The **** on the bottom of the pool, is it supposed to be yellow???

Yes, it could very well be yellow. There are a lot of different colors displayed when going through a conversion.

As for the test kit. There are 2 different tests for CL in the kit. The test in the blue box is the basic test used for everyday maintenance testing. You should be using the FAS-DPD test to test for high levels. Follow the instructions on the lid to perform the test.

Yes I am using the other one.... here are my results so far....

FC - 2.0
CC-3.0
TC - 5.0


a few hours later I have FC - 2.5
CC - 2.0
TC - 5.5

I added clorox and will test in a while . I know by reading my cc should be o ??? am i correct?
Is it the TC I want to 15??

Ok, your CL levels definitely are not high enough.

You want the FC to be 15. The FC + CC = TC. You ultimately want the CC's to be 0. No greater than 0.5.

Thanks. I needed that info. for sure. Working on that chlorine as we speak.

Mark's conversion

there's a lot of conversions to read through, mine will show the rainbow of colors you may or may not be experiencing.

my most significant learning through the process is - however much chlorine you think you need, it's not enough

keep adding chlorine - wait a while (hour or so...depends on pool size)

test - if FC<15

add chlorine - wait a while

test - if FC<15

etc

etc

it's all a matter of persistence and continuing to add chlorine to "eat" the goo. I was only able to test in the morning, at lunch, and twice in the evening so it took several days (almost a week).

chlorine for conversion = $400
test kit and refills - ~$$$
clean pool = PRICELESS

Im back... yes it's me , just added a b dbphillips now. Sorry it would not let me in the other way , not sure why.

Any way, an update on the pool.

Last nite my pool had 18 FC and this moring it was 10. It is the most sparkling clean I have seen it since the first day it was filled with water. I am soooo happy!!! Was well worth it all!!! Still has not kept the 15 overnite tho. Maybe tonite. I put it to bed tonite with a 15 FC and a 1.0 CC . We will see what happens tomorrow morning. I need to get inside the pool and scrub the rest of the steps before I change the filter to the new one.

At what time can I lower the chlorine levels so I can do the above? And to what level is safe for humans to enter the pool for enjoyment??? When can I start balancing the rest of it all. Is it safe to enter the pool before it is truly all the way balanced???

Sorry for all the questions.. Thanks for all the help. I will post pics tomorrow.

Congratulations ! You are almost there. Just keep FC at 15 ppm until you lose less than 1.0 ppm over night AND until your CC are less than 0.5 ppm. Once you can maintain FC and have little or no CC, stop dosing chlorine and maintain chlorine 3-5 ppm. You will also want to raised the CYA levels to 30 ppm and replace your filter media (baquagoo had a nasty way of clogging filter media). It only took a day or two to lower the FC levels in my pool (aeration will also help drive off chlorine). DON'T STOP TOO EARLY LIKE I DID - you will only have problems with maintaining FC levels. The conversion will be over before you know it! You will be amazed at how much sparkle your water has as compared with the baq.

Because you have zero CYA, I would not get in the pool when FC was 5 or higher. Sunlight will bring the FC level down quickly, so it should be easy to find a time when the FC level is suitably low.

You are getting towards the end of the conversion so you might want to start adding chlorine only in the evening. You will now be losing most of your chlorine to sunlight during the day, so it might only be worth adding chlorine in the evening.

I hate to seem pool stupid here, but exactly what is CYA ? is it the same as CC??? As of this morning my FC dropped from 15 to 9 , possibly due to us having quite a bit of rain last nite. It even added an inch of rain to the pool . wow. I added back to the chlorine level until it was 15 again and then later I read here on the forum that I could wait until evening to do so. Going to clean up my steps here in a few minutes once it is below 5 on the FC . Then vacuum again.

CYA is cyanuric acid, also called stabilizer and conditioner, used to protect chlorine from sunlight. Without CYA the FC level drops rapidly in direct sunlight. CYA slows that down, so you don't lose all your chlorine each sunny day.

So the BBB also includes the use of CYA ??? So what all will I need to be purchasing besides... Bleach, Borax and Baking Soda... CYA - what is a good name brand everyone recommends...? Thanks

I've found CYA to be pretty much a comodity. I've used several brands over the years, all with the exact same results.

If you want to avoid the pool store, Walmart sells the HTH brand in a 4# canister.

Can anyone recommend a good automatic pool cleaning machine that has worked well for them or for a friend with an above ground pool about the size of mine??? My pool is a 13000 gallon round above ground pool. Thanks.

I am going to attach a few files with pictures of my newly converted pool. I am sooo very thrilled to see the bottom and no more bacqa goo floating in it. I am actually proud to show it off now. Oh , the first picture is a photo of my kitty, Custard. It is just an idea of what you can do with one of the many clorox boxes you use in this conversion. Custard loves boxes. Hope you get them. Thanks again so very much.

Congrats and it looks great....!

Cute kitty....