muriatic acid
  • Large plastic bucket
  • Wire
  • Garden hose
  1. Turn off your pool pump, unplug the chlorine generator, unplug the salt cell from the chlorine generator and turn off all the necessary valves.

  2. Grip the right side collar of the salt cell with a pair of water pump pliers and loosen it by rotating it towards yourself until hand tight. Repeat on the left side collar.

  3. Unscrew one collar at a time by hand while supporting the salt cell with your free hand. Pull the salt cell away from the plumping and set it aside.

  4. Scrape out calcium build up from both ends of the salt cell using a metal scraper. Scrape any calcium build up that might be present in the piping where the salt cell connects to the pool system.

  5. Mix one gallon of water with 1/4 gallon of muriatic acid in a large plastic container. Coil a few wires around the salt cell and slowly submerge it into the solution.

  6. Soak the cell for several minutes. Pull the cell out of the solution with the wire and rinse it off thorough with a high pressure garden hose.

  7. Fit the salt cell back onto the system and plug everything back in. Open all necessary valves and start the pool pump. Wait a few minutes and check if the salt cell error LED found on the salt generator control panel turns off.

The Drip Cap

  • Chlorine generators are the latest innovation in pool maintenance technology.
  • Grip the right side collar of the salt cell with a pair of water pump pliers and loosen it by rotating it towards yourself until hand tight.
  • Scrape any calcium build up that might be present in the piping where the salt cell connects to the pool system.
  • Pull the cell out of the solution with the wire and rinse it off thorough with a high pressure garden hose.
Sebastian Malysa

Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Sebastian Malysa began his writing career in 2010. His work focuses on the general arts and appears on Answerbag and eHow. He has won a number of academic awards, most notably the CTV Award for best…

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