Steps - Switching from Baquacil to Chlorine

[Watermom]

Hopefully with testing/shocking every couple of hours, you'll make a lot of progress today. Typically, I think, when people stay on top of their conversion with frequent monitoring and additions of bleach, most people finish the process in a week or less.

[CarlD]

Take Heart! Conversion is a slow and messy with spectacularly ugly water along the way!

But keep up the valiant fight and you will prevail! POP (Pool Owner Persistence) and Chlorine will do it.

Carl

[GeneNTN]

Watermom, Carl and all others,

Once again “many thanks” for your response & guidance – it has helped tremendously with the conversion process! The following provides a re-cap of yesterday’s, and the over night test results from this a.m. (I hope they are ‘not scrambled’ due to end-of-line, tabulation, or other space / character wrapping?).

Summary of our tests results, chlorine added, etc., completed on Monday May 30, 2011 (Day 5) through Tuesday May 31st – starting at 6:00 a.m. (5/30 6 a.m. results posted prior).

Reading 6:00 8:10 10:10 12:15 2:15 4:30 6:45 8:30 p.m. 3/31 6:00 a.m.
Water Temp 70 75 76 77 78 78 79 78 76
CF (ppm) 5.0 14.5 6.0 9.0 7.5 10.0 11.0 11.0 13.0
CC (ppm) 1.5 1.3 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75
pH 7.2 7.8 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.4+ 7.4 7.4+
Chlor. Add 7.1 - 4.3 4.3 2.9 2.9 - - -
(bleach 6%, in gallons)

A rather busy pool day overall – but the results look promising (at least to me!). In addition to the above tests, in between each sample I would typically brush the pool sides & bottom, clean the skimmer basket sock (which really helped to clean up a lot of the floating debris), and back flush / rinse the filter (2X) – dropping the pressure from ~ 25lbs down to ~19lbs.

The overall appearance and the water clarity has continued to improve, along with having the skimmer basket sock in place – clearly seeing the main floor drain. I also noticed that the pH tends to increase along with higher levels of FC level? And, it is pretty amazing just how much reaction the direct sun / UV rays has on the FC level – now I better realize why the Baquacil never had a fighting chance, especially with 5+ year old water! I’m so glad we are making the conversion to chlorine!

So…‘where are we in the conversion process’ – my guess is that it is either complete or very close? The fact that the CC never went completely to zero (0) is a little concerning – but may be in the manor as to ‘how full or level’ the R0870 dipper is for the prior FC testing? The CC = 0.75 ppm reading represents 1 drop of R0871 – and there is still a very, very slight amount of pink color in the sample. My guess is that I need to read the Taylor handbook as to how to measure CC (separate from FC) using a 25ml water sample!

As always many "many Thanks” for your time to read and to respond to my posting on the PoolForum!
Gene
PS - My near term plan is to keep the FC level elevated until I receive some feedback from the PoolForum.

[GeneNTN]

To everyone,
The following may be easier to read - sorry for the repeat!

Reading 6:00 8:10 10:10 12:15 2:15 4:30 6:45 8:30 p.m. 3/31 6:00 a.m.
Water Temp 70 75 76 77 78 78 79 78 76
CF (ppm) 5.0 14.5 6.0 9.0 7.5 10.0 11.0 11.0 13.0
CC (ppm) 1.5 1.3 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75
pH 7.2 7.8 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.4+ 7.4 7.4+
Chlor. Added 7.1 - 4.3 4.3 2.9 2.9 - - -
(bleach 6%, in gallons)


Gene

before shocking


before shocking


just after shocking


day 2


day 3

[madwil]

it looks like your FC held overnight, but with reading increasing concerned with if you added something after the 830pm reading?
if not, your FC should not have increased, but at 6am I can't count drops (I get up at 5, can talk, but no testing until after 1st POT of coffee!)
your CC is slowly going down, which is typical- keep the shock level of FC another day or two, until you lose <1ppm FC overnight, and CC is <.5
Then change out sand and you have successfully gotten rid of BaquaGoo!

[GeneNTN]

Madwil,
Actually, I did not add any more chlorine (bleach 6%) after the 4:30 p.m. reading – my guess is two fold, 1) the overall total chlorine added for Monday was ~ 19 gal., and 2nd ) with the periodic brushing of the sides & bottom (filter passage, sock in skimmer basket, etc.) – it took an extra amount of time for the FC to rise! Beyond that thought I’m kind of struck as to why as to why it increased overnight?
Your recommendation to continue for another day (or 2) is in line with my thinking – although today I have not been as punctual as I was yesterday – a holiday! I’ll be very happy to finally get ride of the BaquaGoo!

Gene

[Watermom]

Sounds like you are so close, but I would do another day or two. Better than stopping a little short of the final goal.

[GeneNTN]

Wednesday, June 1st 6 a.m. - Day 7

Our pool continues to become clearer (by looks anyway), with still some debris laying on the bottom. Yesterday’s results were basically a repeat of Monday, except with testing spread out to every 3-4 hrs with a total of 14.34 gallons of chlorine (bleach 6%) added. Again the FC level did vary a little more during noon / afternoon hours and the CC level stayed basically the same (0.75 – 0.5 ppm). Overnight the FC level did drop by 1 ppm (maybe due to testing?) and the CC level remained unchanged (0.75 ppm) – which prompted a question as to why no change since Monday’s p.m. test? I contacted Taylor and asked them if there was a procedure to test the CC level independent of FC, using a 25 ml water sample (0.2ppm resolution)? The answer I received back was “Taylor does not currently offer a method for testing combined chlorine independent of the free chlorine result. To my knowledge, I am not familiar with another company that does.” - which seems a bit odd to me? Does anyone on the forum have any comments or concerns about their reply?

With all of the repeated testing, I need to immediately re-order the reagents for the chlorine testing! So plans are to do the dosages of chlorine (bleach 6%) - based on my records from the past 2 days, and only test 2-3 times / day, especially for 8 p.m. today & 6 a.m. tomorrow.

Watermom!
I do agree with your recommendation, another day to see if the CC will ever go to lower? Thank you for your response & have a great June 1st!

Gene

[madwil]

I think, with regards to testing CC, the issue is FC causes errors in CC reading; so you have to remove the FC first, without overdoing it, before you can test CC.
I think, at your current readings, you're safe to change out sand whenever you want- but maintain shock levels of FC until your CC is <.5.

[GeneNTN]

Madwil,
Thank you for your comments - they are always helpful!
When you say, “remove FC first” I assume you mean by adding the R0781 drops until the water sample is colorless, which is what I have been doing. However, if there is a short time delay (making notes, etc.) until the 5 drops of R-0003 are added – the water sample will usually take-on a pinkish color? So…would you just add the R-0003 or go back and add some additional drops of R-0781? Would you happen to know of a better method of testing the CC at the lower end?
Gene