I started a new thread since I have now started my conversion.

Like I mentioned, I drained my pool and refilled with city water. The pool calculator said to add 3 Gallons if Bleach which I did last night.

I haven't received my kit yet so I used the strips this morning and according to the strips, my chlorine was at 3 or 4 ( can't tell much diffference!) I added 3 more gallons this morning and it went above the limit of 10, so I think I am ok for now.

Is there anyw to test for the CC's without the kit? I am going to get the cya today. My water is clear and there was only a trace amount of Baquacil "Goo" on the bottom that I vacuumed out of the pool, not through the cartridge.

Thanks!

Nope. Just wait for the kit for that step, it's not essential to know CC levels at the very beginning stages.

So since I don't have the kit yet, should I just keep the FC at 15 ? ( well at least above the max on my strips) Hopefuly my kit will be here tomorrow or at the latest Saturday.

Yes.

Since I drained my pool and only had about 2 " of water in the bottom, I am curious as to why I need to bring my FC up to 15 and hold it. I thought that was to rid my pool of the Baquacil. I have added a total of 8 96oz bottles since last night. The pool is very clear even though the FC drops to about 5 after I dump the bottles in.

I just want to make sure I am doing this correctly!

Thanks!

There is still some baquacil in the plumbing that you need to clear out. If you already replaced your water, I would limit chlorine additions to evenings, since you are already in the later stages of the conversion.

The crucial test is to do an overnight FC loss test, see the article at Pool School, to see if you got all the baquacil yet or not.

ok thanks. I just checked and my kit is to arrive tomorrow. I won't put anymore Bleach in until tonight and then see if it holds. Like I mentioned, the water is very clear and there is only trace amounts of the Baquacil goop on the bottom that I will vacuum out today.

So far so good!

ok, my kit came today and I was all excited to test my FC accurately for the first time.

I put 10ml water in the chlorine only tube and added a heaping scoop of the powder. I swirled it, but it did not turn pink. Why would it not turn pink?

I checked the PH and it is 7.8 according to the test kit.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

I'm still a noob at this conversion but the only thing i can think of is your fc is 0

Actually that would make sense, because you have to add the reagent to make it turn from pink to clear.

I'll try again tonight when I add Bleach to see if my FC is holding.

Thanks!

Update- Ok, the sun went down, I added more chlorine and waited 30 minutes. I used my new test kit and my FC is at 15.5.

I am crosing my fingers that tomorrow when I wake up and test, that my FC stays!

According to the instructions, if the the number doesn't fall by more than 1ppm then I clean the cartridge and add the CYA and bring the number back up to 15.

If I add the cya, even though the sun is out, will I still eat up as much Chlorine??

Thanks!

CYA protects your FC from the sun, so yes, you'll see a significant result. If you also use a solar cover during the day, when the pool is not in use, you will lose even less than if the pool is uncovered.

It will take about 24-48 hours before you see the CYA start to be effective. Leave the pump running while the CYA dissolves, and then for 24 hours after. Put it in a sock and either hang it in front of the return or set it to the side in the skimmer, so it doesn't block the water flow.

Don't test for it for 5-6 days- you'll just waste reagent....

Ok, when i tested this morning m FC was at 14, so I added 4lbs of cya in 2 socks one at the skimmer and one at the return. I put the solar cover on.

he previous post said to wait 5 days before testing again. Is there anything I do in the meantime? If I do not test, how can I be sure that my FC is stayinh at 15 or close to it?

Thanks, getting close!!

Do not test for CYA for 5-6 days. Test for FC daily.

Thanks, I just did an FC test and it is holding at 15. The cya is going in fairly fast. The sock in front of the inlet is about half gone all ready.

Does everything sound ok? How long do I have to hold it at 15?

Jim, what is your CC level at? You do this test right after you do the FC test, using the same water in the test tube.

I ran the test again and did the CC Test. When I added the 5 drops, the water remained clear, so I gues according to the instructions, my CC is at zero.

You can let the FC down to normal when.....
1. Your pool water is sparkling
2. Your CC's are .5ppm or less
3. You can hold your FC overnight without losing more than 1ppm.

Great, that sounds good. It seems like I am almost there.
I will check it again tonight when I get home and then again in the morning and see if it is still holding!

Things are going good, the water is clear, my CC's are at zero, the cya is almost all in the pool now. My FC's are slowly dropping. They were at 13 last night.

A question I have is I checked TA last night and it was at 150. Is there a reason why this is so high, or should I work on bringing it down, or should I wait 2 more days when I check my cya level for the first time.

Thanks!