Do not swim in a new pool (or newly renovated pool surface) for at least seven (7) days after filling it up.
If your freshly-plastered swimming pool was filled using the Orenda Startup™, swimmers should be able to get in the water after one week, if the water is warm enough. We advise against turning on a pool heater until at least day five (5), and making sure there is no plaster dust or continual instability in the water chemistry.
If your pool was not started up with LSI-balanced chemistry, it could take longer. We cannot speak for other startup methods, but we know that different methods yield different curing times. Our startup method, along with the Bicarb Startup method, yield the fastest curing times we know of, because they are both based on the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI).
Plaster takes time to cure
The main reason for waiting seven (7) days is because the new plaster needs time to harden. It's not so much that people affect the water chemistry (though they do, in a minor way), it's about the pressure from people's feet and whatever else might impact the surfaces of the pool. We have seen footprints with toes in newly-surfaced pools. Those impact marks are hard to get rid of because they compress the surface in those areas. That means those impact spots are likely to look different for the life of the pool finish.
There is a similar reason why you should not use wheeled or tracked vacuum cleaners or robotic cleaners for the first 30 days. They will leave lines in the pool that can be permanent.
If you start the pool up the Orenda way, curing is accelerated, and the fun should be able to begin one week after filling the pool. Enjoy it!
For more information about the Orenda Startup™, try the links below: