Another Baquacil conversion

[shackwrrr]

TF-100 w/XL option on order

Found 10% liquid chlorine at Rural king for 6.99/4 gal Bought 4 boxes.

Pool is an 18'x48" 10,000 gal AGP with a 50lb sand filter.


Current condition of pool is balanced water and I added start up doses of baquacil 3 weeks ago so the levels are low at the moment. We had the typical lifespan of the baquacil, first year was great, second ok, and the third was cloudy non stop. This is the 4th year and we have had enough.

The reason for the original use of the Baq was because of a chlorine sensitivity but due to research and this forum I believe that the issue is the the Chloramines not the FC so we are giving it a go.

Will take before/during/after conversion pictures.

I do have one question though, will the white water mold go away with the chlorine or will I still need to flock and vac? I am concerned as our water supply is very limited and it's hard even keeping up with splashout and evaporation. We don't really have a well, it is only an artesian spring that fills a 400 gallon holding tank overnight.

 

[Leebo]

Hello, amd welcome to TFP!

We too switched from Baqua about 4 years ago now after dealing with the constant mold. After the switch we have yet to have any develop in the water at all. I think you'll be very satisfied after the conversion is complete, and your pocketbook will smile too!

Welcome once again!

 

[Texas Splash]

You are making the right choice! There was another thread listed today of someone converting just like you. The TFP method works and is very easy. Once you receive your TF-100 kit you will find-out just how easy it is and chuckle every time you go to a pool store and listen to the advice given to other customers. In the meantime, it would help the TFP experts if you would go to your profile settings and list your pool info for future reference. Many of the answers given are based on your specific set-up. Thanks in advance, and start watching for more replies.

 

[shackwrrr]

So far this is where I'm at. Ph was at 7.2 so I started dumping. I added 4 gallons of 10% at first and let it run until it was a uniform green color. I then tested for FC (stuck with dip strips until my kit comes in) no detectable amount. I added another 4 gallons and waited about 45min and measured again. 4ppm this time so I added another 2 bottles and waited another hour while skimming goo. This time it went to 8ppm so I added another bottle and let it go again. Just measured it again and the FC pad turns a dark purple (10ppm Max on the color scale) before I'm finished dipping the strip. I'm going to guess this is close to 15 or so for now. I know the test kit is important but at this point I think I'm safe just keeping it over 10 on the strip until it starts clearing up.

Also noticed another "side effect", when adding chlorine everything from the bottom of the pool floated to the top, unfortunately I had to scoop it all since the skimmer is not on due to low water level.

 

[duraleigh]

unfortunately I had to scoop it all since the skimmer is not on due to low water level

Are you saying you are attempting this conversion with no pump operating?

 

[shackwrrr]

No, I have the pump running but it is drawing from the vacuum that is sitting at the center of the pool.

 

[shackwrrr]

Water definitely getting bluer, some white chunks floating around.

 

[shackwrrr]

Green is all gone, got my test kit today

After pool ran all day
FC 1
CC 2.5
TA 70
PH 6.8
CH 150

I added 1.5 gallons of what is apposed to be 10% liquid chlorine and ran it for an hour

FC 22
CC 2.5

I added a tiny bit of sodium carbonate for the Ph but I need to get some tomorrow.

Current condition of the water is cloudy blue with what looks like white water mold that settles to the bottom. I tried to sweep it into the filter but it just comes right out the return like a fogger. This weekend I plan to sweep it to waste and haul some water in from town.

 

[shackwrrr]

Any thought on what to do if my CC's are at .5 but I am still losing about 15ppm of CC overnight?

 

[shackwrrr]

Here are the latest pictures

 

[tim5055]

That is a huge change in 5 days!! Great job.

 

[shackwrrr]

Still a little cloudy and if you point a flashlight in it you can see white specks floating around. Hopefully that is where my FC is going overnight and getting rid of it. It did seem to clear up a lot over the weekend when I was able to add chlorine throughout the day instead of only morning and night.

 

[shackwrrr]

Water is sparkling but I have an issue. I'm having issues passing the overnight test. I still lose 5-7ppm overnight. I am checking it after dark and check it again in the morning before the sun hits it. Maybe its a little late in the morning as it is bright outside, just the sun hasn't poked over the trees yet. The pool is covered in a tarp though which blocks out a lot of the light anyway (they cut down a tree in the yard, tarp prevented debris from getting in)

 

[shackwrrr]

CCs have been .5 or less the last week or so and the last 2 days its been 0

 

[tim5055]

Water is sparkling but I have an issue. I'm having issues passing the overnight test. I still lose 5-7ppm overnight. I am checking it after dark and check it again in the morning before the sun hits it. Maybe its a little late in the morning as it is bright outside, just the sun hasn't poked over the trees yet. The pool is covered in a tarp though which blocks out a lot of the light anyway (they cut down a tree in the yard, tarp prevented debris from getting in)

i would start looking for,places some baquagoo is hiding. Corners, ladders anywhere it would hide.

If I understand the process, this is the point you clean out the filter. Have you done that?

 

[shackwrrr]

Thanks for the tip. The pool is a pretty plain pool. No lights, no water features, no deep or shallow, and I don't have the ladder in at the moment. I have been brushing it periodically though. Going by the pool school how to, It says to wait for the overnight free chlorine loss test to be less than 1 before changing sand.

 

[Leebo]

What times are you checking the chlorine overnight? If the sun hits it at all you'll likely see drop in your FC Levels.

 

[shackwrrr]

I get home around 7 test and add chlorine then retest at 10pm to get a starting number, I then test again at 6:45 when I leave for work. It is daylight out but because I live in a heavily wooded valley there is no direct sunlight.

 

[shackwrrr]

Over the weekend I got into the pool and stirred it all up, swept it, backflushed and then brought my FC up to 15 again for saturday night and sunday night. Monday morning I added chlorine again to bring it up to 15 and checked it when I got home. The FC at 10 pm was 5, when I woke up this morning FC was at 5. So it just needed moved around some more and a last little blast of chlorine. Changing sand tonight and then add the CYA.

 

[shackwrrr]

Another speed bump, had my OCLT down to 1 and added 4 lbs of cya to bring pom up to 40. Everything went well for a couple days and now its taking a gallon a day to keep up with chlorine loss. Ran another OCLT last night and I lost 6ppm overnight. Still 0ppm CC. I am guessing some of the pool floats and the cover from last year had some stuff growing on them... should I just slam the pool with all the floaty stuff in it?