I realize this isn't a project that most of my readers will undertake in their DIY career, but it's still interesting and there's acid!!! Now that we're one season into our new pool equipment , we noticed the pool taking on the old familiar greenish hue. I cleaned the filter, but then the control panel emotionlessly informed me it was time to inspect the salt cell. I'd never done it before, but for a handy, DIY type man-about-town like myself, I figured I was up to the task.

After a quick perusal of the instructions and a trip to the pool store, I was ready for action. First, I had to make safe. I shut the pump off, killed the circuit breaker, and opened the pressure valve on the filter tank.

Pump = off

Breaker = "killed" (off)

Pressure Release = Pressure Released (opened)

The salt cell is installed in the tubing system that water from the pool flows through on its way to the filter. Through a magical spell cast upon it by the kindly wizards of Hogwarts, salt from the pool water is converted into chlorine to keep the pool free of beastly microbes. I understand there may some scientific, mumbo-jumbo stuff too, like electrolysis, hydrogen gas, and hypoclorous acid, but magic makes way more sense.

That's it alright.

The cord leading from the control panel gets unplugged. Care must be taken to keep it from getting wet. It's the only part of this cell that's not waterproof.

The salt cell itself is easy to remove. It's installed with big, threaded unions that are easy to open without tools. Just twist 'em. 

Inside the cell are the plates used in the electrolysis (magic) process. There was plenty of calcium and schmutz built up inside, evidently blocking the magic.

"Calcium and schmutz"

I blasted the loose stuff out with a garden hose, but it was still nasty in there. I had tucked the plug end in my pocket to keep from getting it wet with the hose, but I wasn't so smart with the remote trigger for my camera. I doused it pretty good, because... stupid.

Here's where it starts getting fun. I grabbed my special measuring cup, the one we don't keep in the kitchen due to the horrible concoctions I've crafted in it. This time, it's gonna be acid.

Want one for yourself?!!!

Step 1: Get a measuring cup. 

Step 2: Draw a skull and crossbones on it with a permanent marker. 

Step 3: Done.

 - OR - 

Step 1: Send me $50 + $50 S&H and I'll send you one*

*Disclaimer - I probably won't.

I suited up with safety glasses and some rubber gloves. I planned on working carefully, not to spill on myself. I had to work outdoors for ventilation, and although it was still below 100 degrees, monsoon humidity was high. I took a risk and didn't wear long pants and  sleeves. I figured I could leap in the pool if I spattered acid on my bare skin. It probably wasn't too smart.

The ratio was 4 parts tap water to 1 part muriatic acid. I used 8 cups of water and 2 cups of the acid. It's important to add the acid to the water and work slow and easy. No splashes or splatters my friends.

Dropping Acid

Well ventilated outdoors or not, I caught a little whiff. Good lord! Awful. My nostrils burned. My lungs went into automatic emergency mode and stopped me from breathing that horror instantly. It never made it into my lungs. 

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble.

The next step was to thread the cell into the stand that I'd picked up at the pool store. I was disappointed that I couldn't get it on cord side down, to better clean the contacts there. All the stand the store carried was an off-brand, not the smaller one the manufacturer the one the manufacturer (Hayward) makes. .The cord on mine blocked it from spinning onto the stand.

Yeah, I'm pretty much a sweaty mess at this point.

With the cell standing vertically in the stand, I slowly eased the acid / water solution in. It instantly started boiling and steaming upon contact with the calcified innards of the cell. Evidently, I overfilled it a bit. It boiled over, letting loose a frothing steam of bubbling, acidic solution and vapor. I rinsed the outside of the cell and the ground with the garden hose to dilute the mess. I think several hundred ants perished.

I let it sit, boiling like a witch's cauldron for 15 minutes. When I checked back, it was still going, so I left it to bubble for another 15 minutes before carefully  emptying it back into the bucket.

After a good blast with the hose, check out how whistle clean it looks. Perfect!

It's a quick reversal of the process to get it back together, fire it up, and we're done. 

The cell can go on in either direction.

Final thoughts

Truly this is an easy project. No tools are needed, other than a custom, death's head measuring cup. You just have to be super careful messing around with muriatic acid. Safety glasses are crucial (even the dorky style I have to get because of my glasses). I wore old clothes, including beat-up sandals. Of course, I didn't even get hit with a drop, but had I strolled out there with my regular duds, I would have certainly burned a hole though something expensive.

The hardest part was getting my sweaty paws into the damn gloves. I ruined a pile of them before I managed to get a pair on.