Fill the pool. Get the water circulating and make sure nothing is leaking. You KNOW you will have no FC or CYA. With zero CYA, target FC is 3. You can add that as soon as you're sure you have flow. It will only take one 8 oz measuring cup of 8.25% Clorox to get there. After the bleach has had half an hour or more to mix, run all the tests but CYA. You won't have any CYA, so save the reagent. Post your results here in this thread and someone will be along to guide you.
As soon as you can see that the filter and pump are working and there aren't any leaks and the pool isn't about to tip over or anything else that would indicate you have to drain the water, add the bleach. Five minutes, maybe? I don't know. Waiting won't help any. You know there isn't any bleach in the water yet. As soon as thirty minutes later you can do all the tests - except CYA, which you know will be zero on a fresh fill.
That is correct. Those tablets don't just add chlorine, they also add stabilizer and lower the pH and TA. You could use them, but it would mean juggling three parameters simultaneously and that's just asking for trouble. You're starting with a clean slate; don't screw up the chemistry right from the start. Save those tablets for vacations. As long as they are kept dry, they'll last for years.
You don't have much choice, do you?Thanks AGAIN
So, what about the test kit that I already have? I bought the FT100 online but it just arrive next week. Do you suggest to wait until this arrive or can I use the HTH in the meantime as well?
You don't have much choice, do you?
You understand that the 3 ppm chlorine you add today will all be gone tomorrow, right? You'll need to keep adding that amount or a bit more every day, and you should get some stabilizer in the water soon, as well. Don't follow the bottle instructions. Use our way, as explained here. It won't take much in your little pool, 9 or 10 ounces, so buy the smallest package you can. You can wait until tomorrow to buy it when you make your shopping list for anything else you need. And post results after it's circulating and someone can advise if you need acid or borax or baking soda or all three.
When the stuff has all dissolved. You can speed it up by giving the sock a squeeze whenever you go by the pool. It could take anywhere from a few hours to two or three days.
It's okay to go swimming. People add CYA all the time via floating puck dispensers and swim at the same time. If there are any kids in the pool, I'd move the sock into the skimmer lest they play with it and spill the granules out. If there is no skimmer, just set it in a bucket and put it back later.
