Baquacil Conversion

Hi Folks, I am fairly new to this site but have been reading thru a host of posts on this forum and I can't seem to find all the right steps to follow in converting from Baquacil to Chlorine. I am about to open my pool for the season and after using Baquacil for over 8 years have decided to finally shift...I cannot go thru another season of fighting cloudy water...

I have a 30,000 gallon, vinyl lined pool roughly 24x40...

I have downloaded the bleach calculator but it seems the test kits that Ben sells about are not an option..What is my next best choice...and then what are the next steps...Just start pouring bleach in???

Help!!!

Alternatives to Ben's kit that give you the same information are the Taylor K-2006 or K-2006C kits, and the Leslie's FAS-DPD Service Test Kit from Leslie's on-line.

I haven't done the Bac conversion but my understanding is that you basically keep your pool at chlorine shock level until it can maintain it without dropping suddenly.

To add to what CarlD said above, keep an eye on your filter pressure and be prepared to backwash often, because the chlorine often turns the baq into a gummy mess that can quickly clog your filter. Also be prepared for your pool water to turn a multitude of colors during the conversion....read prior threads from others who have converted so you won't be surprised!

Janet

The only thing I can add is that on another pool forum a conversion using chlorine alone in an indoor pool took a while and resulted in lots of persistant combined chlorine. Using sodium percarbonate resulted in a much faster conversion without the combined chlorine. However, these two methods are incompatible with each other as the percarbonate and chlorine react with each other (when both are at high concentrations) to effectively disable both. The percarbonate essentially produces hydrogen peroxide in water and does not last as long as chlorine, but is a more powerful oxidizer (which is what makes the conversion go faster). It also introduces sodium carbonate into the water which is essentially pH Up. Ben has mentioned avoiding these compounds (percarbonate, perborate, etc.) for regular use, but for a Baqua conversion it might be an alternative, especially if you find the conversion difficult using chlorine alone.

Richard

Thanks for the insight...I will post when I begin the process..Just picked up the bleach, Borax and Baking soda...will check for the test kits next..

I am using a DE filter..will i need to scrub the grids once pressure builds or just backwash constantly

One of the locals near me did a conversion a couple years ago and he had a sand filter. Not sure but he may have bypassed it to prevent plugging until the conversion was complete. This maintained circulation. I suspect DE will plug fast so you may want to either bypass it or remove the guts. Don't know details about the construction of DE filters and I'm not sure if bypassing is recommended or not. I hope others kick in about this. For the chlorine I would investigate getting bulk high concentration stuff at a pool store instead of Walmart generic Ultra bleach. With a pool your size you may need a pickup truck to haul bottles. Carl has mentioned elsewhere you can get 12% minimum in 5 gallon refillable containers. Be prepared for mantal shock when your pool turns all kinds of yucky colors.
Al

Given the amount of work to convert, why isn't dumping the water and starting fresh ever recommended? I didn't have a bac conversion to do last year when we first bought a house w/pool that immediately turned green, but I dumped it to get a fresh start, not knowing what the previous owner had put in the water. Refilling our 15K gallon pool cost about $50. The lawn didn't seem to mind the extra watering. :p

Can anyone answer Tom Wood's question?
Why not drain it and refill ?
Would the liner cause issues?

~Hoffmans

Oops, I didn't see the liner part in the original post, that might be a deal killer for this particular pool.

TW

The cost to empty and refill would be over $1000..I use well water and will have to have water delivered in as it would burn out my pump...I'll check at the pool store for bleach...

anyone care to guess how many bottles of bleach it will take????

One more thing, why would I bypass filter...Do I just have to circulate water until the bleach takes hold???

Not sure I understand that...

When I said bypass I was implying recirculate on the filter. As for doing a comlete dump and fill that would be a problem with a liner pool. There has been a technique mentioned where you use a large plastic sheet, or several smaller ones taped/glued together, to cover the pool. Start filling from the top and pumping from the bottom. The sheet separates the old and new water and gives a 100% replacement. On the well pump, if you hook enough hoses to keep the pressure down and keep it from cycling it should easily handle the job. Cycling is what kills them. Of course you could run the well dry and/or kick up a bunch of silt. Got a stream or creek or some body of water handy?
Al

so what you are saying is place the filter on recirculate and not on the normal filter setting...why?? I don't have to filter the water just move it around until the chemicals take hold...will this save me from having to clean the filter grids until the conversion is complete??