Hayward low-salt SWG winterizing

[couzin2000]

Being from Montreal, Canada, I need to winterize my pool properly. Temperatures drop well below -20°C in the dead of winter. I'm pretty sure I need to take the cell indoors to make sure it doesn't get damaged. I do want to clean it at the same time. Not sure of the model I own, but do any of you recommend buying the cell cleaner device and the solution to clean it so I do it myself? Or should I just remove it and reinstall it next year without cleaning it at all? This cell hasn't been used a full summer, as it took some time to clean up the pool the way it was left to me when I moved in, and being a low-salt cell I was told it would last a little longer than normal cells.
So shoudl I buy the apparatus to clean the cell? If I do, what should I buy?
Or, should I just drag it indoors and let it rest for the winter?

 

[Chuckiechan]

I use white vinegar myself rather than muriatic acid to clean the cell along with a hose nozzel that shoots a strong spray - don't ever use a tool on your plates.

There is also a bypass pipe you can buy for around $50. If you can match the threads on the cell, you can make one yourself - you have to be careful here. You might be able to find a PVC end cap with the right threads. There is also a rubber plumbing plug you can use to plug the cell to hold the vinegar in. They are used in commercial plumbing to plug pipes.

 

[ping]

Look inside the cell for white scale on the plate. If the plates are clean then the cell doesn't need to be cleaned. If you need to clean the cell use muriatic and use 1 part acid to 10 parts water or you can use white vinegar like chuckiechan does. First spray the cell plates with a hose to loosen up any scale and after soaking the plates spray the cell again.

I also recommend using a winterizer plug that fits the cell to plug it up so you can clean it.