Converting from baquacil to ??

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Queen Katie 2017

Member
Jun 8, 2023
14
Massachusetts
Pool Size
13000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I’m brand new here and in need of help, but ready to learn and to put in effort. I’ve read up a bit on pool basics and TFP’s recommended conversion steps but still have questions.
Here’s the situation:
- 24’ (13000 gal) above ground, Hayward sand filter.
- I’ve used baquacil CDX system for 8 years.
- Pink slime, white mold, high costs last year got me looking for alternatives and I heard about salt water from my enthusiastic pool store. Yes I think I’ve been pool stored pretty bad for several years. I jumped at it without much understanding. My fault.
Here’s where I am in their process:
- opened pool early May, brought water sample to pool store. Since then using AquaChek test strips. I know…
- Adjusted pH to 6.8, added 6 lbs Shock & Swim and filtered 24 hours, then adjusted pH to 7.2.
- Added 1 gallon Target Super Shock each evening, filtered for 8 hours, then tested the end of the following day looking for free chlorine of at least 1.0 ppm and total chlorine reading the same as free chlorine. *I’m now on day 28. 28 gallons of Super Shock and test strip indicates TC 0.5, FC 0. Pool water is now crystal clear.
- I’ve already purchased Pentair Intellichlor 15 and bags of pool salt, but pool store says keep going with Super Shock.
Questions:
- What am I even converting to? Salt water? Or chlorine? (Told you I’m uninformed. 🫤)
- When I buy a good test kit, should it be for salt?
- Where should I be in TFP’s conversion steps and when should I get the pentair installed?
- Is this as much of a hot mess as I think it is?

I am so happy to have found this website and very grateful for any advice! Thank you!
 
Hey Katie and Welcome !!!

Our conversion process is similar, but we test and add every other hour or so, to speed the process along. 28 tests would be day 3. Lol. Basically you have to kill the baqua with chlorine, making it a chlorone pool, which you can convert to salt afterwards. Anyway here's the guide :

www.troublefreepool.com

Convert Your Baqua Pool to Chlorine

This Step-by-step guide will help you transform your pool from Biguanide (Baquacil, SoftSwim hereafter referred to as Baqua) to chlorine. Read more
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com


Salt pools are the bees knees. Fit for a queen even.


Queen Katie 2017 said:
When I buy a good test kit, should it be for salt?
Click to expand...
Get the TF-pro-salt from tftestkits.net. Or a Taylor K2006C (the C is important because the regular one is smaller), plus a smart stir, plus a K1766 salt kit.

The TFpro-salt is considerably cheaper when you add the stirrer and salt kit to the K2006C.
Queen Katie 2017 said:
Where should I be in TFP’s conversion steps and when should I get the pentair installed?
Click to expand...
Anytime after the baqua is gone. I suggest using liquid chlorine for a bit. 2 to 3 weeks would probably be plenty. Any of us with SWGs are one power or cell failure from being jug luggers and its a needed skill.
 
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Welcome, Katie!

You're at the right place. Just wanted to add one thing to explain what a salt pool is. As already mentioned, you will be adding lots of chlorine during the conversion process to turn your pool into a chlorine pool.

The optional step to salt afterwards is just a convenient way to produce chlorine. A salt pool is a chlorine pool. But having salt in the water allows operation of a small electrolysis cell that turns salt (more precisely the chloride part of sodium chloride salt) into chlorine. That's why this cell is called a Salt Water Chlorine Generator, or just SWG.

Eventually, the chlorine turns back into chloride by UV-light and chlorine doing its job as a sanitiser, and the SWG can turn it back into chlorine. The salt doesn't get lost, a small fraction of it turns constantly into chlorine into salt into chlorine into salt, and so on. It's basically a constant recycling process.

In short, a salt pool is a chlorine pool, but you don't have to lugg gallons and gallons of liquid chlorine home, and don't have to worry about adding it every day or what to do when you're on vacation. Why you shouldn't use chlorine tablets on a regular basis is a topic for another time.

An SWG is in my opinion the best way of maintaining a pool. I'd go as far as saying it's the only sustainable way. The Dude nailed it - it's the bees knees.

But one step at a time ...
 
