I have started the process of converting from baquacil to chlorine ..... last week actually...... it quickly became apparent that none of my former means of water testing were adequate since none would read FC above 10 ppm....... so I ordered the TF100 as suggested on this site. I received it promptly !! That was Friday and we had added about 7 96oz jugs of bleach a day since MOnday..... still getting no more than a reading of 10ppm at any given time when using our Aquacheck system which claims to read up to and including 15ppm......... my real problem started Friday night when I used the TF100.... I took the required sample of water from my pool, added the powdered additive , it turned pink then went absolutely clear again without adding a drop of solution...... I tried this three times and the water would not stay pink long enough for me to add the drops......so I waited until next morning.......did it all again.......this time the solution stayed pink but took 64 drops of solution in order to return it to clear....... I do not believe there is any way my FC was at 42 ppm since when the process was started one week ago, the water was a lovely shade of slime green.........it has since turned several other colors, none of which are clear !! I am afraid to continue to add chlorine and do not know what these test results mean...... why would it not stay pink before adding the drops to neutralize it? and why , less than 12 hours later would it say that there was 42ppm ? We have cleaned our cartridge filter every other day, always covered with a nice green, yellow, tan slime...... there is obviously consumption of the Baq as well as the algae because the smell of chlorine from the CC s is strong...... not offensively so but noticeable in the air ......which way do I go from here......I can not get a logical level on my FC, do not know when to add bleach and when not to.....I feel like I have wasted a week and a ton of bleach to get no where......please advise
HELP !! information needed
- Thread starter heartzlink
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I'm pretty sure the experts here will want to know at least a few other levels (pH, CC), as well as the size of the pool, so they can advise you properly.
Welcome to TFP!
Converting from baquacil to chlorine takes time and lots and lots of chlorine. It sounds like you are moving along well. With the TF100 test kit you should be able to get better control over the FC level and a better sense of your progress. Things might be confusing for a little while, but don't let that shake you.
When doing the FAS-DPD chlorine test, if the sample turns pink and then turns clear again, try adding another scoop of powder (though never more than 4 scoops). This usually happens when the FC level is very very high. One easy check of extreme FC levels is to do the quick daily chlorine test (drops turn the sample shades of yellow compared to a color standard). Very very high FC levels will turn the sample orange or red or brown.
64 drops to turn the solution from pink to clear means a FC level of 32 (64/2=32). This fits with your previous experience where the sample wouldn't stay pink, which typically starts happening when the FC level is around 40 or 50. If FC fell overnight from the 40s, it could easily have been 32 the next morning.
I suspect you have CYA in the water. Without CYA the FC level tends to go to zero fairly quickly during the day. But with CYA the whole process slows down and it is much easier to add too much chlorine. You should do a complete set of tests, except PH, and post the results. The PH test isn't going to work when the FC level is that high. Also, the TA test might go blue/yellow instead of green/red because of the high FC level.
It would also be good if you could post what kind of pool you have, vinyl/plaster/pebble/fiberglass/etc. Ideally you should all all the basic spec of your pool to your signature. That will help us see the context of your questions and give you better answers.
I also want to warn you in advance that we will probably be moving this topic to the Baquacil area of the site. I won't do that just yet, to be sure you get to see this message.
Converting from baquacil to chlorine takes time and lots and lots of chlorine. It sounds like you are moving along well. With the TF100 test kit you should be able to get better control over the FC level and a better sense of your progress. Things might be confusing for a little while, but don't let that shake you.
When doing the FAS-DPD chlorine test, if the sample turns pink and then turns clear again, try adding another scoop of powder (though never more than 4 scoops). This usually happens when the FC level is very very high. One easy check of extreme FC levels is to do the quick daily chlorine test (drops turn the sample shades of yellow compared to a color standard). Very very high FC levels will turn the sample orange or red or brown.
64 drops to turn the solution from pink to clear means a FC level of 32 (64/2=32). This fits with your previous experience where the sample wouldn't stay pink, which typically starts happening when the FC level is around 40 or 50. If FC fell overnight from the 40s, it could easily have been 32 the next morning.
I suspect you have CYA in the water. Without CYA the FC level tends to go to zero fairly quickly during the day. But with CYA the whole process slows down and it is much easier to add too much chlorine. You should do a complete set of tests, except PH, and post the results. The PH test isn't going to work when the FC level is that high. Also, the TA test might go blue/yellow instead of green/red because of the high FC level.
