5 Things to Know About Winterizing a Salt Cell

Remove the cell from the plumbing loop before freezing temperatures hit. Water trapped inside expands when it freezes, cracking the plastic housing or warping the thin titanium plates.

Clean the cell before storing it. Use a high-pressure hose or a 4:1 water-to-muriatic acid soak to remove calcium scale, then rinse thoroughly. Leftover salt residue hardens into deposits that shorten the cell’s life.

Store the cell in a dry, temperature-controlled area. A basement or garage works, as long as it stays above freezing. Don’t hang it by the cord; lay it flat or put it in a box.

Disconnect and store the flow switch sensor inside too. It’s another fragile part people often forget, and it can also be damaged by freezing.

A fifteen-minute removal saves a $500 replacement. Skipping this step risks cracking the cell or warping the plates, even if it survives one freeze, repeated cycles weaken it.