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Be aware that as you go through this conversion process it is going to take a long time. It is summer which is not great for converting and, on top of that, you’ve described using CDX as part of the Baqua routine. CDX is a killer to the conversion process. Had you asked us sooner, I would have advised draining as much of the pool as is safe for an AGP and then have you start fresh. Water under the bridge I suppose …

Expect very high chlorine demand from your pool even with an SWG until all the CDX is destroyed. It could take all season depending on how bad it is.
 
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Newdude said:
Hey Katie and Welcome !!!

Our conversion process is similar, but we test and add every other hour or so, to speed the process along. 28 tests would be day 3. Lol. Basically you have to kill the baqua with chlorine, making it a chlorone pool, which you can convert to salt afterwards. Anyway here's the guide :

www.troublefreepool.com

Convert Your Baqua Pool to Chlorine

This Step-by-step guide will help you transform your pool from Biguanide (Baquacil, SoftSwim hereafter referred to as Baqua) to chlorine. Read more
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com


Salt pools are the bees knees. Fit for a queen even.



Get the TF-pro-salt from tftestkits.net. Or a Taylor K2006C (the C is important because the regular one is smaller), plus a smart stir, plus a K1766 salt kit.

The TFpro-salt is considerably cheaper when you add the stirrer and salt kit to the K2006C.

Anytime after the baqua is gone. I suggest using liquid chlorine for a bit. 2 to 3 werks would probabyl be plenty. Any of us with SWGs are one power or cell failure from being jug luggers and its a needed skill.
Click to expand...
Okay, I’ll step up the liquid chlorine and testing. I’ve been paying about $7/gallon for pool store stuff. Any cheaper suggestions? And I’ll order that test kit. Thank you.
 
mgtfp said:
Welcome, Katie!

You're at the right place. Just wanted to add one thing to explain what a salt pool is. As already mentioned, you will be adding lots of chlorine during the conversion process to turn your pool into a chlorine pool.

The optional step to salt afterwards is just a convenient way to produce chlorine. A salt pool is a chlorine pool. But having salt in the water allows operation of a small electrolysis cell that turns salt (more precisely the chloride part of sodium chloride salt) into chlorine. That's why this cell is called a Salt Water Chlorine Generator, or just SWG.

Eventually, the chlorine turns back into chloride by UV-light and chlorine doing its job as a sanitiser, and the SWG can turn it back into chlorine. The salt doesn't get lost, a small fraction of it turns constantly into chlorine into salt into chlorine into salt, and so on. It's basically a constant recycling process.

In short, a salt pool is a chlorine pool, but you don't have to lugg gallons and gallons of liquid chlorine home, and don't have to worry about adding it every day or what to do when you're on vacation. Why you shouldn't use chlorine tablets on a regular basis is a topic for another time.

An SWG is in my opinion the best way of maintaining a pool. I'd go as far as saying it's the only sustainable way. The Dude nailed it - it's the bees knees.

But one step at a time ...
Click to expand...
Ah, I get it. Thanks for the explanation. That’s very helpful.
 
JoyfulNoise said:
Be aware that as you go through this conversion process it is going to take a long time. It is summer which is not great for converting and, on top of that, you’ve described using CDX as part of the Baqua routine. CDX is a killer to the conversion process. Had you asked us sooner, I would have advised draining as much of the pool as is safe for an AGP and then have you start fresh. Water under the bridge I suppose …

Expect very high chlorine demand from your pool even with an SWG until all the CDX is destroyed. It could take all season depending on how bad it is.
Click to expand...
Oof. When you say to expect high chlorine demand even with SWG, you mean I’ll be continuing to add jugs of liquid chlorine all summer? Okay, I’ll prepare myself. Also, my pool store told me I would not have to change out the filter sand. Wrong, huh?
 

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Hate to pile on -- but you purchased a very undersized SWCG. The iChlor 15 should be used for pools under 7500 gallons. Also, sadly, the iChlor SWCG is not know to be very robust. Many issues early in life have been reported.
So when this SWCG is ready to be replaced, consider an IntelliChlor IC40. You will be much happier.
 
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mknauss said:
Hate to pile on -- but you purchased a very undersized SWCG. The iChlor 15 should be used for pools under 7500 gallons. Also, sadly, the iChlor SWCG is not know to be very robust. Many issues early in life have been reported.
So when this SWCG is ready to be replaced, consider an IntelliChlor IC40. You will be much happier.
Click to expand...
Oh it’s possible that I can exchange it since it’s new in the box. Thanks, I’ll pursue that today.
 
