Use muriatic acid to clean a salt cell — not vinegar.

Correct. A diluted muriatic acid soak is the proven way to dissolve calcium scale without damaging the plates. Vinegar is too weak for most pool scale — you’d be soaking for hours.

Get a plastic bucket (never metal), mix one part muriatic acid with four parts water (acid into water, always), and submerge the cell for 10–15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with a hose before reinstalling. Wear gloves and eye protection — this is the nasty stuff.

Prevent scaling by keeping your pH balanced (7.2–7.6) and checking the cell every few months. If you see white crust forming, don’t wait until the flow sensor trips.

Cheap acid beats a new cell.