I just recently had a pool installed and have been using Baquacil. I knew it would cost more and until today have not had any problems other than adding Sanitizer about twice a week. I bought a seasons supply of chemicals and went through all of the sanitizer in the first 2 weeks. Today I go out and it went from crystal clear to green overnight. I carried a sample to the pool store and they said it is algae and gave me some Flocculant to put in the pool, wait 2 days, vaccum, etc. They said it was most likely caused by the solar cover I installed 2 weeks ago and they recommend converting to chlorine or salt if I still want to keep the solar cover which I do. I was actually thinking about converting to the salt system anyway. The friends I have that have the salt system have no problems at all with anything. If I go with salt the warranty with Doughboy will be voided but I live on the beach so what parts that are going to rust will rust anyway and I will just have to replace them. The people at the pool store said they know others with a pool like mine that have converted to salt and have not had the rust problems. My questions are when I convert should it be salt or chlorine, can I drain my pool to make the conversion easier or will it wrinkle the liner, does anyone else have this problem with a solar cover, and if anyone has a better idea or ideas please let me know? Thanks
Converting from Baquacil
- Thread starter milcouch
- Start date
Hi, welcome to TFP! A salt pool is a chlorine pool, you just generate your own chlorine on site instead of buying jugs and adding it separately. Whether you decide to add a saltwater chlorine generator or add liquid chlorine manually, the conversion process is the same. You can drain the pool first if you really want to, however you still need to go through the conversion process since some baquacil will remain in the plumbing and filter. There is always the chance of the liner shifting out of place when a pool is drained and refilled. Read through baquacil to chlorine conversion for more information on the conversion process. Also before you convert you need to get a good quality FAS/DPD test kit, such as the Taylor K2006 or the TF100. You will need to test the water frequently during the conversion process.
The solar cover itself should not cause algae to grow if the sanitizer levels are correct.
The solar cover itself should not cause algae to grow if the sanitizer levels are correct.
I'd HIGHLY suggest avoiding the K2006 for the conversion however. You'll fly through the test reagents for your chlorine, and will be ordering more very quickly. Just bite the extra $30ish and save in the long run.
Do you plan on closing your pool for winter, or leave it open year round??
Do you plan on closing your pool for winter, or leave it open year round??
I am going to cover the pool up in the winter. Also, my sanitizer level was good as were the all of the other levels when I took the sample to the store. So you recommend to get the TF100 test kit? Maybe I should just drain 3/4 of the water so there will still be some pressure on the liner. Do I need to wait a day or two since I added the flocculant to do the conversion or just get on with it? Also, are there any major stores that sell the test kit so I can start right away?
Depending on your wishes, it may make the conversion easier by doing it next year. The levels should go down some over the winter. Depends how much longer you're keeping it open. A drain will be quickest/ easiest...... but could cost more depending on water price in your area. Do you know the water rate where you're at?? 3/4 is all I'd suggest too, as its not worth the hassle as you'll need to do the conversion anyways.
The TF-100 is recommended as you will use a ton of reagent testing your chlorine during the swap. You'll test hourly at first, and I've seen people use all the reagent in the first week. The TF-100 is a much better buy all around. More reagents for the FC, CYA, TA tests..... The ones you'll need the most.
http://www.tftestkits.net is the only place to buy the kit from. His shipping is fast, and you'll have the kit in a matter of days.
The TF-100 is recommended as you will use a ton of reagent testing your chlorine during the swap. You'll test hourly at first, and I've seen people use all the reagent in the first week. The TF-100 is a much better buy all around. More reagents for the FC, CYA, TA tests..... The ones you'll need the most.
http://www.tftestkits.net is the only place to buy the kit from. His shipping is fast, and you'll have the kit in a matter of days.
I know you are going to be converting to chlorine, but you kept mentioning using lots of Baquacil sanitizer, but did you also use Baquacil oxidizer (which is hydrogen peroxide)? If not, then that was the main part of your pool's problem. You are supposed to use both -- the sanitizer is for disinfection while the oxidizer gets rid of bather waste and keeps the water clear. Anyway, that's water under the bridge now, but I'm just curious since your pool turned much more quickly than typical Baquacil pools that go south after a few years, usually getting white water mold.
I also used the Oxidizer and Cdx but only on the maint. dose's. They were always in line when I went to the pool store with the water sample. It was always crystal clear until this morning. Even when I went in today they said all of my levels were O.K. Maybe a neighbor put some dye in my pool or a seagull or two dropped something in it. I am going to convert anyway, since I have found this site today I haven't found anyone on here that seems to like Baquacil, and everyone says in a few years things will go south anyway. I am sure the pool store will be upset since they had truckloads shipped to me daily of the Sanitizer. I started pumping the pool out now and will order the kit. Should I go ahead and start putting some Chlorine in the pool before I get the test kit or wait? I will get my PH right first. Thanks
You can start adding chlorine anytime, but the more water you replace before starting the conversion, the faster the conversion will go. You need to be careful when lowering the water level in a pool, but others can walk you through that. Usually you leave 1 foot of water in the shallow end, but yours is an above-ground pool so the rule may be different.
