Help! Yes "another" Baquacil user .

[spankypsl]

I can not begin to tell you how happy I am to have come across the Forum. This would be my second year on Baquacil for a South Florida 15,000 gal.
( 18x33 )above ground pool. Just like all the others on this forum great at first then the Green set in this Summer and more $$$$ as well.
There is no question I would love to follow though with your conversion, but I must tell you...To say that I am a little nervous is an understatement ! This is our first pool and I have never been very good with all the numbers that come along with pool ownership ( thats why I fell into the Baquacil trap ) Just half of this and 2 of these.lol.& lets not forget 3oz. of this, so very simple.lol. And when I read though all the threads over and over the number thing (FC,CAL,TC.ect.) just makes me crazy! The only testing I have ever done on my water would be a little test strip w/ 3 color change strips & every 2 weeks a sample to the local pool store.So my question to ANyONE out there......Does anyone have the time and lets not forget patience to walk me though this Baquacil to Bleach conversion ????
Ok I am an optimist, so I am going to give that special someone what I do know about my pool...
South Florida (Hot)
15,000 gal. ( 18x 33 ) above ground
Sand filter
New Pool ( New liner & would like to keep it that way)
Started w/ what the pool store said is a conversion... bottle of conversion to chloine, 3 bags non-chlorine shock & alge killer, 2 treatments, and keeping 3 chlorine tabs in my skimmer at all times & to backwash.(started 5 days ago)
Ok here is what I did..all of above AND yesterday 7/26 went to clueless pool store ( not the Baquacil dealer one )Was told no chlorine in pool to add 2-5 gallon chlorine, 2 shock & 2 yellow out. I added 1 chlorine, 1 shock & 1 yellow out and to say the least it went Dark GREEN ! I freaked,stoped and ran to the internet where I found this forum. I got up this morning and you can see the bottom,very green still & alge still,(Baq.test strip color shows white).
Ok thats all I have.... I sit here with 10 bottles of bleach ready & willing to begain my journey !!!
**I give thanks I have found this forum and that there are people out there willing to take time to walk us though this.

[spankypsl]

Thank you, Thank you for your replies...

Just another question.... How many bottles of Bleach at a time, Where to add ( new pool & liner ), how much is too much in a day & how many gallons of bleach (guess) do you think we are looking at to complete & days? Oh and should I clean & brush pool after I add each dose of Bleach ? I do know to backwash a few times a day & am getting a test kit today. Thanks again so much for your time. It's nice to know I'm not alone ! lol

[Watermom]

You are making the conversion harder than it needs to be. In a 15,000 gallon pool, each quart of 6% bleach will raise your cl by 1ppm. Test your pool as many times a day as is realistic (at least 3) and each time, add enough bleach to bring your cl level back up to 15. (Pour it slowly into the skimmer.) You want to try and maintain that reading, not let it bounce up and down. The more diligent you are in doing so, the quicker your conversion will be. Don't add anything else at this time except bleach.

You will need to buy a drops based test kit. Most of us use the one Ben sells at his www.poolsolutions.com website, but in the meantime, pick up the 5-way drops based kit at Walmart for about $15. It only tests chlorine levels to 5, but you can make it go higher by diluting your sample. Take one part pool water and mix it with two parts distilled water, test as usual and then multiply the results by 3. Be prepared for your pool to turn all kinds of nasty shades of green, but it will clear. Don't add any other stuff - no matter what your pool store insists that you need. No pucks, no bags of shock, yellow out, etc.

Run your pump/filter 24/7 and backwash any time the pressure rises by 8-10 psi.

It isn't that difficult and you'll be really glad you made the conversion. Keep us posted of how things are going. Also read some of the other posts people have made about their conversions. Some of them have pics so you can see what it's going to look like.

Hope this helps you get started!

By the way, do you know what your ph and cya readings are? If so, please post them.

