Baquacil to Chlorine - something wrong

[duraleigh]

Good morning,

I would do two things to your pool immediately.

1. Go to the Grocery store and get 1-4lb box of 20 mule team borax and put it in your skimmer...pump running. Also pick up about 10 jugs of 6% Clorox....you're gonna' need it.

2. While your out, purchase a drops-based test kit so you can measure pH and Cl, at least.

While you're waiting a couple of hours to test your pH, read everything you can on this forum....particulary a thread entitled, "Beginner's guide to pool chemistry" posted by watermom.

From your first post, "shock" is not a product but a procedure. You'll "shock" with the Clorox.

Post up your numbers for pH (it's WAAAAY to low) and Cl. It would be better if you can get a 5-way kit that tests for Alk, CH, and CYA as well.

Be prepared to put another box of borax in the pool after you post your pH number.

Do not add stabilizer yet......you'll backwash it out. More info to follow after you post your numbers.

[mbar]

Check out these pictures Voldaddy posted, it will help you to see how it can be accomplished. Thanks Voldaddy for posting them!

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=308

[SwiminNJ]

Thanks for all of your help, so far so good. This is what is going on now.

After backwashing this morning, i added 12 pounds of alkalinity increaser at 9 AM, I then added 10 more at noon. I then added the stabilizer to the skimmer(before reading your post not to).

At about 2 PM I added 1 gallon of 5.25% bleach.
At 8 PM I reran all tests using a test kit.

Below are the results.

FC - 5
TC - 5

PH 7.2
Alk - 180 (just added today, 24 pounds)
Calcium Harndess of 90
CYA 33.

The water is very clear, but still has a green tint to it.

After rerunning the tests I have added 5 more gallons of 5.25% bleach.

The pump has been running 24 hours a day.

Is their anything else I should be doing at this point? Should I be adding more bleach, and if not when do I know that I should. I also have my autochlorinator feeding 3" tablets.

One other thing.

I have an automatic cover to cover the pool. It has been open while I have been doing all of this as the bleach would bother it. Would it be better if I kept it closed after the bleach circulates?

Thanks for any help

[duraleigh]

I am assuming your pool is around 20k. You need to put in some more bleach. Raise your Cl up to about 16-18ppm and HOLD IT THERE until your pool turns blue.

There is a gonna' be an issue with your CYA. If your test showed 33, you didn't need anymore. I would test for CYA tomorrow AM, and if it's 40 or more, I would do a huge backwash and try to blow the rest of it out of there. If you do not and your numbers are accurate, you will end up with CYA in the 90-100 range and cause yourself agony the rest of the Summer.

For the same reason, I would take EVERY puck out of that chlorinator and throw them away, they are continually adding CYA.

Leave the cover back....better to watch your pool, anyway.

Remember, KEEP your Cl level up around 16 - 18....that's what's gonna' clear your pool.

You are casually tossing stuff in your pool that's causing you problems. If the pool store is telling you to do this and you continue to do it, it will be very difficult to give you solid advice.

[mbar]

Double what Dave said. They had you raise your alkalinity to 180, and it should be between 80 - 120. Just keep adding bleach, and backwash, and vacuum to waste.

[SwiminNJ]

hey all,

well here is the update.

Today the pool is clear (not quite the right color yet) but looks like it is about there. I no longer have a greenish color in the water. I backwashed this morning and again this evening. Here is my question.

How will I know all of the baquacil is out?

Here are my numbers:

CL =7
PH 7.0
Alk - 170
Cal Hardness 70

CYA 36


Thanks for all of your help so far.

[mbar]

When you start to hold the chlorine, and your water is clear. You need to put some borax in to get your ph to 7.2, and add mor bleach to take it back to 18. If you have pucks in your chlorinator it is what is bringing down your ph.

[SwiminNJ]

marie,

thanks for the info. I will do that. Once the chlorine level gets that high, how long does it take to burn it off to a normal level for swimming? I am assuming that at those levels you cannot be in the water.

[mjones]

What are these bags of "restart" you refer too?
My baq shock is 51, after almost a month of cl adding.

[kalan]

Hi Mjones,
If I noticed anything about baq during the years I was on it (yes i could be rich had I switched sooner) is the test numbers are at best unreliable. you could possibly have 51 shock but my guess is you really have none. The shock is hydrogen peroxide and doesn't last long anyway. It also doesa not interfere with the conversion. it ios the baqucil that reacts with the chlorine and turns it green. I wouldn't give another thought to the baq shock. A good test kit tho!!!!!!
ken