Nope, even if it were clear before converting as soon as you add the chlorine to the water it will change to green.
I drained about a foot out last night. I think I will fill it back up and get started with that. I ordered the test kit you recommended last night but won't have it for a couple of days. What do you think would be a safe amount of bleach per hour for me to use until I get the test kit, and how many days does this process approx. take with a pool my size. Thanks
I went and bought a test kit from Walmart that will do PH and Chlorine so I can go ahead and get started using Jason's calculator and the 750 gallons of bleach I bought. Kidding just 15. I think another problem was the test strips that I bought from the pool store always read different that when I took in a water sample. They told me theirs were better that the ones I had. We were never that far off so I am not sure if that was the problem or not. Doesn't matter now.
If you're willing to jump in and start without the TF-100 it can be done. It will go slower......but it's just idle at this point anyways so here goes. 
Three times a day.....once in the morning, once at noonish (or when you get home from work), once before bed, add 2 gallons of 8% bleach. If you test with your kit from Wal-Mart you'll see it should turn a light/dark Orange color. This shows your FC level is between 10-20. You could keep trying to maintain the orangish color, but will run the risk of fading the liner. I'd suggest taking it slow until you get the TF-100.....which should be only a few days.
As for conversion time......it's impossible to tell. When I swapped ours it was about a week.....I've seen others take almost 3 weeks.
Three times a day.....once in the morning, once at noonish (or when you get home from work), once before bed, add 2 gallons of 8% bleach. If you test with your kit from Wal-Mart you'll see it should turn a light/dark Orange color. This shows your FC level is between 10-20. You could keep trying to maintain the orangish color, but will run the risk of fading the liner. I'd suggest taking it slow until you get the TF-100.....which should be only a few days.
As for conversion time......it's impossible to tell. When I swapped ours it was about a week.....I've seen others take almost 3 weeks.
Thanks, so far, since 2:00pm I have put 5 gallons of 8.25 in and it is still not dark yellow in the kit that has the drops from Walmart. Which it shows should be 5 at dark yellow. I just went to Taylors and bought a strip kit that will go to ten and it is still barely above white. Taylors can test the water so I am going up and have them test it for me so I don't have a white liner when I get finished. Thanks for your help.
If you can return the strips I'd do it.....no need for them.
caution.....the next bit of advice is something I wouldn't do myself....but others would.
In theory, the chlorine will be burnt off VERY VERY fast at first during the conversion. The reason your showing a light yellow at best is that your chlorine is burnt off almost right away. You could add bleach much more often than I suggested using the OTO kit you own.....to try and keep the water an orangish color. Almost each time you test it will odds say show a light yellow at first.
The trouble is that as you progress you'll start to keep some chlorine in the water.....you COULD in theory go to high and cause issues with the liner. Dave's AMAZING with his speed.....it will be there in a matter of days.
caution.....the next bit of advice is something I wouldn't do myself....but others would.
In theory, the chlorine will be burnt off VERY VERY fast at first during the conversion. The reason your showing a light yellow at best is that your chlorine is burnt off almost right away. You could add bleach much more often than I suggested using the OTO kit you own.....to try and keep the water an orangish color. Almost each time you test it will odds say show a light yellow at first.
The trouble is that as you progress you'll start to keep some chlorine in the water.....you COULD in theory go to high and cause issues with the liner. Dave's AMAZING with his speed.....it will be there in a matter of days.
You think maybe I should pump water out and fill it up at the same time while I am doing this to speed it up? Maybe I should call him and if he has not shipped it get him to send it overnight. Thanks
I should receive the test kit from Dave tomm. I have put in 18 gallons of bleach so far since 2:00 pm yesterday. I have never let the test kit that I bought from Walmart that only goes to 5 get more than real yellow. I do not think that I've messed with the liner and hope not since I just bought the pool 2 months ago. My water is now just very green and I do not have very much brown gunk at all left. I have been taking it out all day and have a lot of it in a bucket if anyone wants it. Free shipping. Thanks for the help and if you think I should back off of the bleach please let me know.
42 hours since I started and no brown gook, 22 bottles of bleach, and a pretty green color. My test kit should be in today. The question I have is why did my pressure in my sandfilter never rise? It usually is at 5 and it never went above 8. I backwashed and rinsed several times and very little gook came out . Could the Baquacil Flo. shock that I put in a the day before I started the conversion helped?
How many jugs of bleach do you add at a time? Have you ever got the OTO test to turn orange?