Baquacil conversion to start next week

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bigcountry

0
Jul 5, 2012
21
monroe, north carolina
please forgive me. not only am i new to the pool deal, im also new to talk/chat forums of the computer, so i hope i am doing this right.
i just put in a gently used 24' 52" above ground, sand filter, with 1 1/2hp pump. the previous owner used baquacil, with years of great swimming, and little to no problems and recommended it. i do believe his word, he has been a trusted friend for many years. so no thoughts that he was setting me up for trouble. i've had it up and running for a month, started great...but went south quick...chemically and all levels/readings from tests say water is fine, but water is a white cloudy mess...and im having to add oxidizer like crazy to keep levels up, i believed it to be due to constant sun all day, and very high temps the past few weeks..after researching and seeing what it might take to get it clean and keep it clean, it will be out of my budget...already $300+ in at this point and no end in sight. and with what the new liner and set up cost me...i want to be able to see every nook and cranny of the bottom of my pool.
so with that being said, im planning to convert to the bleach plan...lol..im letting the baq die out as much as i can this week, and hope to start next week...so im looking for and advice and thoughts anyone can give, i will be buying stuff over the weekend to begin,(i.e. test kit and bleach) and can some one ball park a good start of the amount of bleach i need to buy.. thanks for any and all help...and agian forgive me, as i am new to the forum thing
 
I don't think 30 or 40 large jugs of bleach will be too much to have. If your water is cheap you might consider dumping your water and starting over. Even draining all the water you'll still have to go through the conversion but it'll be a lot quicker and you're going to ahve to change your sand either route you take.

40 large jugs of bleach will cost your about $115 so if your water is much cheaper than that it's something to consider.

If you decide to do a full conversion the article on canverting is a good place to start.
 
Welcome to the forum. :lol: As we discussed on the phone, there are lots of folks here who have done that conversion and you will get all the help you need....just ask.

If you are a picture taker, be sure to take some pics when you first dose that pool. It usually turns some pretty weird colors at first and you will wonder how you ever got talked into doing it!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
so ive stocked up on my bleach, and getting everything ready...im not gona begin untill test kit arrives so i can see where im at befor i begin. can anyone tell me what range i should shoot for with my ph and alkalinity befor i start? or are they sorta secondary untill i get the main attack stated on the baq? thanks
 
Don't worry much about your alkalinity...you can mess with that later. Try to hit the PH in the 7.2 range. After that you'll only worry about the FC level for a few days. The best thing you can do is post your own test results once you get your kit...then we'll help you from there.

Good luck.....you'll soon wonder why you ever used that garbage!
 
i dont mind the picture taking thing....im just not a computer person. i'll take some pics along the way, and try to add them at the end to show start to finish. should be able to start tomarrow afternoon if everything works out. im hoping this will actually go quickly and smooth. ive only had baq in this water for almost a month,aint added anything in a week, and its not like it has had years to build up...but im sure there will be enough to show and keep me tied up.
 
Welcome to the forum and pool ownership. You are at the right place for this and you won't regret it after everything is complete. As for the cloudiness with Baq, it seems to me that people who use it assume their water should be cloudy. Go figure. :scratch: I hated the feeling of the water.
 
well im tossing it all up to a learning adventure...i tried it, didnt like it, so moving on to new things..i like to learn new things anytime i can..bleach seems so much cleaner to me anyways. odd question, and i dont mean to sound stupid, but im askin anyways...during this swap and all the green water, is it ok/safe to get in the water to brush and vacuum, and just wash off directly after...or just avoid the water and work from the out side?
 

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kool1.jpg
 
loam green...the old G.I army face paint camo color....aint seen anyone usedthat for a description yet, but i think it fits...and the goo was an almost instant formation in the skimmer. is there like an idiots guide to this big test kit? lol, or a dirt clod country boy user guide with pictures? i know a lil bit about chems and haz mat, and im pretty good at explosives, but i felt so confused lookin at the kit the first time...
 
tf100, the lil blue kit is the one that im supposed to be testing the FC with, correct? and if so, im guess in reading it correctly in the fact that compare the color it turns to the color on the kit. tested and added at 5pm 420oz to bring to 15ppm...retested at 630pm at it looks like its still reading in the higher numbers, color compaired to the 10 range on the scale. im gona wait till it a lil more solid of a scale to know how much more i need to add agian..like when it closer to the 6-8 range.. and i did buy the xl option, what is that supply suposed to be used to test for?
 
for now...use the FAS/DPD test. It's MUCH more accurate, and can test well over 15FC. It's the one with the R-0870 powder and the drops.

