Yet another Baq conversion in progress
- Thread starter russ657
- Start date
Wednesday morning ... FC held at 11 overnight so I'm getting there. I'll vacuum and sweep the sides of the pool today. There is a lot of tree debris - seed and leaf particles - due to high winds the past two day. My skimmer basket has been full every time I've checked it. My CC was 3 so I've got a ways to go to get that below .5. I am only adding chlorine after dusk now as it disappears quickly during the day. So far I've use 32 gal of 5.7% clorox and 8 gal of 12.5% chlorine. Due to those heavy 5 gal containers, I also now have a pair of old jeans that look like they came out of the 60s. Unfortunately, I remember the 60s quite well - or at least some of it.
Russ
Russ
Thursday am. FC held at 14 overnight! CC was 2. Do I just keeping adding CL nightly keeping FC at 15 until the CC drops to .5?
Russ
Russ
You are doing great!
Wait for FC to hold steady overnight, a drop of 0.5 or less, and CC to be 3 or below. At that point you can replace the filter media and start adding CYA. Some people wait for FC to hold overnight and CC to be 0.5 or lower before making the switch, but that can take a little while. Often replacing the filter media takes care of the remaining CC and saves some time.
Wait for FC to hold steady overnight, a drop of 0.5 or less, and CC to be 3 or below. At that point you can replace the filter media and start adding CYA. Some people wait for FC to hold overnight and CC to be 0.5 or lower before making the switch, but that can take a little while. Often replacing the filter media takes care of the remaining CC and saves some time.
Friday 5/16 am - The FC held at 15 overnight for the first time. The CC was 1.5. What's next? Should I do a full range of test this morning or let the sun cook off the chlorine and do them this afternoon? How do I handle the CYA now? I've seen talk of socks over the side but the stuff I bought (HTH Stabilizer & Conditioner) is granular and says to put it in the skimmer. Hope I got the right stuff.
FC held stead overnight and CC levels are reasonably low so it is time to replace your filter media and after that is done add some CYA. CYA can be added directly to the skimmer, pour slowly. Just remember not to backwash for a week after adding CYA.
Your water looks incredible. Those are some lucky ducks. ;-) Congrats on a successful conversion!
Saturday and here are my totals. at 11am We had heavy rain overnight.
FC 9
CC 1.0
pH 7.5
T/A 130
CH 260
CYA 0
Temp 62
I just tore apart my filter. There was some brown Crud stuck to some of the parts. Probably what was keeping the CC high. It is gone now. I am soaking all interior parts in a filter cleaner for 6 hours. Then will reassemble and begin adding CYA into the skimmer. By that time my FC should be back to 1 or 2 given the sun today. My question is, how much chlorine do I add when I start the filter back up? Do I go back to 15 or a lower number?
Also, I want to put my solar cover on asap because it is raining seed pods frrom all the trees and is making a mess of my pristene water. Any problem with doing that now?
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope its not an oncoming train.
Russ
FC 9
CC 1.0
pH 7.5
T/A 130
CH 260
CYA 0
Temp 62
I just tore apart my filter. There was some brown Crud stuck to some of the parts. Probably what was keeping the CC high. It is gone now. I am soaking all interior parts in a filter cleaner for 6 hours. Then will reassemble and begin adding CYA into the skimmer. By that time my FC should be back to 1 or 2 given the sun today. My question is, how much chlorine do I add when I start the filter back up? Do I go back to 15 or a lower number?
Also, I want to put my solar cover on asap because it is raining seed pods frrom all the trees and is making a mess of my pristene water. Any problem with doing that now?
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope its not an oncoming train.
Russ
Bring the FC level back up to 15 and continue to hold it there till CC goes to 0.5 or lower. That will get much simpler to do once you have some CYA in the water, since you won't lose nearly as much FC to sunlight each day.
Sunday morning results - The FC was 14.5 this am. I dumped the vile before I did the CC... duh. I had put in 5 lb of CYA stabilizer Saturday night.
At 7pm Sunday the FC had only dropped to 9.5. It usually dropped to 1 or 2 after a day of sun. The CC was 1.00 maybe a little less but you can't do half drops. I added Cl to get back to 15. We will see what Monday brings for numbers. The water still looks great.
