18 years of Baqua..UPDATE! Swapped 8/15 NOW WITH PHOTOS!

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Leebo

Leebo

Admin
TFP Expert
LifeTime Supporter
Jul 21, 2011
12,567
Eastern Ohio
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I've finally convened my in-laws to switch their 25,000 in ground pool to chlorine. They've been having problems with cloudy water the past year or two now, even though all levels are in check. At the start of the year the pool looks great, but by the time summer hits full force (as is the case now) the deep end is so cloudy you can't see the bottom. I've done some pricing and after the few years they can pay for a new spa in the money they save. :D Guess what walked them to the chlorine side. :D

We've got about one more month of Baquacil products left, after that it's time for the switch. :D I'd put money however once my father-in-law see's the colors the pool will make he's going to flip out, and ask me daily what's going on!

My one quick question however,

We're going to have a quart or so left of the algicide left. Can you use this in a chlorine pool, or are the make-ups totally different? I'd like to use up 100% of what's left, however we're going to run out of the Sanatizer first. It's going to be cheaper to waste a $17 bottle of algicide than it is to buy a $35 bottle of Sanatizer.

Now.....off to start looking at a new test kit. :D Any links around here to buy from to support the site?? Even if it's a link to amazon. :D
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Holy cow Leebo! You got your work cut out for you, but you know we got your back! :)

Look at the links in my sig. If you Support This Site, you will get a discount on the TF100 test kit, which is the fav around here.

So, if you Support first, get a code and then get the test kit discount. Since you will be doing a baq conversion, you prob already know to order the XL. I'm sure other conversion folks will be around and give you some comments :-D

Welcome to the forum :wave:
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

I've been taking care of the pool for about 2 years now using Baquacil......I've been used to the work. :D I've already got my wife excited about the colors, and we're hoping for some purple's. :D I'll look at the links for sure. I'm looking around online for some liquid chlorine, as I know unless it say's "pool" they won't use it this year. After 18 years, they're kinda hard to change habits. Thanks for the link to the supporters. That's not much to pay for a life-time!! :D

Here's the current #'s using Baquacil....I'm hoping to make the change over in about a week once we start. It's a 25,000 gallon in ground liner pool.

TA.....98
CH CAL....93 but don't really give a darn
Sanitizer....38
PH.... 7.52
BaquaShock...... 5-ish We just had a HUGE storm move in Tuesday that put about 1200 gallons of water into the pool. It took our levels down to 0, but I made sure to shock it the next day. It was already slowly starting to turn greenish on the bottom, but quickly cleared up with the exception of the cloudy. Any idea's how to clear it up until we switch at the end of the season???
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

How about selling the rest of the stuff on Craigslist and doing the conversion now, while there is time to enjoy the pool. Send the folks off on a long weekend trip so they don't have to agonize over the show. By the time they get back you can ditch the Clorox bottles 6% and bring in the Liquid Pool Shock 10% bottles.

All that fresh water in the pool would have been an ideal time to begin.
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Short answer.....
It's to darn HOT outside! No way I'd want to spend days on end working out in this heat on the pool. LoL
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Shouldn't be too hard to find 10 or 12.5% for a reasonable price. All of what I've seen say Pool Shock, or sanitizer.

Here are the prices I've found:

regular price for 4gal of 10% is $11 (was on sale for $10)
On sale, 12.5%, 4gal for $12.
Clorox 6% is 182oz x3 for $7.50

I end up either buying the 10% for $11 or clorox, if I find a sale, even better!

I haven't looked in to buying bulk from pool stores, I did look at the gallon price once. $4 for .............. 10%!
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Well heck, with that price it's almost best to stick with 10% then IMHO. The local pool store runs a sale each year where all chemicals are 30% off. Works out about the same to stock up.
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Do let us know how it goes.
I have an in-law talking about going to baqua....all because of a neighbor thinking my advice of using horrible toxic bleach is negligent. :rant:
 

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Re: After 18 years of Baqua

If you are near a Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart, they all sell 10% liquid chlorine at reasonable prices (around $6 for 2 gallons in CA). Cheap enough to not lug extra bottles of bleach and it says "pool" on it for your inlaws. Lowes/HD are a little cheaper than Walmart here.
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Well we've had a horrid summer as usual and had a green pool 3 times this last month or so. I don't think the alage was ever killed 100% even though the levels were fine. We are now out of "shock" and I've had it. :) Now if the local store wasn't a rip on chlorine at $6.50 a gallon. Guess they're SOL.

Sucks to be them however......
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Another "issue" before I start......

My brother-in-law talked to a worker for the local water plant who gave him some 65% cal-hypo to use. He swears that this dose plus a box of baking soda will lead to a clear pool, even with Baquacil (which I know it won't). 

My issue is simple. Will using this to convert cause further issues??  I know some add to the CYA, which this shouldn't.  Is there anything I need to watch or a need to argue to stay with liquid for the swap??  Are there any issues for using for everyday pool-care??

Thanks again!  Baquacil levels are lowering, and we're hoping to swap soon. Darn pool however cleared up this week and is for the first time in several months looking good. To bad it won't last.  
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

I'm hoping to just use this cal-hypo for the swap then go ahead next years opening and go with liquid. I just wanted to make sure that there were no other side effects that I would miss, as I really don't care about the CH that much. The levels now should even be lower than stated before. As long as it makes it through the swap I'll be fine.

Thanks for the info on the CYA Steve, not sure where I got the info that some adds CYA.
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

If the pool has a plaster surface you need the CH to be around 250 ppm minimum. Dry chlorine is stabilized with CYA or calcium. Thus, trichlor and dichlor add CYA, and calcium hypochlorite adds calcium. There is a 3rd dry chlorine that does not add CYA or calcium, (lithium hypochlorite) but it is very expensive and not as easily available as the other two.
Keep track of the CH and if it gets over 325 you need to discontinue the cal-hypo, or you could end up with a new set of problems!
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

Leebo said:
Vinyl pool here....don't got the issue of keeping it up there....just gotta keep it low.
Click to expand...

Actually you wouldn't want to keep it too low or too high for a plaster pool. Not as critical for a vinyl pool though you don't want it to be at either extreme either.
 
Re: After 18 years of Baqua

photo_5_.JPG


I guess then I'll start with this one. I took a 5 gallon bucket of pool water and tossed in some Cal-Hypo in and stirred for a few seconds. Almost right away the water turned this reddish color. In all the photo's I've seen on the site for conversions, I must say......haven't seen this color yet. :rabbit: I wonder if the entire pool will look this way?
 

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