Weekend Baquacil Conversion

[b2001]

OK, Im going to start my baquacil to chlorine conversion this weekend, weather permitting. I have a 18’ x 36’ oval vinyl abg pool with a Pentair 150 sq ft cartridge filter and 1 ½ hp pump.

I uncovered the pool last weekend and had a lot of what appeared to be dirt and leaves. My baquacil was at 52. I drained my pool down to about 16” from the bottom and refilled it. I got three different baquacil readings from two dealers and myself – one indicated the baquacil level still at 48, but my reading and the other store indicates around 0 to 15.

My ph is 7.4, total alkalinity is 100, and total hardness is 265. The water now has a cloudy, greenish tint to it, I assuming that algae is starting to grow. I’ve gotten some of the trash and sludge, off of the bottom – I’m sure that I got more, I can’t see it right now because of the cloudiness.

A pool dealer is telling me to either start with a non- chlorine shock powder or put a chlor-tab in the dkimmer to burn off the rest of the baquacil. Looks to me, I just need to start dumping bleach in as referenced in other threads. Is my baquacil low enough to start putting bleach in? That's my main question. Any other gotcha’s?

I’ve read where sometimes the precipitates that result from this process need to be vacuumed to waste – I assuming with a cartridge, I just have to keep shutting it down and cleaning it…

I was planning on getting the fas-dpd and oto test kits this weekend. Any tips would be appreciated. I'm nervous and need reassurances, I guess. Thanks …

[SLS]

If your Baq level is 0 to 15 your ready to start. You can start with it higher but it will just take longer and be more messy.

Just make sure you don't take your chlorine levels too high or you risk fading your liner. When you put the bleach in make sure you get it as far from the edge as possible and as close to the water as possible to keep it from splashing up.

You may or may not get "clumps" on the bottom. I never did. It did go through some wild colors before it was through. My neighbors were quite concern ... ha.

Since I had never had a pool or used chlorine before I was extremely nervous before I got started in the conversion too. Five days later it was as clear as I had ever remember seeing it.

You will need to keep a close watch on your filter because it will gum up pretty quickly the first couple of days. I was having to backwash my sand filter 2 or 3 times a day.

You will not regret switching to chlorine . Using the methods on this site you will be able to run your pool very cheap with little or no water problems.

I advise you to order the kit that Ben sells here so you can take charge of your pool. The price is nothing compare to what it will save you from not using Baq.

Good luck!!

[b2001]

Thanks for the response, I'm needing a little encouragement to get started. I just got back from getting the bleach, and test kits. I'm going to use these kits to get by - I waited too late to order and wanted them today - and get one from Ben next year.

I'm going use use the bleach calculator and start slow with putting the bleach in the pool, and build up.

[mwsmith2]

Don't start slow. Aim to hit 15 ppm. Keep it there until you can hold that overnight. Starting slow...well, just makes it take longer.

Michael

[b2001]

OK, I can use your bleach calculator to figure how much to add - how do I measure to keep it there? Seems like I'm reading that I can only measure to 5 ppm with the kits?

Or will it go down so quickly that it will be in the 1 to 5 ppm range so that I know how much to add?

BTW, I have no cya stabilizer - do I need to wait until I go thru the shock period?

[Watermom]

I would wait until after the conversion to add CYA. To extend the testing range of your kit, mix one part pool water with one part distilled water, test as usual and then multiply the result by 2. If you need to go higher, mix one part pool water with two parts distilled and then multiply the results by 3, etc. Each level of dilution loses some accuracy, but is good enough to help you determine how much bleach to add.

[mjones]

This isn't so much a reply, but a plea for help!! I use baquacil. I didn't cover my pool last winter, so I had a ton of leaves & debris in it. I worked my tail off getting all of that out, & then shocked w/baq. No change at all. Water looked like nasty chocolate milk. I called my baq dealer, had me test for metal, none, had me test baq level, none. So, he said I would have to use chlorinating granules to clear up mess, then start back with baq. He had me put 6 lbs of granules per day for 3 days!! 1st day: Huge difference, water green not brown, cl level low, added 6 lbs. 2nd day: little bit lighter green, added 6 lbs. 3rd day: no change, cl way over 10. He said, keep on for a couple more days, but don't add until 6 ppm. It has been 4 days, cl level still above 10. I even drained about 2 feet of water, & put about 6 inches back in. I am desperate. We had already bought seasons worth baq, before I found out how bad it is. My husband is determined to try it again, cause it didn't burn eyes, turn hair green, fade clothes, & felt really good to swim in. So, I called the baq company. They said that "their" dealer, told me the wrong thing & now I have a chemical reaction. They said to turn pump off, & wait for everything to settle to bottom(24 hrs). It has been 48, nothing has settled. Cl level is still +10ppm??? Can you help me?? BTW my pool is 30,000 gal. 16x32x8 inground liner.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give!!

[gwrace1]

I would suggest you read back thru these posts and search the forum. You really do not want to use Baquacil products for many reasons. Chlorine does not cause eye, skin irritation and does not change the color of your hair or clothes when levels are maintained properly. It is the most inexpensive way to sanitize and prevent algae growth in your pool.

Read thru the baqucil to chlorine conversion posts for suggestions on how to complete this process. It takes a lot of work and patience but in the end you will have a cleaner. inexpensive and easier pool to maintain

[mjones]

Thanks for such a quick reply. I am ansy!! I don't think my husband wants to convert to cl. So, what do you do when you are half way between the conversion? I have read all posts re: the conversion, but how do you turn back? We have already bought $500 worth of baq, with no return!

[gwrace1]

I don't have any experience with turning back to Baquacil with Chlorine in the pool. As you know the two chemicals are not compatible. You might consider continuing on with the Chlorine conversion and selling your Baquacil products on Ebay.