I have an 18" round ag pool that has previously used baquacil. We checked the baquacil level with the strips and there wasnt ant baquacil in there or at least not enough to register on the strips. we want to convert to clorine but the cheap way because with a down economy, and owning a business we are struggling. I have bought a few chlorine tablets, a box of shock plus, and a walmart chlorine and ph tester. I put a bag of shock in it last night and it instantly went green! I poured 5 bottles of bleach in it so far each at different times and put a chlorine tablet in the automatic feeder. The pool is kind of brown now. Im totally scared and terrified I screwed up wantting to change from baquacil. Also i read that u need a tester kit for this thats like $70. I about had a heart attack, are there any other ones u can use that are cheaper. What do I do now?
have no idea what i am doing please help me
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a few things- you still had baquacill in the pool, so need to go throught the conversion process- theres an article in pool school on conversion
pool-school/baqua_chlorine_conversion
the test kit can be found slightly lower- I think Jason has a link to one at maybe $55
next, be careful with the shock plus- it may have copper, which can add complications later, and also has CYA in it, which you want some but not to much...
Work thru the Baquacil conversion, then we can help you balance the rest!
pool-school/baqua_chlorine_conversion
the test kit can be found slightly lower- I think Jason has a link to one at maybe $55
next, be careful with the shock plus- it may have copper, which can add complications later, and also has CYA in it, which you want some but not to much...
Work thru the Baquacil conversion, then we can help you balance the rest!
For a baquacil conversation you really need to good test kit. Without a really good test kit you will end up having to use twice as much chlorine and it will const more in the long run. You also want to avoid using anything with CYA in it. Adding CYA early will slow the whole conversion down significantly.
Have you read the instructions on doing a baqua conversion in Pool School?
Have you read the instructions on doing a baqua conversion in Pool School?
yes I have but I need drawn out step by step instructions because I dont truely understand these levels and their meanings
The first step is to get a PH test result for your pool. You want PH to be between 7.2 and 7.4 when you start.
I do have the ph at 7.2 according to the clhlorine test that I have, but my husband called me and said he had added 11 bottles (96oz) so far! I told him to please stop until I got some feed back from u guys.
Good. The next step is to add enough bleach or liquid chlorine to raise the FC level up to about 15, wait an hour, and repeat. This is the step where having an FAS-DPD chlorine test, which comes with the fancy test kit, really helps. RIght at first, the chlorine will all go away in an hour. But as you continue along the chlorine won't all go away and if you just add more without testing the FC level can get too high. If the FC level gets enough too high there can be fading or damage to the liner.
As others have said a good test kit is key, and I know it seems expensive, but it will save you lots of money in the long run. Think of it like being near sighted and trying to drive a car without wearing your glasses, you may eventually get there, but it will almost certainly be quicker, safer and cheaper if you have them.
Ike
Ike
ok I got the water tested today.
FC 1.7ppm
TC 5.0 ppm
CC 3.3 ppm
ph7.4
hardness 180 ppm
Alkalinity 120 ppm
copper 0.0 ppm
Iron 0.0 ppm
total didolved solids 200 ppm
The water is a nasty brown color its scary, I feel like I am going to throw up everytime I look at it! I am scared to death I am screwing up. The lady at the pool store sold me 5 pds of super shock it and told me to put it in there and wait it out. So far it also had 14 gallons of bleach previously. It smells so much like bleach it will almost burn ur nose! lol I keep trying to upload a picture but it keeps saying the picture is invalid
FC 1.7ppm
TC 5.0 ppm
CC 3.3 ppm
ph7.4
hardness 180 ppm
Alkalinity 120 ppm
copper 0.0 ppm
Iron 0.0 ppm
total didolved solids 200 ppm
The water is a nasty brown color its scary, I feel like I am going to throw up everytime I look at it! I am scared to death I am screwing up. The lady at the pool store sold me 5 pds of super shock it and told me to put it in there and wait it out. So far it also had 14 gallons of bleach previously. It smells so much like bleach it will almost burn ur nose! lol I keep trying to upload a picture but it keeps saying the picture is invalid
Without knowing your CYA/stabilizer level there is little we can advise, also it helps to know what is in the super shock, most likely it is dichlor or trichlor based which also raises CYA level, and again without knowing if yours are already too high or not we can't say if it would help or hurt.
Ike
ps
This super shock may or may not be wasted money, here is an analogy of the pool store shock method:
You have a fire and the pool store sells you a bucket of water to put it out. You tell them it is a big fire, so they sell you 3 buckets of water
You go and dump the 3 buckets of water on the fire, and it is not enough, so you go back to the pool store with another water sample
This time they sell you 6 buckets of water, by the time you get home the fire has spread more, and the 6 buckets still don't put it out so back to the store again, this time they sell you 16 buckets of water, plus some expensive fire fighting foam......
Now the alternative is to get your own test kit, so you know how much "water" you need to put out the fire in the first place, then only use that amount.
Ike
ps
This super shock may or may not be wasted money, here is an analogy of the pool store shock method:
You have a fire and the pool store sells you a bucket of water to put it out. You tell them it is a big fire, so they sell you 3 buckets of water
You go and dump the 3 buckets of water on the fire, and it is not enough, so you go back to the pool store with another water sample
This time they sell you 6 buckets of water, by the time you get home the fire has spread more, and the 6 buckets still don't put it out so back to the store again, this time they sell you 16 buckets of water, plus some expensive fire fighting foam......
Now the alternative is to get your own test kit, so you know how much "water" you need to put out the fire in the first place, then only use that amount.
Enjoy the cool colors while you have them. In a couple of weeks it is just going to be the same old same old boring clear sparkly water every day, day in and day out 
A baqua conversion does take a little while. Be patient, expect it to take a little while. You are doing fine, and everything is going just as I would expect.
A baqua conversion does take a little while. Be patient, expect it to take a little while. You are doing fine, and everything is going just as I would expect.
I bought the test kit, ended up using 22 gallons on bleach during my conversion. Started in the afternoon last Friday by Monday my numbers looked good my FC and TC would be identical every time. Stop going to the pool store, go to the grocery store or walmart and buy 182 ounce bottles of bleach and buy a good test kit.
I forget which Baqucil chemical it was but one of them was more money than the test kit so it was an easy decision for me. I've been working all week so I just got around to adding CYA and baking soda. All my numbers are perfect so far.
I forget which Baqucil chemical it was but one of them was more money than the test kit so it was an easy decision for me. I've been working all week so I just got around to adding CYA and baking soda. All my numbers are perfect so far.
Well it has taken 2 weeks but we have had a tremedous amount of rain and clouds, but my pool is crystal CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!! I took the water to the pool store just to have it tested just to be absolutely sure it was ok. The lady said well I don't know hwat u did or how u did it but the water is PERFECT! I just smiled and said BBB baby! Thanks so much for all of you guys help!!!!!!!! You rock!
