Converting from Baquacil to Chlorine soon...a few questions

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You do want to backwash the filter any time the pressure starts to go up. Extra backwashing beyond that won't help all that much.

The fastest way to get through this is to test FC and adjust back up to 15 as frequently as possible, up to once per hour.

You are making progress. Just yesterday all of the FC was going away between tests. Today you are seeing levels around 4 when you test. That is significant progress.
 
chdolfnz said:
I guess my conversion is going to be one of those long, drawn out ones!!! I need some POP!!
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Maybe not a long, drawn out one......you just started yesterday around 1 PM :mrgreen:

I think the fastest one was about two days. You're doing great. Tomorrow will surely show much improvement :-D

POP? Yep, and your favorite adult beverage, if you so choose. :wink:

Don't forget those pix!
 
Yes, I guess you are right..it really has only been 1day...but seems like a long time!!! I will definately take your advice on the adult beverages!!! May just sit on the deck with my drink Sat night and watch the chlorine do it's thing!!! :mrgreen: (Boy, do I have to get a life!!!)

I am going to chug away at it tomorrow...thanks for all the encouragement...patience is not a great trait of mine!!

Curt :wave:
 
Well, I'm back...and a bit discouraged...i am adding chlorine out the ---...but I can't seem to keep it at 15ppm for any length of time...After a bit it is down to between 2 and 3, but the CC is skyrocketing to 19 or so...I keep trying to add chlorine as much as I can, but it seems I can't keep up with it.....is this a normal progression in the switch? or am I missing something...the color of the water is the same (greenish, but not cloudy), but it smells like the Clorox factory!!!

I am not getting any Crud floating and the pressure is not going up much..I do backwash occasionally and get some "stuff" come out for about 30 seconds, then clear.

Maybe I am just impatient, but it seems that something should be changing.
I am back to work tomorrow...go in at 5am, so it is hard to work on it before that, and home at 2pm..that is when I can do it. Hopefully everything will be ok?..any suggestions?

Thanks
Curt
 
chdolfnz, what you describe is completely normal. The FC level will fall very rapidly for the first while as it breaks down the baquacil. Just keep at it.

You only need to add chlorine once a day to continue the conversion. The more often you add chlorine the faster it will go, but there is no harm in slowing down if you aren't in a huge hurry. If you can manage it, add some chlorine in the morning, and a couple of times in the evening. If not, once in the evening is enough to keep the process moving along.
 
Thanks for the encouragement!! Still adding the bleach daily when I can!!

I was thinking of possibly getting some 12% chlorine from a local supplier in 5gal containers...$20 for 5gal...is this chlorine any "purer or "fresher" than regular store bought bleach?

Just thought it may be easier than running to wallyworld every day and cleaning off the shelves!!! (gotta love the looks I get going thru the store with a cart full of bleach!! I can almost read the peoples minds just by the expressions on their faces!)

Other than that, I am still chugging along...looking forward to clear, clean water!! :-D

Curt
 
12% chlorine works just fine and is often a better deal, when you can find it. The one thing to keep in mind is that 12% chlorine needs to be stored in a cool dark place and the strength will decay if you leave it too long. It is best to use it within a month of purchase.
 
OK..thanks!

At this rate, I don't think I am going to have any trouble using up the chlorine in that time!!LOL :lol:

There is a pool store real close that has it in stock...they claim they get it delivered 2 times a week, so it probably is fresh. Am going today to get some and use that..a little easier on me and the environment!! :mrgreen:

Thanks again...I am working on pics!!!

Curt
 
OK..here is a good for you all to ponder....

I stopped at the pool store today to get the 5gal of 12% liq. chlorine for the conversion (this is the same place that installed my pool last spring, so I know them pretty well). They asked what I needed the chlorine for, and I told them that I was switching over from Baq. to chlorine and needed it to help the process. I explained the process that I learned here and they seemed to agree until I told them that I was to keep the FC level at 15ppm until the stuff was dead...they all jumped up and said "no, no, no...you can't keep your chlorine level that high for any extended time or you will fade your liner and take years off the life of it"...They were very adament about this and pleaded with me not to up the level that high...they said I will be sorry and that all the blue in the liner will fade to white???

Is this true???..am i fading out my liner...The last thing I want to do is ruin the liner which is only 1 year old!!!
They even said that if you use liquid chlorine as a regular sanitizer, that over a time that will fade liners as well. They said they know some people that use liquid chlorine and this is happening.
I just want to know the truth!!! I am hearing 2 sides of the story and my head is spinning!!
I know the pool store is out to make profit, but they know me well enough that I hope they would be honest with me???
What do all think!!! I do trust you all because of all the testimonies, but just want to be sure!!!
I have alot of $$invested in the pool!!
Thanks
Curt
 

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Chlorine is chlorine, it doesn't matter where it comes from. Using bleach is no different from using trichlor as far as the liner goes. It makes other differences of course, I am only talking about the liner here. Using any type of chlorine can damage the liner over time. It is actually much worse for the PH to be low, which is fairly common with trichlor and rare with bleach, but even if the PH is always fine, the chlorine in the water will eventually fade the liner (over 10 or 20 years).

There is a small effect on the liner from doing a baquacil conversion. They are right, you do not want your FC level to be 15 without any CYA for all that long. Once you have CYA in the water, much higher FC levels are fine. But for now you have zero CYA so a FC of 15 does pose a minor risk. I have never heard of a baquacil conversion having any visible effect on the liner, but based on other evidence it does seem like it will have a very small long term effect, causing the liner to fade a little bit sooner than it otherwise would.

