Starting the conversion... and have questions.

I just opened the pool today,(15x30 above ground) and topped it off with water. I started the conversion with 2.5 gallons of bleach. I know I need more, but don't want to over do it.

The pool turned a greenish/yellow which is what I expected. So far so good, but now some questions.

1. I'm using a Taylor FAS-DPD testing kit. I'm no chemist, so the manual is kinda confusing. Do I need to dilute my sample with distilled water using this kit?

2. I'm assuming the chlorine level that is to be held at 15ppm is the Combined Chlorine? or is it the Free Chlorine? or the total of the two?

I just tested and my Free Chlorine is: 1.5 ppm and Combined Chlorine is 7.5 ppm. I'm going to add another gallon for the night.

Thanks for any help.

Good luck on the conversion!

Answer wise:

1. If you can only read a maximum of 5ppm on your test kit, you need to dilute with distilled water. 2 parts distilled water, 1 part pool water. It really depends on the maximum Cl ppm you can test for. Your target ppm for your pool should about around 15ppm, and hold that as best as you can for the fastest conversion. If you dilute, then you're hoping to see 5ppm on your test in this scenario - as 5ppm diluted by a factor of 3 is 15. Make sense?

2. I believe here you want FREE Cl. At least that's what I just used in my conversion - this past weekend. I kept my free Cl at 15ppm, literally testing every hour or two and adding Cl, and my conversion went really, really quickly. You can read my postings if you'd like my story.

A couple things though... Do you know what your Baq level was (curious here)? 15x30 - oval or rectangle pool? What kind of filter are you using?

I'm still collecting data on conversions just to see if I see anything else interesting!

Don't give up - my pool so so unbelieveable clear now it's like glass when I turn off my pump.

Jay

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Originally Posted by fxdwg97

I just opened the pool today,(15x30 above ground) and topped it off with water. I started the conversion with 2.5 gallons of bleach. I know I need more, but don't want to over do it.

The pool turned a greenish/yellow which is what I expected. So far so good, but now some questions.

1. I'm using a Taylor FAS-DPD testing kit. I'm no chemist, so the manual is kinda confusing. Do I need to dilute my sample with distilled water using this kit?

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No. It's easier than it reads.
a) Get your water sample (usually 10ml)
b) Add 1 scoop of FAS-DPD powder and swirl. If it turns good and pink or reddish, that's enough. Adding more does nothing. If it doesn't turn, add another scoop. If it STILL doesn't turn, you have no chlorine.
c) Add one drop of the reagent (in a Taylor kit it's K-0871) and swirl. Keep doing this, COUNTING THE DROPS, until it goes clear. If it has a slightly pink hue, add another drop.
d) You are measuring FC. Each drop you added indicates .5 ppm of FC. So 5 drops means 2.5ppm of FC. FC is Free Chlorine the good stuff.

e) Now measure for CC (Combined Chlorine or Chloramines)--indicator of fighting something. CC is what gives pools that "chlorine" smell...you get rid of it by adding MORE chlorine.
f) Add 5 drops of the DPD Reagent #3 (R-0003) and swirl. If it stays clear, you have no CC. If it goes pink-tinted or pink you have CC.
g) Again, just like above, add the reagent R-0871 (in the brown bottle) until it goes clear. Again, each drop is .5 ppm, but this time of CC.

h) Add FC and CC together to get TC--Total Chlorine.

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2. I'm assuming the chlorine level that is to be held at 15ppm is the Combined Chlorine? or is it the Free Chlorine? or the total of the two?

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See above--it's FC you are aiming at.

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I just tested and my Free Chlorine is: 1.5 ppm and Combined Chlorine is 7.5 ppm. I'm going to add another gallon for the night.

Thanks for any help.

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I'm guessing you have around 10,000 gallons of water. One gallon of bleach will add 5.25ppm of FC to that (a little less if you have more water). So... you should add 3 gallons and aim to keep FC at 15ppm until the CC goes to zero. (0.5 is OK--it means you have some CC, but .5 is the MOST you can have--it's sometimes tough to get below that).

BTW, you only dilute if you are using an OTO test for Total Chlorine--do NOT dilute the FAS-DPD test. It measures up to 50 or 100ppm. FYI, when you dilute, it works best if your OTO kit measures to 5ppm, not 3ppm as many do--you have to dilute too much to get even a vaguely accurate reading.