At 7pm Sunday the FC had only dropped to 9.5. It usually dropped to 1 or 2 after a day of sun. The CC was 1.00 maybe a little less but you can't do half drops. I added Cl to get back to 15. We will see what Monday brings for numbers. The water still looks great.
Monday morning 5/19/08 7am
FC held at 14.5 and CC was about .75. Later today I'll measure the CYA to see how it has disolved. I put in 5 lbs on Saturday night.
Any problem with putting the solar cover on now? It is going to be windy and cool the next 5 days so it would help keep the tree crud out of the pool but I don't want to do anything to mess up the conversion as I'm this close to the end.
FC held at 14.5 and CC was about .75. Later today I'll measure the CYA to see how it has disolved. I put in 5 lbs on Saturday night.
Any problem with putting the solar cover on now? It is going to be windy and cool the next 5 days so it would help keep the tree crud out of the pool but I don't want to do anything to mess up the conversion as I'm this close to the end.
You might not want to bother testing the CYA level yet. It can easily take CYA three days, and sometimes up to a week, to fully dissolve and there is usually a limited amount of CYA test reagent available.
If you can put your solar cover on at night and take it off during most of the day that would be fine. You want the UV from sunlight to help clear up the last of the CC, which the solar cover will block.
If you can put your solar cover on at night and take it off during most of the day that would be fine. You want the UV from sunlight to help clear up the last of the CC, which the solar cover will block.
Thursday am 5/22/08 - I've been keeping the pool FC at 15 each night. I had to put the solar cover on yesterday to stop all the tree debris from clogging the pump. High winds caused lots of seed pods to fall and clogged the skimmer and pump basket so bad that the pump was running almost dry for 2 hours before I caught it.
This mornings numbers are:
FC 17
CC .25 (barely any red at all)
pH 7.5
T/A 140
CYA 45
water temp 63
The FC has been holding every night and CC has been .5 or less for several days. CYA
I will leave the cover on all day today as it will be stormy. Good weather arrives on Saturday and summer gets here next Tuesday with 85 degree temps.
I think my Baq conversion is done and now I need to get on balancing the pool. What do you think my next steps should be???
This mornings numbers are:
FC 17
CC .25 (barely any red at all)
pH 7.5
T/A 140
CYA 45
water temp 63
The FC has been holding every night and CC has been .5 or less for several days. CYA
I will leave the cover on all day today as it will be stormy. Good weather arrives on Saturday and summer gets here next Tuesday with 85 degree temps.
I think my Baq conversion is done and now I need to get on balancing the pool. What do you think my next steps should be???
Great!!
Now you can let the FC come down to normal levels, with CYA at 45 that means between 3 and 8.
I would continue to check the CC level for a couple of days as the FC level comes down. Unless CC spikes up again, which is very unlikely, you are done!
Now you can let the FC come down to normal levels, with CYA at 45 that means between 3 and 8.
I would continue to check the CC level for a couple of days as the FC level comes down. Unless CC spikes up again, which is very unlikely, you are done!
Thanks for all of your help getting me through this conversion.
For anyone reading this in the future...I started on May 8th and finished on May 22. I used 32 gallons of Clorox 5.7% bleach and 15 gallons of 12.5% chlorine. The first 3-4 days were intense with almost hourly checks, cleaning, vacuum, sweeping, etc then like magic the clear water appeared. After that it became very easy.
I took what remaining Baquacil I had down to our local hazardous waste disposal location. The woman there said, "I don't think this stuff is hazardous." I said "It is to your wallet." She took it.
I'm off to the BBB forum to learn what to do next.
Russ
For anyone reading this in the future...I started on May 8th and finished on May 22. I used 32 gallons of Clorox 5.7% bleach and 15 gallons of 12.5% chlorine. The first 3-4 days were intense with almost hourly checks, cleaning, vacuum, sweeping, etc then like magic the clear water appeared. After that it became very easy.
I took what remaining Baquacil I had down to our local hazardous waste disposal location. The woman there said, "I don't think this stuff is hazardous." I said "It is to your wallet." She took it.
I'm off to the BBB forum to learn what to do next.
Russ