Can you help me open a neglected salt water pool?
Hey everyone,
I have a neglected inground salt water pool. It hasn't been opened in 3 years, but had a protective cover. I recently uncovered it, water is all black, a few dead squirrels floating around, and the liner is moldy and black.
There are only two pool companies in my area. One said they don't deal with salt water pools and the other said they just don't want to deal with the hassle of opening my pool.
I found an independent pool guy who opens and closes pools. He said he is going to pump it out completely and then have water delivered to fill it and start fresh. But he won't treat to pool or deal with the salt system I have (Hayward AquaRite).
I could use some help and advice with the following:
How much salt do you think I will need to buy and dump in it to get it running?
Do you think I will need a new salt cell?
Do you think I need to replace the sand in my sand filter thing?
Is there anything else I should do to get this up and running properly?
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!
See attached pic of pool from when it was last open. It is a diving pool, so the deep end is like 9 or 10' deep. It is approx 40' length by 20' wide.
Posted Jul 9, 2025, 11:23 PM UTC