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Queen Katie 2017 said:
Any cheaper suggestions?
Click to expand...
Walmart has been the cheapest for most in the northeast. $5.67 for 10% pool essentials chlorinating liquid. Check the date code for the freshest possible because it degrades. You want 3 months old or less, preferably much less. The code will be stamped 23xxx. That's 2023, day # xxx. Today is day 161 so it would say 23161 or 16123.
 
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Newdude said:
Walmart has been the cheapest for most in the northeast. $5.67 for 10% pool essentials chlorinating liquid. Check the date code for the freshest possible because it degrades. You want 3 months old or less, preferably less. The code will be stamped 23xxx. That's 2023, day # xxx. Today is day 161 so it would say 23161 or 16123.
Click to expand...
Great to know. Thanks.
 
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Queen Katie 2017 said:
Oof. When you say to expect high chlorine demand even with SWG, you mean I’ll be continuing to add jugs of liquid chlorine all summer? Okay, I’ll prepare myself. Also, my pool store told me I would not have to change out the filter sand. Wrong, huh?
Click to expand...

When I say “high chlorine demand” I mean that once you get the pool converted and totally balanced and all the numbers seem to be at their target values or within a good range, your pool will be eating chlorine like a drunk at a bar eating all the pretzels. Most pools will normally use up about 2-4ppm FC per day and in the overnight hours the pool should lose only less than 1ppm FC. A pool with high chlorine demand from a chemical contaminant like CDX, can easily zero out all its FC in one day no matter the amount of sunlight. You’ll feel like you’re pouring a bottle of liquid chlorine and, by the end of the day, it’s all gone. That is high chlorine demand.

So you’ll just have to convert the pool and see where you land up. Having the higher output SWG will help but you need to keep a careful eye on your levels so you can spot trouble right away. Get a good test kit and be ready to buy replacement reagents as soon as you start to get low. Unlike the Baquacil process, you’re going to be doing a lot of testing of your water so you can understand your pool’s needs. It will get better but the learning curve is going to be a steep climb.

Good luck.
 
JoyfulNoise said:
When I say “high chlorine demand” I mean that once you get the pool converted and totally balanced and all the numbers seem to be at their target values or within a good range, your pool will be eating chlorine like a drunk at a bar eating all the pretzels. Most pools will normally use up about 2-4ppm FC per day and in the overnight hours the pool should lose only less than 1ppm FC. A pool with high chlorine demand from a chemical contaminant like CDX, can easily zero out all its FC in one day no matter the amount of sunlight. You’ll feel like you’re pouring a bottle of liquid chlorine and, by the end of the day, it’s all gone. That is high chlorine demand.

So you’ll just have to convert the pool and see where you land up. Having the higher output SWG will help but you need to keep a careful eye on your levels so you can spot trouble right away. Get a good test kit and be ready to buy replacement reagents as soon as you start to get low. Unlike the Baquacil process, you’re going to be doing a lot of testing of your water so you can understand your pool’s needs. It will get better but the learning curve is going to be a steep climb.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
Duly noted. Thank you. Test kit has been ordered and I’m reading other conversion threads.
 
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I’ve read through a few threads of others fighting the CDX battle and it’s given me pause. As much as I absolutely hate the idea of wasting the money I’ve already spent on chemicals, I’m wondering if I should drain down to a safe level and restart the whole process.
I’ve continued to pour in a couple gallons of chlorine each evening after testing (nothing changes). I’ve ordered TF salt pro with smart stir and optional standard sampler, but until it arrives I only have AccuChek strips. We’re expecting heavy rain tomorrow night then “unsettled weather” the rest of the week if that has any bearing on anything.
Thoughts on this? Many thanks.
 
Draining would certainly speed things along. Temporary intex type pools are designed to be taken apart each winter and can be fully drained. Traditional above ground pools need 12 to 18 inches to hold the liner in place.

The worst part about the Baqua conversion is the loss to UV with no CYA. I would go hard every afternoon well into the night to ensure all the FC went to the Baqua.

Either way, the TFpro will finally give you the upper hand. You've been playing blind darts this whole time.
 
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