New to TFP and converting from Baquacil

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Zinnia

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Bronze Supporter
May 2, 2017
34
Petersburg IL
Newbie to this site and want to say thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge. Okay, I thought that by having the pool store test my water every 7 to 10 days and following all their recommendations everything would be great and it was until last year. Have been using baquacil and last year had it all -- pink slime, green water, green algae appeared overnight covering half the pool and then black spots the size of quarters and nickels all over the bottom of the pool. Pool store said it was black algae which I now question after reading your site since I have vinyl. Could one of the three algacides they had me use cause this? We tried several times to scrub the spots but they did not budge. Winter cover still on with 40 degree nights. Have new test kit, new media for filter, stockpile of bleach and have read your instructions for conversion at least 25 times preparing for the challenge ahead. I am curious since most members deal with raising the PH. My PH levels consistently showed 8+ and I have been using a product called PH Down. Am I correct that I will need muriatic acid to correct high PH?

Thanks again for all your knowledge and patience as I know I will be asking a lot of questions in the near future. I am looking forward to not driving 25 miles for water testing and $$$ worth of chemicals especially since they caused nothing by headaches all last swim season.
 
Welcome to TFP :wave:

Please re-read the Baquacil-to-chlorine conversion instructions another 25 times :D We have found over the years that many just don't get it and they cut corners or leave out steps - it is vitally important that the process be follow to the letter!

Two questions -

1. What are your current Baquacil sanitizer (PHMB) levels?

2. Did you ever use the Baquacil CDX product in your pool?

For pH adjustments, you'll need muriatic acid...dry acid is no bueno (adds sulfates to the water and our goal here is to stop adding stuff that is unnecessary). Please post a set of current water test results, right now all we care about are -

pH
TA
CH (this one is just for fun so you can practice the test)

Also, please measure your fill water pH, TA and CH.

And here's the final instruction - DO NOT ADD ANY CHEMICAL WITH CYANURIC ACID (CYA) IN IT! That includes dichlor shock powder, trichlor pucks, any of the Clorox pool care products, conditioner/stabilizer, etc, etc. The only chemicals you will be adding are laundry bleach (or higher strength liquid chlorine) and muriatic acid, that's it!
 
Thanks for the warm welcome. While waiting for temps to improve I will study the conversion instructions at least another 25 times along with how to use the test kit for PH, TA & CH.
Will be in touch when pool is open and tests complete.
 
Zinnia said:
Thanks for the warm welcome. While waiting for temps to improve I will study the conversion instructions at least another 25 times along with how to use the test kit for PH, TA & CH.
Will be in touch when pool is open and tests complete.
Click to expand...

Practice the test kit on your tap water....since it's a well, you don't need to do the chlorine or CYA tests, just pH, TA and CH.

And please, for your own sanity, stay out of the pool store! They will try to "help" you with the conversion and they simply do not know what they are talking about. We've had more screwed up Baq conversions because folks went to the pool store first and followed their typical advice of dumping pounds of dichlor shock into the pool. Once stabilizer (CYA) gets in the water, the conversion is nearly impossible to do and you basically have to dump the pool water.

Just repeat this mantra -

The pool $tore is my enemy, the pool $tore is my enemy, ......
 
Ok. Good.

I just want to make this point up front so that you are prepared - the conversion process can and will use A LOT of bleach. You will be buying it several gallons at a time and probably go through 30 or more gallons of bleach when all is said and done. If you have a Costco or Walmart that sells it in 3-packs, that is your best bet. The conversion process, at least initially, takes a lot of focused attention and baby-sitting the pool and filter. It is best if you can find a time in your schedule where you can spend a couple of days on this (like a long weekend with Fri and Mon off) without interruption. I can't emphasize this enough as people are often unprepared for the extent of work this conversion takes. Planning ahead and getting all of your resources lined up, as well as getting the time off in your schedule, will go a long way in making the process easier.

Sorry if it sounds scary or like a pain, I'm just trying to give you a realistic outlook.


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Winter cover off. Have very defined black ring in bottom and center of pool. Good news is does seem to rub off when I ran vac head over it. Waiting on water delivery. Armed with 31 gallons of bleach, 2 gal muriatic acid, 24# baking soda and the day off to test every hour. Tested "winter" water in pool: PH +8, TA 125, CA 250. Will take a sample of delivered water when it arrives and post those results also. Wish me luck I think I'll need it.
 
Okay, while adding water to the pool discovered entire bottom of pool covered in brown fuzzy yuck. Vacuumed out first load of water to waste. Tested hauled in water: PH 7.4, TA 250 & CA 125. Filled pool and tested water again: PH 7.5, TA 175, CA 175. So according to pool math I should add 12 oz muriatic acid to reach a target of 7.3 on PH.
 
Holy COW! That trucked water has a ton of alkalinity in it....it's not a problem for the conversion but your pH is going to rise quickly given that amount of alkalinity.

I wouldn't focus too much on the muck in the pool. The conversion process has you adding chlorine up to 15ppm FC with zero CYA - that is super harsh and will kill EVERYTHING in the pool.
 
If the pumps are running and circulating, then give it a good brush to mix and measure in about 15-20 mins later
 
On day three of conversion. Water has never looked so good. First two days tested every hour and added according to pool math to keep FC at 15. (28 jugs of bleach). Backwashed a couple of times, brushed and vacuumed. Tested early AM and 1 PM today, will now wait until sun is off pool to test. Worried I might run out of testing reagent I have tested so often. Waiting for 1 ppm loss overnight to change media. I think I'll make it!!!!!!!
 
Which kit did you order?

If you need refills, TFTestKits.net has all the refills and can usually get stuff shipped out fast. They are happy to help out.

Sounds like it's going well for you. Definitely get your overnight loss check in tonight to see where you're at. Maintain your FC as best you can. If you need to, use a 5mL water sample and then each drop of titrant is 1ppm FC. The test is not as accurate when using such a low sample volume size but it can help conserve reagents while you're waiting for refills.
 
Had to return to work today so will not be able to test every hour. Today if fourth day of conversion FC this AM was 11. Will this lengthen the time the conversion will take? Will be able to test early AM, noon, 4 pm till dark.
 
Try to figure out what your FC consumption looks like and then dose a few extra ppm to help. Sunlight loss is going to be the biggest killer so there's really not much you can do about it. Just try to work around your schedule and keep your FC as elevated as possible.
 

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