It would also be good if you could post what kind of pool you have, vinyl/plaster/pebble/fiberglass/etc. Ideally you should all all the basic spec of your pool to your signature. That will help us see the context of your questions and give you better answers.
I also want to warn you in advance that we will probably be moving this topic to the Baquacil area of the site. I won't do that just yet, to be sure you get to see this message.
Thanks for responding so quickly....... I do have CYA in the pool...... I have been using Baquacil and after spending 1200 on additives this summer, I was still cloudy or green all the time ...... I thought CYA would be best added after the conversion when my water was clear and at a sensible FC level........ now , could someone tell me how to get to my signature so I can add the pool type and size? For current readers, I have a 30 foot round above ground with a vinyl liner, cartridge filter...... anything else needed? Won't such high FC levels ruin my liner, mechanical devices etc? I will go test again now and see if it has dropped significantly.........thanks again !!
OK, keeping in mind that I have added no bleach since Friday....... my latest reading just now says the FC level has increased....it is now 47 and the CYA is 70.......and my lovely light yellow color is now turning green again......?? I am so confused, lol...... thought after 20 years with a pool, I knew it all !!
How did you get CYA in your pool? You state that it would be best added after the conversion, (which is true) and that is not over yet.... If you have never added CYA (stabilizer/conditioner) to your water, you won't have any. Tap water does not contain CYA, and it does not occur in nature.
Have you read this article? it takes you step by step through the conversion process...
Also, use Jason's calculator, linked in my signature, to determine how much bleach to add to your pool. Test your water and add enough bleach to get to 15ppm.
To add info to your signature, click on User Control Panel at the top left of each page, just under the TFP logo. Then click 'profile', and then 'edit signature' from the menus on the left.
ETA forgot to say Welcome to TFP!
Have you read this article? it takes you step by step through the conversion process...
Also, use Jason's calculator, linked in my signature, to determine how much bleach to add to your pool. Test your water and add enough bleach to get to 15ppm.
To add info to your signature, click on User Control Panel at the top left of each page, just under the TFP logo. Then click 'profile', and then 'edit signature' from the menus on the left.
ETA forgot to say Welcome to TFP!
I forgot to mention, all of this stupidity is not my fault !! lol..... I bought this house in the winter and along with it came the pool. I have had pools in my yard for 20 years so when I opened this one in the Spring, I took my water in to be sampled and was told that it was void of any chemicals.....although now it makes sense to me that the previous owners, although obviously slack in attention to the pool considering its opening condition, had used CYA to stabilize.....
Grace, I have read the article and was following it to the letter when I realized that none of my FC test devises were accurately measuring the levels.......I ordered the TF100.....only to find that my previous device was telling me I was at 10 ppm, so I was adding more and more bleach to get to 15..... ahhhhh, but alas, I was obviously waaaaaaaaay over 10..... now at 47...... thanks for the info on how to update my signature.....
in need of help before I go too far !!
I posted a topic under the BBB method but perhaps I am better off here.....my previous post can be found at help-information-needed-t9626.html. It tells of my journey so far but I am still in a dither,lol........with my FCs so high, am I not in jeopardy of ruining my liner, mechanicals etc? It does not seem to be going down very rapidly on its own, in fact it increased slightly since yesterday. I was totally unaware that the previous owners had used CYA and now I am afraid that I will have extreme FC levels for weeks to come....and it is fall, so the leaf problem will only add to my problems...... someone please read my previous post and advise !! thank you
I posted a topic under the BBB method but perhaps I am better off here.....my previous post can be found at help-information-needed-t9626.html. It tells of my journey so far but I am still in a dither,lol........with my FCs so high, am I not in jeopardy of ruining my liner, mechanicals etc? It does not seem to be going down very rapidly on its own, in fact it increased slightly since yesterday. I was totally unaware that the previous owners had used CYA and now I am afraid that I will have extreme FC levels for weeks to come....and it is fall, so the leaf problem will only add to my problems...... someone please read my previous post and advise !! thank you
Re: in need of help before I go too far !!
it is better to keep everything in one thread.... since this one has no replies yet, let's use the other one here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/help-information-needed-t9626.html
I moved the other topic to the Baquacil area and merged the topics. JasonLion
it is better to keep everything in one thread.... since this one has no replies yet, let's use the other one here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/help-information-needed-t9626.html
I moved the other topic to the Baquacil area and merged the topics. JasonLion
If your CYA level is really 70 then you want to be aiming for a FC level of around 40 and have not done any significant damage to the liner. Also, the high CYA level is going to slow down the conversion process somewhat.