Before starting a pool on any maintenance program, it is important to begin with a clean pool and clear water. Add all products below with the pump running.
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Test the water for metals. If copper, iron or manganese are present, use Scale Inhibitor according to label instructions and follow with Sparkle Up 24 hours later. Wait 24 more hours.
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Superchlorinate with BurnOut® 73 or BurnOut® 3 according to label instructions.
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Brush the pool walls and bottom and vacuum all surfaces to remove all dirt and debris. If the pool has an algae growth, solve the problem before proceeding. Use one of the algae products for chlorinated pools.
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After cleaning and clearing the pool, run the filter overnight. The next morning, backwash and then chemically clean it with Strip Kwik®. Follow label instructions for your filter type and size.
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Perform a complete water analysis and balance total alkalinity, pH and total hardness according to ALEX® Pro recommendations for SoftSwim pools. Total alkalinity for SoftSwim® acceptable range is 106 - 170, pH acceptable range is 7.4 - 7.8. Minimum total hardness recommended level is 200 ppm, as long as the total alkalinity does not exceed 170 ppm. Balance total alkalinity and pH first, then adjust total hardness.
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Neutralize any remaining chlorine residual with Chem Out®. Do NOT overdose with Chem Out®. This can cause a SoftSwim® C demand.
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Add 1 qt. of SoftSwim® Stain Control per 10,000 gallons.
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Add 1 qt. of SoftSwim® A per 25,000 gallons. Circulate 2 hours.
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Add 1 gallon of SoftSwim® C per 10,000 gallons. Circulate 4 hours.
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Add 1/2 gallon of SoftSwim® B per 10,000 gallons. Circulate continuously for 24 to 48 hours.
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Test the SoftSwim® B, SoftSwim® C and pH and adjust if needed. SoftSwim® B should be 30 ppm or higher, SoftSwim® C should be 20 ppm or higher, and pH should be 7.4 - 7.8. Do not swim unless the SoftSwim® C level is below 90 ppm.