Jason:
I stopped using Bac early last summer in anticipation of converting to chlorine and perhaps salt water later. I used algaecide and the peroxide to 'maintain', which seemed to work, but I closed the pool without a shock of Bac as suggested. I guess testing the FC is requisite for converstion but I understand there is a flocculant that occurs if the Bac is high. Do you think there will be a problem with the sand filter? Also do you think that it will take so much chlorine?
Thanks
Tom
I stopped using Bac early last summer in anticipation of converting to chlorine and perhaps salt water later. I used algaecide and the peroxide to 'maintain', which seemed to work, but I closed the pool without a shock of Bac as suggested. I guess testing the FC is requisite for converstion but I understand there is a flocculant that occurs if the Bac is high. Do you think there will be a problem with the sand filter? Also do you think that it will take so much chlorine?
Thanks
Tom
JasonLion said:The conversion will take lots of chlorine. How much depends on your baq levels but even fairly low levels can require quite a bit of chlorine. Numbers anywhere from 30 to 150 gallons of bleach are plausible. Bleach is best, but you can use cal-hypo if your CH levels are low enough. Totally avoid trichlor or dichlor for the conversion.
Before you start, balance the PH to between 7.0 and 7.4 and make sure the TA level is plausible (say between 50 and 200). It would be good if you could post a full set of test results so we can double check if there are likely to be any issues with any of the levels.
The basic process is to raise the FC level to 15 over and over again until the FC level holds steady overnight. That means testing the FC level and calculating the correct amount to add to bring FC back up to 15. While that is happening the pool will turn various interesting colors and the filter will need frequent cleaning/backwashing. Once the FC level holds more or less steady overnight you can add CYA and replace the filter media.
At the start the baq will consume chlorine at a very rapid pace and chlorine can be added frequently, every hour for as long as you can manage it. As things progress the FC level will start to partially hold and it becomes better to add chlorine a couple of times each evening and not as frequently during the day so you aren't losing all of the chlorine you add to sunlight.