Cleaning a Jandy TruClear Salt Cell

Cleaning the Jandy TruClear Sal Cell couldn’t be any easier. If you look through the clear top and notice that the black cell plates have a lot of calcium build upon them, it is time for quick cleaning. The process is simple from beginning to end.

A warning from Jandy:

CAUTION Disconnect power to the system at the main circuit breaker before performing this procedure to avoid the risk of electric shock which can result in property damage, severe injury or death.

Here are the detailed steps from Jandy with some notations from me:

1. Ensure that all power to the power pack and the controller is turned off at the circuit breaker.

This is very important to prevent any kind of voltage arch when you put the cell in acid. It could blow out the fuse or worse as Jandy noted above.

2. Before removing the cell for cleaning, shut off any necessary valves to prevent any water loss.

If your pool equipment sits below your pool equipment, turn off all ball valves before removing the cell.

3. Open the air relief valve on the filter to release any pressure in the pool system. Check the cell.

You can do this step but I always just unscrew the cell from the plumbing.

It is recommended that the cell be inspected every month for scale and/or calcium deposits.

The clear top allows for easy inspection. If you allow the system to run with a dirty salt cell no chlorine will be generated.

Light-colored, crusty deposits known as scale will form in excessively hard water or from the pool water that is out of balance.

Hold the plate bundle to a light source so the light can be seen between the plates. If the light is easily seen through the plates and/or a small amount of scale is visible, the cell does not need to be cleaned. Reinstall.

On the other hand, if the light is barely visible through the plates or the light is totally blocked by scale, then the cell needs to be cleaned.

There are some areas of the country like mine, where scaling of the cell is very common due to poor quality well water. Not much that we can do about it. The excessive scale does not always indicate your water is out of balance.

NOTE Excessive cleaning can shorten the life of your cell.

Loosen the ring and remove the cell.  With protective glasses and gloves on, add one (1) part muriatic acid to ten (10) parts water in a small bucket and mix the cleaning solution together. CAUTION  When cleaning the cell, wear protective eyeglasses and gloves.  When mixing acid with water, prepare the solution by ALWAYS ADDING ACID TO WATER. NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID. 

Never use undiluted Muriatic acid. Always use the recommended mixture of Muriatic acid and water.

My method of using a gallon of the acid container with some acid in the bottom is perfectly safe. The Caution is so you don’t splash acid all over yourself and submerging the gallon container into the pool is perfectly safe. A 10 to 1 ratio is weak but this will prolong the cell life and prevent damage to the cell.

Submerge the cell into the cleaning solution. The foaming action will begin, which is caused by scale (calcium carbonate) being dissolved from the plates. If foaming action does not begin, the cell does not need to be cleaned (STOP THE CLEANING PROCESS. Otherwise, allow the cell to remain in the solution until the foaming has stopped (approximately 5 - 10 minutes). NOTE Do not use a screwdriver or any other metal object to remove calcium deposits. Do not leave in acid for more than 30 minutes.

For me, 10 minutes in a 10 to 1 solution is not long enough. I usually go for 20 minutes. Be sure not to exceed 30 minutes or more or the salt cell can be damaged.

Flush the cell with freshwater and perform the inspection again. If a considerable blockage is still present, then re-submerge the plates back into the cleaning solution, flush and reinspect.

After the cell has been cleaned, dispose of the solution according to local regulations.

I prefer pouring it back into the pool if the pH is high and you need to lower it.

Rinse the cell thoroughly with clean tap water and inspect.

If deposits are still visible on the electrolytic cell, repeat step  

You can give the cell a 2^nd acid bath if needed. Usually, one is enough and rinsing with a hose will do the trick.

Excessive acid washing will damage the electrolytic cell.

Once the cell is clean, reattach the cell as described

A very easy process to be sure. That is the reason why I really love the Jandy TruClear Salt System. It is very simple to use and maintain.

Visit my Website: http://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/

eBook: https://www.swimmingpoollearning.com/swimming-pool-care-ebook

YouTube Video Index: http://poolmandave.blogspot.com/2014/03/swimming-pool-tips-reviews-how-to-video.html – A list of all of my videos.