If everything goes well, your FC level will only be 15 for perhaps two or three days. During the early stages of a conversion the chlorine gets used up so quickly, it never really is at levels as high as 15. Only in the final stages of a conversion, when you are waiting for the FC level to hold overnight, does the FC level stay anywhere near 15 for any appreciable amount of time. Right after that you add CYA, and the FC level doesn't matter so much.
 
Jason,

What you are saying is that this short period of high chlorine will not do any notable damage, beyond perhaps shortening the life of the liner by little bit?

And I would think the money saved by not using bacquacil for ten years will probably cover the cost of a new liner anyway.
 
I interpret it as there will be a very short timeframe, less than 24 hours in a normal conversion, where the FC level is actually HOLDING at 15. The process then calls for CYA addition, and by the time that dissolves the FC will have dropped to normal levels. The sunlight and the Baq will consume virtually ALL the FC posing little, if any, risk of fading. There have been numerous conversions documented here and I can't recall a single one that complained of fading.

The pool store people may think they are helping you, but honestly I think they are just repeating bad info that they heard. :wink:
 
OK...My mind is at ease now!!!...You are right about the 15ppm mark..I have not hit that hardly at all yet, and if I did it was only right after I add chlorine...it goes down real quickly!!

I thought the same thing when they made the comment about using liquid chlorine for daily maint....chlorine is chlorine....it's just in a different form..other than all the other stuff in tabs, it is all chlorine!

Anyway, it's good to hear some reassuring words..it all does make sense...they just scared me when they "attacked" me in the store...I'm sure they were only trying to help!!!

I'm off to add chlorine and "fade my liner"..HAHA! :mrgreen:
The pool seems to be clearer, but I still lose most of the free chlorine quickly...and my CC is coming down a bit...in the 9-10 range..down from 19-20 range!!

Thanks again for the help!!! :goodjob:

Curt
 
I found that adding CL during the day did appear to help some, but you want to be SURE to add enough to get you up to 15 when it's dusky/dark. That way the sunlight won't destroy all your CL you're adding, and it may have some time to really do its magic.
Won't be long now...
 
Wow...what a difference a day makes...Last night I added enough chlorine to get to 15ppm...did not get to check it this morn because I went to work real early :sleep: ....I came home at 2pm and nearly fell over when I saw the pool...real CLEAR water...no more green!!!
I tested it and got a FC of 1..the sun was out all day and it was 80..to be expected!! The cc was down to 4-5 range !!! I can see the light!!!
I went to the pool store because I had to pick up 1 more bag of sand for the change and took a water sample to be tested for Baquacil.... The result...NO MORE BAQUACIL in the water!!!

I think I am turning the corner...I added enough cl tonite at 8pm to get to 15...am going to check tomorrow morn to see how it is holding...will post results tomorrow!!

Question...When do I change the sand?..after it holds at 15ppm for 24hrs??
What are the next steps in the progression??

It's been 1 week tomorrow since I started the conversion...it seemed like it took forever...but I guess it was not too bad!!! The clear water was awsome to see!!! I know I'm not out of the woods yet, but it may be near!!
Thanks again
Curt
 
chdolfnz said:
Wow...what a difference a day makes...Last night I added enough chlorine to get to 15ppm...did not get to check it this morn because I went to work real early :sleep: ....I came home at 2pm and nearly fell over when I saw the pool...real CLEAR water...no more green!!!
I tested it and got a FC of 1..the sun was out all day and it was 80..to be expected!! The cc was down to 4-5 range !!! I can see the light!!!
I went to the pool store because I had to pick up 1 more bag of sand for the change and took a water sample to be tested for Baquacil.... The result...NO MORE BAQUACIL in the water!!!

I think I am turning the corner...I added enough cl tonite at 8pm to get to 15...am going to check tomorrow morn to see how it is holding...will post results tomorrow!!

Question...When do I change the sand?..after it holds at 15ppm for 24hrs??
What are the next steps in the progression??

It's been 1 week tomorrow since I started the conversion...it seemed like it took forever...but I guess it was not too bad!!! The clear water was awsome to see!!! I know I'm not out of the woods yet, but it may be near!!
Thanks again
Curt
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Yeah!

If the FC holds in the morning, you can change the sand tomorrow. If not, repeat the process but I'd say if not tomorrow then Friday you should be golden... then when that's done add the CYA. Do you know how to add the CYA?

Congrats! :goodjob:
 
I think I know how to add cya...read about it on some posts..is the sock by the return method the best? and what kind of sock?...a reg. sock or nylon?...I heard the you should not put it directly in the skimmer..is that right?

And after it is in, do not backwash for a week?? is this right?

Sorry for all the questions!!

Thanks for the fast response!!

Curt
 
chdolfnz said:
I think I know how to add cya...read about it on some posts..is the sock by the return method the best? and what kind of sock?...a reg. sock or nylon?...I heard the you should not put it directly in the skimmer..is that right?
You can use a knee-hi nylon sock/stocking. You can put the sock full of cya in your skimmer basket if you are careful not to block the water flow. Now, some folks hang the sock in front of a return - away from your liner.
And after it is in, do not backwash for a week?? is this right?You are right. :wink:

You're in the homestretch now! :goodjob:

Sorry for all the questions!!

Thanks for the fast response!!

Curt
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good job! It took me several weeks to convert, but I had pink mold and all kinds of junk in my water...just be sure your pool is DONE with Baquacil (I would be absolutely sure it holds 15 overnight) then you can change your sand...it's awesome, I changed my sand after my conversion last year and I bet I haven't had to backwash 5 times since then. It's remarkably cleaner, easier water to work with. THANKS again to TFP! 8)
 

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