[spankypsl]

Let me start off by a big thank you for everyones help with this.... total clueless, but slowing catching on.
Ok heres what I have to date.
7/27 - started the switch w/ a total of 7 bottles of Bleach, 1 tub of chlorine my sister had and lots of backwashing ( color went very green which I new it would ).
I did the test for chlorine with the shot glass method. But it is a test that you look for color change / yellow and is very hard to make out.just bright YELLOW.
This is the only step that I need some guidence with.
7/28 - Ok I must be doing somthing right, Not to green this morning,can see the steps.
Added 4 Bleaches and brushed & backwashed.
Again tried to test but still stumped..So took sample to pool store for test. Heres what I have: Total Chlorine - 2.5
pH - 7.7
Acid Demand - 2
Total Alkalinity - 100ppm
Calcium - 230
stabilizer - 30 ppm
I ask pool clerk if I was even close to the 15ppm and she didn't understand,
(she said I was in normal range now, like me can't figure out the whole 15ppm) but told me she was sure it would drop so to keep doing what I'm doing.
returned home,pool looked clearer,added 1 chlorine and 3 bleaches & backwashed. I hope it's ok to use liquid chlorine I read it on here it was.Is it ?Pool went a little greener but I do believe it's working !!!!!! I think I got lucky and never really had the goo alot seem to get. Backwash is a light milky white now.
So thats where I'm at. I have this down I just don't want to add to much Bleach and fade a new liner. I did the Bleach calc. and really don't understand it as well,sorry!
On the Pool size I did 15,000, Chlorine strength 6, Quantity of bleach ???? ( here where It looses me , I dont't know how much thats why I'm using it. and the ppm 15. I'm sorry if I sound clueless.
Will add more tonight and backwash before bed and get back to you in the morning. I will get another reading from pool store as well. Thanks again, Don't give up on me....lol!

[Watermom]

In your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will raise your chlorine level by 1 ppm. So, if your chlorine level is 2.5, you want to add enough bleach to raise it back up to 15. The small jugs you can buy are 3 quart jugs. So, to get from 2.5 to about 15, add 12 quarts of bleach which would be 4 of the three quart jugs. It won't hurt your liner and the more consistently you can keep the cl at 15, the quicker your conversion is going to go. Don't be afraid to take the cl up to 15. That is what it is going to take!

For the bleach calc - 15,000 gallons, 6%, then quantity put .25 which would represent one fourth of a gallon which is one quart. You'll see that it will tell you that one quart will raise your cl by ppm.

[spankypsl]

Thank you !!!!! I really think I have it now ! Why didn't I hear from you in the first place.lol. Simple but laid out, just what I needed. Thanks so much again. I will check in tomorrow with new understanding of it all : )

[ILHoz]

I am one of the many newbie's that posted about my converging.
1st night 7 gallons of liquid chlorine,2nd 7 gallons,3rd 6 gallons, 4th 6 gallons,
5th 6 gallons, 6th 6 gallons. 7th day pool was clear, swam in it that evening.
Everyday we brushed and backflushed many times, and changed the sand in filter. In my post I was asking for words of encouragment. It wasn't looking good. Now my pool sparkles and shines. Good luck to you their is light at the end of the tunnel.
Leslie

[spankypsl]

Ok I DID IT !!!! Or should I say WE did it, couldn't have done it without all your help. Thanks so much ! My pool is soooooooooooooo clear ! It took about 4 days but it all worked out great, should have done it sooner. Still working on keeping that chlorine level up, but it's working. My sister said I need to hang a sock with a stablizer in it. Is this true ? Or what should I use. Thanks again guys for all the guidence.:D

[aylad]

Don't hang the sock with stabilizer in it until your conversion is complete--you want the Cl to be maximum effective against the Baq. When you're no long losing Chlorine overnight, then change your filter media, and THEN hang your stabilizer sock.

Janet

[spankypsl]

Thanks yet again... will wait a day or two then change out my sand filter.....Which brings up another question > The pool clerk told me to change over to this other filter filler other then the sand ( sorry not sure of the name ) he said it cleans much better. Any truth ??? Pros & cons.
Thanks again !:D

[aylad]

Don't know--I'd need to know the name of the filler!

Janet