Start Up Procedure for a Newly Plastered Swimming Pool and/or Spa

  1. Upon the completion of the filling procedure, the filter should be back washed or cleaned according to your particular type of filter. After the filter is cleaned, it should be started in operation with the proper filter media added.
  2. Test the water with a reliable test kit.
  3. Add the chemicals your test kit indicates are needed. Most of the time it will require the addition of muriatic acid. (If the water is clear and you can see the bottom of the pool, we recommend you wait 24 hours after the filter is running to add chlorine). The muriatic acid should be added daily until the pH level of the water is down to the acceptable 7.4 to 7.6 ranges.
  4. After the addition of the chemicals, set the suction of your filter to draw from the main drain line. Brush the pool thoroughly toward the main drain area at least 2 or 3 times a day for the first two weeks, or until all the sediment on the walls and pool floor are removed. This sediment that is usually seen in a newly plastered pool is sometimes incorrectly referred to as "plaster dust." Swimming pool plaster does not give off any dust. The sediment is usually calcium carbonate that precipitates out of the water on the initial filling.
  5. A more rapid method of accomplishing the above is to vacuum the pool with a brush head vacuum. After each vacuuming the plaster surface should be thoroughly brushed.
  6. As soon as you have the sediment cleaned out of the pool and trapped in the filter, you should thoroughly clean the filter again. You may have to clean the filter more than once depending on the amount of sediment in the pool and size of your particular filter. The frequency of cleaning will depend on your filter pressure.