I know that much has been written on this subject and I've read the instructions on this site as well. I have an 18x4 pool currently using Bacqua. Water is blueish green and cloudy. Been fighting the pink slime for two years. I decided this year " no more". I have a 1hp pump and an old Hayward filter model # 142-K. The filter is so old that all information that may have been on it is no more. I was lucky to find the model number. If you have any info on this model I would appreciate it. Not sure about flow rate, etc. I live in coastal southeast North Carolina so it gets pretty hot in the summer with lots of sun. I have a swg on order and want to change over while I wait for it. I read on another forum that instead of adding the chlorine that you could add two pounds/ 10,000 gal. of dichlor and that the bacqua goo would form on the surface and sink to the bottom overnight to be vacuumed to waste. Repeat if Bacqua still present. This seems a lot easier than dumping all that bleach in the pool and faster. Any idea if this would work? What would the dangers be in doing this instead? I figure after the Bacqua is gone it will be easier to stabilize and get the numbers in order. I have no test kit, only Bacqua test strips. The reading are, Low Bacqua oxidizer, 50 Bacqua sanitizer and algistat, ph 6.8, and total alkalinity around 90-100 ppm. Hope this is enough info. If you need something else I'll try to get it . Thank you.
Bacqua to Salt
- Thread starter bobcook
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
No that doesn't work. Or rather, the chlorine from dichlor is exactly as effective as the chlorine from bleach, while the CYA in dichlor will slow down the conversion process dramatically. In the end you would need to add more chlorine that way and it would take a lot longer, and you would probably end up with a rather high CYA level.
Conversion or no conversion, you should not allow the PH to be that low. You want the PH at 7.2 as a minimum. PH below 7.0 can damage the pool.
There is no magic procedure, a conversion takes a while and requires significant chemical additions.
No that doesn't work. Or rather, the chlorine from dichlor is exactly as effective as the chlorine from bleach, while the CYA in dichlor will slow down the conversion process dramatically. In the end you would need to add more chlorine that way and it would take a lot longer, and you would probably end up with a rather high CYA level.
Conversion or no conversion, you should not allow the PH to be that low. You want the PH at 7.2 as a minimum. PH below 7.0 can damage the pool.
There is no magic procedure, a conversion takes a while and requires significant chemical additions.
Thanks for your response. I now remember why we switched to Bacqua. The cya reading was off the charts from using those package shock products. At least that was the sales pitch, but no one mentioned the pink slime and the difficulty trying to control it. Added PH plus this morning and will take a reading this afternoon. Any idea of an initial dose of bleach?
bobcook said:
If you haven't seen them yet, take a look at these threads:
baqua-chlorine-conversion-in-april-will-post-pics-t41840.html
baqua-bbb-conversion-t42255.html
These are the two most recent baqua conversions, and both of these guys did a fantastic job of both following the process and documenting it at the same time. It'll give you a great perspective on the requirements (bleach, sanity, and patience) of the process.
What about waste? Its going to not only have the Bacqua-goo but high concentrations of chlorine. How toxic is this going to be? Up til now I've been running waste from the pool onto the ground in the backyard. I don't have a drain or outlet to the street. Any ideas?
Since I didn't get a response to my last post I did a little thinking and calculating. With the amount of bleach that's going to be required to do this change over is so great I decided to call the water company to see what it would cost to fill my pool. Yesterday, I bought a case of bleach (3 x 180 oz.) for $17.52. Now having seen how much bleach and trouble was entailed and the fact that I can refill my pool for about $40, it only seems the smart thing to do is dump what I have and start over thus allowing me to start right away with the SWG. Any comments, things I should know before I drain it. Any special maintenance I should do while I have it empty?
That is a very good price for water. Keep in mind that while replacing all of the water will dramatically speed up the process, you still need to go through all of the steps of the conversion process. There will still be trace amounts of baqua in the plumbing and filter that will need to be neutralized.
What kind of pool do you have? A in-ground vinyl liner of fiberglass pool should never be completely drained. Draining an above ground is fine. Concrete pools can often be drained but you need to make absolutely sure the local water table is below the bottom of the pool or you can have very dramatic and expensive damage.
Nothing involved in this process is particularly toxic. You shouldn't be drinking the pool water during the conversion, but other than that there won't be a problem.
What kind of pool do you have? A in-ground vinyl liner of fiberglass pool should never be completely drained. Draining an above ground is fine. Concrete pools can often be drained but you need to make absolutely sure the local water table is below the bottom of the pool or you can have very dramatic and expensive damage.
Nothing involved in this process is particularly toxic. You shouldn't be drinking the pool water during the conversion, but other than that there won't be a problem.
Thanks. I try to keep from drinking out of the pool. Have freshly cleaned pump and filter ready to install, new piping and connections. I have an 18 ft above ground pool with a 1 hp hayward pump and hayward 142k filter. Pool holds about 7500-7600 gals. As I drain the pool I know I won't be able to drain it 100%, there will be a few inches left in the bottom. How should I treat this or do I need to get in and bail it out. I'm thinking of scrubbing the walls and floor with a bleach solution when its empty. Got a recommended dilution? The reason I decided to go this route was I figured the Bacqua water shouldn't pose and problem in the yard but if it had mixed it with the bleach it may not have been too good. Once my pool is refilled, just follow the recommended balancing levels and then attach the SWG? Or do I install that at start up?
You have some flexibility. Neither draining all of the water out or scrubbing the walls are important from a conversion point of view, but could be nice to do given you are mostly draining anyway.
Once the pool is filled again, balance PH and TA, and then follow the steps for a normal baqua conversion. The process will go very quickly, with FC holding overnight most likely by the second night. I recommend postponing the SWG install until after you have added CYA.
Once the pool is filled again, balance PH and TA, and then follow the steps for a normal baqua conversion. The process will go very quickly, with FC holding overnight most likely by the second night. I recommend postponing the SWG install until after you have added CYA.
Thanks for the tips. Sorry if I'm a bit nervous about the conversion, I just want to get it right this time. After fighting with this pool and all the misinformation from different pool "so called experts" and pool store employees, it nice to find a place to get the right information that's backed by so many readers and their comments and testimonials.
I think that as far as the conversion goes, if my pool were larger it would be the better option, but given the economics of my situation draining seems to be the better alternative. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the help.
I think that as far as the conversion goes, if my pool were larger it would be the better option, but given the economics of my situation draining seems to be the better alternative. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the help.
Today emptied pool, brushed walls and floor and mopped up any remaining water to make sure I had no Bacqua anywhere. Scrubbed skimmer and return. Pool is filling now, will install pump and filter tomorrow. I hear or read where putting a layer of pea gravel in the bottom of the filter keeps the sand from clogging the vents. If this is a good idea, how deep is a layer? My filter is 13" in diameter and about 17" deep from the bottom of the dome. Since I bought a case of bleach thinking I was going thru the conversion, should I use it for chlorination? CYA is stabilizer, correct? What do you recommend?