Hello all. After 7+ years of using Baquacil my pool has become "immune" to Baq. After spending the last two years battling water mold and pink slime, my local pool store (an independent and reputable dealer) suggested that it was time to consider conversion to chlorine. After reading this board, I'm going to make the jump to chlorine. My wife isn't so sure about this, but we simply can't keep spending $400/month on chemicals.

-- Read the conversion documentation: double check
-- Purchase the TF-100 test kit: check - it arrived yesterday.
-- Familiarize myself with the pool calculator: check
-- Adjust pH and TA to values specified in the conversion post: In process, will do final check and adjustment on Saturday night before starting the conversion on Sunday morning.
-- Have plenty of bleach on hand: In process -- Currently, I have 28 1.4 gal 6% bleach on hand, will be purchasing more in the next few days (as soon as Wally's restocks )
-- Have a fresh box of DE on hand: check
-- Digital camera: check. I'm thinking of playing Pink Floyd while adding the bleach..
-- Intestinal fortitude: Even after reading over a dozen successful conversion threads, I'm probably going to need help here once Mr. Bleach meets Ms Biguanide....

Only a few question for once the water clears and things settle down:
1) CYA or liquid stabilizer? InTheSwim offers an instant liquid stabilizer/conditioner -- is this easier to use and as good as CYA?
2) Trichlor or Calhypo or Bleach? I'm thinking of using bleach for a few weeks until I'm absolutely sure that the conversion is finished. As the pool has always been a Baq pool, I don't have a puck feeder. The pool store suggested PPG's "Sustain" system, but it seems pricey (even though an estimated $500 for an entire season is much cheaper than Baq!)

Current pool readings:
Baquacil Sanitizer: 42 ppm. Knowing my pool, it'll drop to about 35 by conversion time.
Shock (peroxide): 121 ppm. Will probably drop to about ~100 by conversion time.
pH: 7.7
TA: 108 ppm
CH: 203 ppm
CYA: 0 (duh!)
Borate: 59 ppm

Have I missed anything? Wish me luck and I'll be taking pictures.

Jay

If I spent that much on my pool, I'd have filled it in and planted tomatos a month after moving in!!

Why wait until Sunday to start? If you give it the first big dose Saturday night, none of the chlorine will be wasted by sunlight.

'course you won't be able to take pictures hourly while you're asleep. Forget I said anything.

I've had that thought many times!



Work and family obligations prevent me starting until Sunday. Otherwise I'd be starting tomorrow evening...

1) The liquid stabilizer is WAY more expensive than the granular. It only takes about a week for the stuff to dissolve. Save your money

2) Stay with bleach. Trichlor adds CYA. You do want SOME CYA, trichlor will get the levels out of control FAST. The only way to lower CYA is
to drain and refill some water. Calhypo increases your calcium hardness. If you are trying to bring CH up, then it's ok to use some, as long as you use the pool calculator to find out how much the amount you add increases CH.

Good luck with your conversion and don't forget the pics

Sunday, 9:00am -- first dose of bleach.
9:30am -- first DPD test. 0 ppm FC, 10 ppm CC

Pictures to come as soon as I can upload off of the camera.

Congratulations on the best decision you could have made. My wife was also skeptical about converting (I don't like chlorine smells, my hair will turn green, chlorine dries your skin out ). I took the time to help her understand the very basics of chlorine (chlorine smells come from CC which we won't have, copper turns hair green, etc), which helped a lot. Then of course, once the pool turned a million colors she about killed me .

You can count on adding bleach at least every hour for most of today, if not more frequently. For the first couple of additions, I would shoot for 2 or 3 ppm higher than 15 as the baq is consuming the bleach almost immediately. Once you hold some FC, then calculate your additions for 15 ppm.

Keep a close eye on filter pressure. You are creating a lot of gooey stuff that loves to quickly clog a filter.

Did you at least sing Happy Birthday to America once the fireworks started in your pool ???

Sunday, 10:00am -- 2nd Dose of bleach, lots more pretty colors. Can no longer see the main drain in the deep end, back yard smells like a chlorine tanker with a bad leak.

Sunday, 10:30am -- 2nd DPD test. 0ppm FC, > 30ppm CC. Filter is starting to build pressure.

That smell is the CC. It will go away once you get the CC down towards the end of the conversion.

Sunday, 11:30am -- 4th addition of bleach. New color!!! Brilliant Yellow!!
FC: 0
CC: > 20
Baq sanitizer level: 0
6% Bleach used so far: 16 bottles (22.72 gals)

Great Job. Keep going, it will happen. I only have a 24 foot agp and it took about 50 bottles of wal-mart bleah to convert, so it might take you a lot. I have to say since my conversion last spring, I have had to do NOTHING to my pool except balance at the beginning of the season and add a few quarts of bleach every night. I went from spending over $300 a month in baq to around $40 in bleach for the month. I have never had to shock (except for start-up) and I have not had algae in 2 years now. I may be an exception, but my ph and alkaline stay within the normal range, so I'd have to say that my pool is truly TROUBLE FREE, thanks to everyone one this sight. Everyone have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Sunday, 1:00pm -- 5th addition of bleach.
FC - < .5ppm (The dpd test showed the palest shade of pink. I think)
CC - ~35ppm

Still a dramatic cloud of color when adding the bleach in front of a return though. Next up: first teardown and cleanout of my filter.

Oooh, this is so exciting! Keep the pictures coming - especially the innards of your filter all covered with some alien life form!

ditto

But there have been a few times when I looked into filling in the deep end some, building an aqua plant trough for filtering and stocking the pond with good tasting fish. It's certainly gotten to green/black, stagnant pond condition a few times over the years.

Thank goodness the thought of attracting more snakes kept me from doing it.

gg=alice

FYI - I wouldn't waste the reagents testing for CC at this point. Only test for FC until your water clears, then worry about CC.

Makes sense. Thanks for the tip.

As of 3:00pm (6th addition of bleach):
FC: 1.5 ppm Woot! Free Chlorine after an hour!

Total bleach used so far: 24 bottles (~34.1 gal)

Get the kids and gross them out. Then tell them it was caused by people peeing in the pool.

Well, we *did* have a toddler in the pool recently

More pictures...






4pm testing (prior to 7th batch of bleach):
FC: < 1ppm (1 drop reagent went from very pale pink to clear)
CC: Not testing until water clears as per advice.

Going to have to break down the filter in an hour or so. Probably after adding the next round of bleach.

As of 5:30pm:

FC: 1 ppm
Bleach used: 36 jugs (51.2 Gals)

Question for those with experience: There is no way that the filter will run overnight without completely clogging. I'm probably going to have to clean it out again this evening. Is it OK to shut the pump/filter off overnight or should I just set it up for "recirculate"?