Thanks guys.

JayC, my pool is a 15x30 oval 4' of water depth with a sand filter. I don't know the Baq levels before I started, I just went and jumped into the conversion.
In the fall I didn't put in the full amount of Baq the directions stated. I knew I was going to convert in the spring, but didn't want the water to go all winter without anything in it. I refilled about 15" of water before I added any bleach, so I'm thinking if there was much Baq left, maybe the fresh water would have helped use it up.

Carl, I'm sure my 'Junior Memberness' is showing :D, but are there 2 indicators that tell me when conversion is complete?
1. FC holds overnight, and
2. CC is less that .5
Thanks, and boy did my wife get some strange looks buying all that bleach....

Just an update, maybe the numbers will make sense:

11:00 a.m. FC is 1.0 CC is 3.0 then added 3 gallons of bleach
11:30 a.m. FC is 8.0 CC is 5.5 added 3 more gallons
12:30 p.m. FC is 15.0 CC is 3.5 no bleach added
1:30 p.m. FC is 8.5 CC is 3 added 3 gallons
2:30 p.m. FC is 11.5 CC is 3 added 3 more gallons
3:00 p.m. FC is 25.5 CC is 2.5 no bleach added
4:00 p.m. FC is 19 CC 2.5 no bleach added

I can start to see the bottom and the pressure on the sand filter is staying down. I only back flushed one time so far.

I have a head cold/sinus infection right now, so at least it’s not a total lost weekend. :)

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Originally Posted by fxdwg97

Just an update, maybe the numbers will make sense:

11:00 a.m. FC is 1.0 CC is 3.0 then added 3 gallons of bleach
11:30 a.m. FC is 8.0 CC is 5.5 added 3 more gallons
12:30 p.m. FC is 15.0 CC is 3.5 no bleach added
1:30 p.m. FC is 8.5 CC is 3 added 3 gallons
2:30 p.m. FC is 11.5 CC is 3 added 3 more gallons
3:00 p.m. FC is 25.5 CC is 2.5 no bleach added
4:00 p.m. FC is 19 CC 2.5 no bleach added

I can start to see the bottom and the pressure on the sand filter is staying down. I only back flushed one time so far.

I have a head cold/sinus infection right now, so at least it’s not a total lost weekend. :)

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That's been my story all winter and spring--every cold turned into a sinus infection and always took 2 courses of antibiotics. Rotten winter, rotten spring. I've never been sick this much--and it seems EVERYONE is having, complete with sinus infections, bronchitis, or both...Feel better!

Just another update with some numbers.

5:00 p.m. FC is 11.0 CC 2.5 added 1.5 gallons bleach
6:30 p.m. FC is 14.5 CC 3.0 no bleach added
8:00 p.m. FC is 12.5 CC 3.0 added 1.5 gallons
9:00 p.m. FC is 20.0 CC(didn't test) no bleach added
Went to bed after a shot of NyQuil.......

9:00 a.m. FC is 9.5 CC 3.0 Ph is 7.6 added 1.5 gallons

I'm almost out of test solutions so I picked up a cheapie from Meijer's, boy what a joke that kit is.

12:00 p.m. FC is 8.0 CC 3.0 added 2 gallons
3:00 p.m. FC is 4.0 added 3 gallons
4:00 p.m. FC 21.0 CC is 3.0 no bleach added

The test results from 12:00 p.m. on I had to dilute with 20 ml of distilled water to try to conserve on the reagent.

One question, since I need to hold 15ppm until I get the CC to around .5, should I be concerned about the pH?

Feeling better today, but temps outside are in the low 50's with a chilly north wind. Yesterday, it was 86 and sunny, no wonder people get sick around here.:mad:

I'm thinking I'm done, but I can't get the CC to stay around .5. It's been bouncing from 1.5 down to .5 and back up again for the last day or so.

The FC last night at 11:00 p.m. was 21. This morning at 9:00a.m. it was 18.

Is it time to change the sand and start balancing the water?

Almost, but I'd let it stay up there for another couple of nights for good measure...if it still holds, then go for it!

Janet