I just took over maintenance of my parent's pool; they live next door. They insist on Baquacil since opening it circa 1983. It is an 8,000 gallon above ground pool that has always had a dome on it. They drain it to just below the skimmer each year for the winter. They would go to a pool store every couple weeks for testing and follow instructions given to them. They were using store brand chemicals instead of bacquacil label and have a mix of different pool store stuff as pool stores opened and closed. They stopped using CDX years and years ago and had multiple issues with pink slime; at least 3 bad outbreaks I can remember. The pool also gets white mold; it has it now. The water has not been good for years. It was always cloudy, had a chemical smell, had a slick filmy feeling, and left a bad taste in your mouth. Nobody has been sick, but it just isn't right.
This summer, with my maintenance, is the first time that water is crystal clear (except the mold threads) that I can remember. But I've had to add 1 gallon of peroxide shock every single week and that is EXPENSIVE at $18 a gallon! Dad passed away in October last year, and mom doesn't go out to the pool so I am thinking of converting even though she probably would have a fit if she knew I did it. I know if I ask her she will say absolutely no because "this is the original liner and chlorine will destroy it." We're trying to think of a way to ease into convincing her. But who knows, she may throw a fit and take over maintenance again or just take the pool down.
Current regime as directed to me by my mom:
Test weekly with strips.
Adjust pH and alkalinity - rarely have to do, did it once this summer. We are on well water with basically nothing in it, very soft, and acidic.
Weekly add Poolmate Algecide 50
Weekly add BioGuard Pool Complete
Daily run 8-12 hours (this has been tough, she thinks it only needs to run a few hours)
Weekly or more often, backwash until clear running
It has a sand filter
They use a sock in skimmer
I don't see a problem with doing the conversion or maintenance once it is converted; I am a civil engineer and understand dilutions and solutions and have a little water chemistry background. The hardest part would be keeping it from her if we have to.
My concerns:
This summer, with my maintenance, is the first time that water is crystal clear (except the mold threads) that I can remember. But I've had to add 1 gallon of peroxide shock every single week and that is EXPENSIVE at $18 a gallon! Dad passed away in October last year, and mom doesn't go out to the pool so I am thinking of converting even though she probably would have a fit if she knew I did it. I know if I ask her she will say absolutely no because "this is the original liner and chlorine will destroy it." We're trying to think of a way to ease into convincing her. But who knows, she may throw a fit and take over maintenance again or just take the pool down.
Current regime as directed to me by my mom:
Test weekly with strips.
Adjust pH and alkalinity - rarely have to do, did it once this summer. We are on well water with basically nothing in it, very soft, and acidic.
Weekly add Poolmate Algecide 50
Weekly add BioGuard Pool Complete
Daily run 8-12 hours (this has been tough, she thinks it only needs to run a few hours)
Weekly or more often, backwash until clear running
It has a sand filter
They use a sock in skimmer
I don't see a problem with doing the conversion or maintenance once it is converted; I am a civil engineer and understand dilutions and solutions and have a little water chemistry background. The hardest part would be keeping it from her if we have to.
My concerns:
- If she finds out how much of a throttling will I get? That's a me problem.
- Any chance there is truth to the liner being so old a conversion to chlorine could damage or wreck it?
- Another question on something that I don't understand. They have not had to add the biguanide for years. My testing all summer has it higher than 30 ppm (the strips have colors for 30 and 50, it's darker than 30 but not quite 50). The pool store testing had the same, never told them they needed it. I found a bottle of biguanide in the leftover chemicals and it looks pretty old and she can't tell me when they last had to add it. But if a third of the pool is drained every year, even if 100% of the biguanide lasts forever, how can the levels be the same year after year without adding any since we are losing it when we drain for the season and every time we backwash???
