Weekend Baquacil Conversion

[b2001]

I used the beach calculator last night to calculate the amount to pour into my pool and did it. Today the pool appears slightly less green and a little more milky and cloudy - so it appears that something is working.

I have an OTO test kit from Walmart and a "Complete Pool DPD" Test Kit from Leslie's Pool Supply. I just tested my water - I couldn't get any kind of a reading diluting the sample - in case it was over 5 ppm - or not diluting it.

I'm getting readings of 2 ppm FC and 3 ppm of TC with the DPD test without having to dilute the sample, which would appear to indicate true chlorine readings. As has been stated, it looks like the bleach chlorine has been reapidly consumed.

My question is, do I need to continuously replenish the bleach into the pool during the day, or do I need to wait until dusk each day to get the chlorine back up to 15 ppm, knowing the the sun will rapidly break the chlorine down during the day ...

... and I'm assuming that getting desired level back to 15 ppm is difference between that and FC, and not TC ...

----------

Looks like I was a little impatient on the OTO - I went back outside to dump it and it was colored - it's indicating about 1 ppm, so it seems to confirm I'm nearly depleted of FC ...

[Watermom]

You do not need to wait til dusk. As often as you want to test and replenish is fine. It will make your conversion that much faster.

[b2001]

An update on my progress ...

I have been getting frustrated at my progress. The pool is still green and cloudy; it seems to have improved a little today. Here's what I have done:

I'm either putting in 4 gallons of 5.25% bleach or 3 1/2 gallons of 6% bleach ...

Put in one dose Saturday at dusk, Sunday at dusk, Monday at dusk. After watermom's Sunday reply to this post and duraleigh's last reply to the "Softswim to Chlorine Conversion??" post, I stepped it up today, a dose at dawn and will do dose at dusk.

I'm cleaning my cartridge filter and skimmer basket sock 2 to 3 times per day. Both are definitely orange-brown when they come out for cleaning. The filter in there now is relatievly new and pressure is currently at 10 psi. When it climbs to 20 psi, I don't get very good results.

I've vacummed my pool several times and I scrubbed the walls and and all of the floor thoroughly Sunday and yesterday. The floor feels ok are far as trash goes, except I didn't go into the deep part, an area of about 10 feet by 10 feet which is about 1 1/2 feet deeper than the rest of the pool - I was too much of a chicken yesterday to go completely in the cold water. Of course, most of the trash settles there, but I believe that I have done a decent job of getting most of it. The pool is still cloudy and green enough that I can't come close to seeing the bottom of the deep end. I barely cannot see the bottom everywhere else.

No one is really home during the day - can I go ahead and get chlor-tabs to supplement the bleach process for during the day? Where should I look to buy and what brand should I look for ro avoid? The local pool place has a small container for $30.

My pool was green before starting the conversion. Will a bottle of polyquat algeacide help now?

I tested about 30 minutes ago:

OTO
Cl between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm
ph between 7.2 and 7.5 ppm

DPD
free cl is 0.5 ppm
total cl is 3.0 ppm
ph is 7.4 ppm
ta is 100 ppm
cal hrdness is 110 ppm

Thanks for any replies ...

[Watermom]

I don't think the tabs are going to help. You need to shock the pool and tabs aren't going to give you that shock. Can you shock it as soon as you get home in the evening and then again right before you go to bed at night and then again in the morning? Then, on the weekend, really hammer it with bleach as often as you can. Someone may have a better idea, but that is my suggestion. Algaecide isn't really going to do anything for you at this point. Keep your pump running 24/7. Hang in there.

[mjones]

OK, I just put 8 lbs of shock in pool(bottle says 56% available cl). It already looked a tad bit lighter shade of green, but that could be because we added more water. I am not sure about the CL level. I have tried strips & oto. Strips say hardness about 100, total cl 5 ish, f cl way over 10, ph 6.2-6.8, alk 80-120. I can't understand the oto. tried the diluting thing, oto said +3 cl? I don't know.. I am confused & to the point that I just want to keep putting cl in every 8 hours or so. Hoping it will clear up soon.
I bought 4 gallons of plain ole bleach, 1 1/2 gal of clorox "outdoor"?, says it makes up to 30 gallons?? and the 8 lb bottle of shock. The bottle of shock said not to mix with cal hypo?? what does that mean?

[mbar]

Your ph is really low, I would add a box of borax asap, test after 2 hours, and add more if needed. You don't want your ph below 7, that could damage your liner. Chlorine is more potent when the ph is low, but you shouldn't let it get lower than 7.2 on your test, because the ph may be even lower than the test shows sometimes.

[mjones]

Not much difference this morning. I just added 4 gallons of 6% bleach. I was wondering if I need to go ahead & change my sand, because of psi so high, & skimmer isn't sucking very hard.

[skystone]

does the sand in the filter need to be replaced when this is all said and done?

[duraleigh]

Watermom is right about the poly.....don't waste your money.

YOU NEED MORE CL!!!! Sorry to shout but I want to make a point. Look at your Cl readings....not enough for even maintenance on a pool already clear!!

Try this stategy...If the direct sun is off your pool an hour before sundown, put in enough Cl to go to 16ppm. Remember it's gonna go down immediately...it may never even get to 16. Now go out just before you go to bed, test, and bring your Cl back up to 16ppm again....I'll bet you need to add a lot.

If you wake up around 4:00AM, you can do it again. If you wake up after sunrise, any Cl you put in will be quickly consumed.

You have got to repeat this pattern each evening. If you let your Cl slip back to it's current level......you get no results......that's where you are now.

Keep the faith and understand the process.....You are burning Cl at a rapid rate and you must keep it up there or you languish.....and get no progress.

Your other numbers are fine....you need Cl.

Have I mentioned you might add some more Cl?

[b2001]

Keep the faith and understand the process.....You are burning Cl at a rapid rate and you must keep it up there or you languish.....and get no progress.

Yes, I keep asking questions to better understand the process and to get a boost from you in keeping the faith. I put in 4 gallons right after I posted above and I just got back from buying a bunch more.

First, after looking at the water considerably after posting above, I do notice that it has gotten clearer and the green does seem to be turning to an aqua green-blue. Maybe I am starting to turn the corner. It's been hard keeping the faith without seeing any results. However, I did notice some light brown algae starting to form on the skimmer on the inside of the pool.

To better understand the process, is it existing organic matter and remaining baquacil in the pool that is rapdily burning up the chlorine at night? The ability to hold the chlorine at shock level overnight would mean that all available "stuff" to burn the chlorine has been exhausted? I know from comments in here that would mean I'm past conversion. At that point, I try to maintain chlorine at 5 ppm, and start adding granular cya?

I've always had problems after heavy rains, being under trees. I would need to consider shocking with chlorine after rains?

How often will I probably need to add bleach - rule of thumb - to maintain the normal chlorine conditions once I am past conversion assuming normal ph, ta, ch, and cya?

Sorry for all of the questions - I'm trying to think ahead - I'm still mentally in baquacil mode.