Drained and Filled - now what?

[PoolDoc]

Calcium chloride is sold as "calcium hardness increaser" or another similar name. It's sometimes available at agricultural distributors in 50# bags, rather inexpensively.

Another alternative: if you can find a source for granular calcium hypochlorite, that will work nicely in your pool right now. Leslie's sells it

And, if you have access to a Sams Club, they sell undiluted "PoolBrand" dichlor in a 24 pack of 1lb bags and a 50# bucket for about $2.10lb.

A 50lb bucket of cal hypo + 24 lbs of dichlor would get your calcium and stabilizer in range AND chlorinate your pool.

Finally: yes, you can swim. Read the best guess page in my signature, and maintain chlorine levels appropriate to your current CYA level.

[rdinocco]

Thanks so much, Ben! After all my reading the past month, I guess I was pretty set on the BBB method. I hadn't really considered those other alternatives. Thanks again!

[Watermom]

BBB doesn't necessarily mean you have to chlorinate with bleach. Sometimes other forms of chlorine are a better choice depending on the situation. Cal-hypo will add needed calcium and dichlor will add needed CYA. If you want to use bleach, you can, but you'll just have to add calcium and CYA via another route which is ok, if that is what you want to do.