Baq to BBB converter sentenced to nightly pours?

[mckillip]

I preface this with thanks for the info on the conversion process. Mine took place late June and only went to a clear-green color before eliminating the Baq monster. Whereas I previously did Baq maintenance weekly (but struggled with algae in August), I'm now daily adding 1-1/2 gals of 6% bleach at night, typically before bed. (36K in-ground plaster) My CYA is 0, since I downloaded and read "PrP_Cyanurics - Benefactor or Bomb" from this site. Yes, I'm saving money over Baq on a volume basis, but there's no way I can touch the low-$100s range some claim they spend in total on a season's worth of BBB.
I've seen suggestions that 30ppm is a "typical" target for CYA, but the article clearly put the fear of God in me about reducing the effectiveness of my trusty bleach bottle. Am I just lazy and whining, or on the wrong path? SWGs look pretty nice as a Christmas present suggestion about now ...

[tenax]

i don't have experience with the bag to BBB conversion, but i am running my CYA at 60-80PPM as per SWG common practice it seems..i've read some of the stuff re: CYA and chlorine but overall, i see using stabilizer as more positives than negatives.

put it this way, you go to an SWG, you're going to have to use CYA anyway, right? so.....

just my opinion.

[duraleigh]

Without CYA, you will never be able to keep a chlorine residual. Virtually no one on this forum tries to maintain a pool at zero CYA.

I have not read the thread you are referring to but something in it is misleading or you have misinterpreted it. 30-50 is a typical level for pools without an SWG and I would encourage you to add it now.

[tenax]

the only negative i've noted is some people talking about how if i understand correctly you need to use more chlorine dose if you use cya, but...aside from that.....i don't see a downside.

[ivyleager]

You need CYA...put it in. Either via tri-chlor pucks (which will allow you the luxury of not having to put bleach in every night), or by adding dry CYA directly to pool. The pucks have CYA and chlorine, you'll get both chemicals this way. However, the pucks are acidic and have the tendency to drive pH down. You'll need to monitor that.

My pool is in direct sunlight all day and has moderate bather loads every day. My CYA is currently at 70ppm. Chlorine holds at about 3-5ppm for approximately 2 full days. All things being equal and no extraneous variables (pool party, heavy rains) I add 3qts of bleach every other evening. My pool is fairly large: 24,000 gals. With larger pools you will go through a TON of bleach. You have a BIG pool. Without CYA, the chlorine will not hold in your pool. You will go through a lot of bleach...>$100/season.

SWG should pay for itself in a few seasons just on bleach costs alone. However, your time and convenience is also a cost. I'd get the SWG.

CaryB

[Watermom]

I agree with the posts above. You are not going to be able to keep any chlorine in your pool without cya. Shoot for a target of 30-50. Let us know if we can help again. Good luck.