Here's the directions...........

JasonLion said:
FAS-DPD Chlorine Test
FC and CC - Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine

  1. Rinse the sample tube with pool water.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  2. Fill the sample tube with pool water to the 10 ml mark. The top of the sample will be curved. This curve is called a meniscus. The bottom of the meniscus should be level with the 10 ml mark.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  3. Using the small spoon shaped end of the dipper, add one heaping dipper, or two level dippers, of R-0870 and swirl to mix. If the sample turns pink for a moment and then turns clear again, or if it turns brown, add another dipper of R-0870. If the sample remains clear the entire time, your FC level is probably zero, however it is best to verify that with an OTO chlorine test, since the FAS-DPD test is prone to the occasional false zero.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  4. Swirling constantly and counting the number of drops as you go, add R-0871 one drop at a time. Continue adding drops until the color changes to clear. The pink color may become extremely faint before it goes away. Make sure that the sample goes completely clear.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  5. Multiply the number of drops by 0.5 to get your FC level.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  6. Add 5 drops of R-0003 and swirl to mix. If the sample remains clear, your CC level is zero.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  7. If the sample turns pink again, add R-0871 one drop at a time, swirling constantly and counting the number of drops as you go. Continue adding drops until the color changes to clear. The pink color may become extremely faint before it goes away. Make sure that the sample goes completely clear.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  8. Multiply the number of drops by 0.5 to get your CC level.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  9. Dispose of the sample safely. It is best to pour it down the drain with the water running. Do not add it back to the pool.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  10. Rinse the sample tube with tap water and store for next time.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]

Notes
  • Hold the dropper bottles vertically and squeeze gently, so that drops come out slowly and seem to hang on the tip of the dropper bottle for a moment before falling.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • The exact amount of R-0870 powder used is not critical. The goal is to add more than you really need rather than using too little. Using too little R-0870 powder can throw off the results of the test. You need to use enough to bind to all of the chlorine that is present. Adding extra, within reason, has no effect. At very high FC levels it is likely that you will need to use more than the normal amount.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • If left sitting on the counter, the sample will turn pink again one or two minutes after the test is completed. This is normal.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • When measuring high FC levels, or measuring FC when the CC level is relatively high, it is important to move through the test quickly. Drops should be added about once per second, or slightly faster, swirling the entire time. You can slow down a little at the end of the test, to give you time to watch for the end point.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • Over time, it is common for a cloudy residue to build up on sample tubes used for FAS-DPD chlorine testing. The residue can be removed by filling the sample tube with bleach, letting it sit for several minutes, rinsing, and then wiping throughly with a paper towel.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • There isn't normally any reason to do this, but if you need more precision you can do this test with a 25 ml sample of pool water and multiply the number of drops by 0.2. In most situations the added precision is useless and simply wastes reagent.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • R-0870 is DPD powder. The indicator in the powder turns pink when bound to chlorine. R-0870 powder gets darker over time and eventually starts to clump up. If it is clumped up, you should crush it back into a slightly lumpy powder before using it.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • R-0871 is FAS-DPD titrating reagent. It should be a clear colorless liquid. If it turns a dark yellow color, it has gone bad.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • R-0003 is DPD Reagent #3. It should be a clear colorless liquid. If it turns yellow, it has gone bad.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
  • The precision of the measurement is plus or minus one drop when up to 10 drops of titrant are used, or plus or minus 10% of the final reading, when more than 10 drops of titrant are used.[/*:m:1qelmkwe]
Click to expand...

The K-1000 is a great tool for daily use where you're mostly testing low levels of chlorine......but for shocking the pool nothing beats the FAS/DPD test.
 

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