Ok I switched from baquacil to chlorine about 2 months ago. After a long conversion I have had crystal clear water..... Until today! The water is not real bad but it is cloudy all the sudden. I am sure that it did not help I haven't checked in a few days. I shocked the pool today with shock bag and then shocked it with liquid chlorine. I am concerned b/c my cya levels are over 100. The pool store never mentioned watching the cya. I have been using trichlor tabs to maintain the chlorine and after reading I see that it raises the cya every time. The alk was at 80 also so I used the pool calculator to add baking soda to help raise it. Can anyone help me.... I do not want to go back to cloudy water and weeks to fix with lots of $$$$$ again. Thanks!

Well, the pool store may not have mentioned it but we certainly do here on a daily basis.

You know the drill: Can you post your current pool chemistry?

Do you still have test kit and reagents when you converted as noted in your thread here http://www.troublefreepool.com/help-with-my-baqua-conversion-pictures-included-t36016.html

At the end of this conversion thread, it is mentioned that your CYA measured 60ppm and Jason Lion replied that use of the pucks should be stopped. It appears you have been using "shock" bags and pucks which you're finding out add a whole lotta cya. In order to reduce your cya you're going to have to do a partial drain and fill. You can possibly wait until opening next year to see what the cya level is then as sometimes cya "disappears" (mine did years ago).

Your alk is fine at 80.

Stop using pucks and bags of shock and stick to bleach. And post some numbers and you're pool can get back to clear.

Hope this helps.

I think I will wait to drain we are going to be draining here in a couple weeks for winterizing. Is it ok to use the liquid chlorine shock. The 12%. So you are also saying I should not use the shock bags either??? Just shock it with liquid chlorine at the shock levels.
FC 8
CYA 100+
ALK80
PH 7.2

Why do you think the water is cloudy??? From all the cya???

What about algaecide??? Also since this is all new to me from using baq... What do you suggest adding to winterize before draining and covering??? Thanks a million I need all the help I can get.....

The cloudiness is probably from the calcium in the "shock bags", which are probably calcium hypochlorite.
You can probably manage with the high CYA, assuming it is not just wildly higher than 100 (100 is the limit to the testers), but it takes some pretty high FCC levels to shock at high CYA levels.

Yes, saying not to use the shock bags. Use the liquid chlorine; either 6% grocery store bleach or 12% liquid shock.

Pool could be cloudy from the bag of shock or you could have the beginnings of an algae problem.

If you want to add algaecide when you winterize, then find this stuff polyquat 60. It doesn't have to be the same brand.

For a pool with a CYA of 100+ your chlorine level is at the absolute minimum for daily maintenance. Minimum is at least 8ppm (we do not know your CYA is 100, it could be anything over 100), and you should be starting your day at at least 15ppm. However I would err on the side of caution and consider those values too low. Maintaining 15ppm would be my choice for your pool, just in case.

When you drain for the winter, I'm assuming you'll drain about 30%. This won't be enough to lower your CYA to a manageable level for next season. So, draining some now to reduce CYA to something you can actually test for (under 100) will help today, and set you up for a good level for next season after you winterize (and do another partial drain).

You can work with <100 CYA for the next few weeks although if your cloudiness is due to an algae bloom you'll need to shock, and with 50-100 CYA levels that can take a LOT of chlorine. Your choice, but to do the job the chlorine must be maintained at very high levels both for shocking and daily maintenance.

Please stop using the pucks. They are driving your CYA up and I actually think you've got a bloom going due to the high levels.

If you can post a full set of test results that would be helpful. I see you posted FC, but do you have a way to check total chlorine (TC) and calcium hardness (CH)?

Hello again afoster,

I am mentioning this for you and for future Baqua convertors. You did not follow through the whole Baqua process particularly step nine:


Make sure read these articles and the rest of pool school.

JasonLion specifically mentioned for you to not use trichlor in response to you saying you were in your previous baqua conversion thread.

But we have, over and over on this site. You need to chose whose advice you are going to follow the pool store or here. Doing both doesn't work. Let us know if you want it to be us.