After reading both poolfourm and TFP, we decided to take the plunge and switch our 15,000 gallon cement inground pool from Baquacrap to BBB. We are into our fourth year dealing with Baquacrap. The first two years were OK - just a bit on the expensive side. Towards the end of last summer, we started having real problems with algae. This year has been a total pain - fighting algae and slime. After talking with a local company, all they could suggest was CDX (just great - yet another product to waste $$$ on).
So last Wednesday afternoon after leaving the pool place I stopped at Walmart and picked up 15 bottles of bleach. Cracked open the first bottle and started pouring. The water started turning to MountainDew - a bright green. I poured a couple of bottles at a time - waited 30-45 minutes and retested the CL level.
Luckily we had two cartridge filters, because we needed both of them. As the CL level started to rise, the color went from MountainDew to a sick looking pea soup with a nice layer of nacho cheese floating on top. It was so thick that the bottom was gone - we could not even see the first step. It was about this point that I started thinking I really screwed up. As the pea soup got worse - the fun really began. When we stopped the pump to look at the cartridge, we got our first look at BaquaGoop. The filter was a total mess. So for the next couple of hours our routine became switching the filter every 30 minutes. It literally took 30 minutes to get the filter clean, then it would be time to switch them and start all over again.
I finally got the CL close to 10ppm at around midnight, just the time I ran out of bleach. Another trip to Walmart at 12:30am and another 15 bottles of bleach. Talk about some strange looks! I didn't even bother explaining it was all for the pool. Got back home and finally got the CL to 15ppm. Ah, finally some sleep.
We had to work on Thursday, so I poured in enough bleach to go slightly over 15ppm and hoped for the best. When we got home that afternoon, the CL level had dropped to almost nothing and we had a beautiful thick layer of BaquaFuzz on the bottom. We started vacuuming to waste and got all of the gunk out of the pool. After that, it was time to clean the filter, add some more water and get the CL level back up to 15ppm. This time, the level came up much faster and with a lot less bleach.
We took off Friday so we could be around the pool and keep adding bleach when needed. It was more of the same, cleaning the filter and testing CL levels. That night, I had the CL right at 15ppm, and the water was really starting to clear up.
We awoke Saturday to the clearest pool water I have EVER seen. The CL level had stayed constant throughout the night, so it looked like the BaquaCrap had lost the fight and thrown in the towel. We kept the CL at 15ppm all day Saturday and vacuumed and cleaned the filter several times. By Saturday night, we popped in a new cartridge filter and started to bring the CL level down to a normal range.
Sunday was time to swim and forget all of the BaquaCrap headaches! Thanks to everyone who has posted such detailed information on making this switch. I would have never of tried (or believed) that simple bleach would work so well. Final tally - just over 40 bottles of Walmart's finest bleach. Also, it does take time and a lot of patience to make this switch - but after seeing the results - it has been more than worth the effort.
If you are thinking about making this switch then good luck and enjoy the results. :-D
So last Wednesday afternoon after leaving the pool place I stopped at Walmart and picked up 15 bottles of bleach. Cracked open the first bottle and started pouring. The water started turning to MountainDew - a bright green. I poured a couple of bottles at a time - waited 30-45 minutes and retested the CL level.
Luckily we had two cartridge filters, because we needed both of them. As the CL level started to rise, the color went from MountainDew to a sick looking pea soup with a nice layer of nacho cheese floating on top. It was so thick that the bottom was gone - we could not even see the first step. It was about this point that I started thinking I really screwed up. As the pea soup got worse - the fun really began. When we stopped the pump to look at the cartridge, we got our first look at BaquaGoop. The filter was a total mess. So for the next couple of hours our routine became switching the filter every 30 minutes. It literally took 30 minutes to get the filter clean, then it would be time to switch them and start all over again.
I finally got the CL close to 10ppm at around midnight, just the time I ran out of bleach. Another trip to Walmart at 12:30am and another 15 bottles of bleach. Talk about some strange looks! I didn't even bother explaining it was all for the pool. Got back home and finally got the CL to 15ppm. Ah, finally some sleep.
We had to work on Thursday, so I poured in enough bleach to go slightly over 15ppm and hoped for the best. When we got home that afternoon, the CL level had dropped to almost nothing and we had a beautiful thick layer of BaquaFuzz on the bottom. We started vacuuming to waste and got all of the gunk out of the pool. After that, it was time to clean the filter, add some more water and get the CL level back up to 15ppm. This time, the level came up much faster and with a lot less bleach.
We took off Friday so we could be around the pool and keep adding bleach when needed. It was more of the same, cleaning the filter and testing CL levels. That night, I had the CL right at 15ppm, and the water was really starting to clear up.
We awoke Saturday to the clearest pool water I have EVER seen. The CL level had stayed constant throughout the night, so it looked like the BaquaCrap had lost the fight and thrown in the towel. We kept the CL at 15ppm all day Saturday and vacuumed and cleaned the filter several times. By Saturday night, we popped in a new cartridge filter and started to bring the CL level down to a normal range.
Sunday was time to swim and forget all of the BaquaCrap headaches! Thanks to everyone who has posted such detailed information on making this switch. I would have never of tried (or believed) that simple bleach would work so well. Final tally - just over 40 bottles of Walmart's finest bleach. Also, it does take time and a lot of patience to make this switch - but after seeing the results - it has been more than worth the effort.
If you are thinking about making this switch then good luck and enjoy the results. :-D
I am sick of Baquacrap too. I can't fight the algae anymore. :x How many gallons did you initially put in of bleach? Did you have your test kit when you started this? If not, how did you know that you were keeping it at 15ppm? I put in 5 gallons and was afraid that I put in too much at one time. I have only a kit that goes to 5 ppm. Will order one that goes to 15 ppm. I have a 21' AG pool with a sand filter. I hope mine goes as well as yours did.
Cloudy, smelly pool. I didn't even want to get in it. Tons of $$$ on Baq products to fight that and algae etc etc... I had enough.