Baquacil-Chlorine Conversion Frustration!

[tablpa]

Sorry, yup typo

CYA - 25

Pressure had been running 9-10 and with DE is 10-11. Filter seems to be running fine, great suction when vacuuming and great return. We have not had to backwash outside of when vacuuming, but we are doing that almost every day and do backwash then.

 

[tablpa]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to clear up our cloudy water?

 

[tablpa]

Please don't desert me now!

I have been asking since yesterday morning for suggestions of what to do to clear up the cloudiness in our baq converted pool.

All numbers seem to be what they should be and the water is, and has been, a beautiful blue, but still so cloudy we can't see the print on the bottom of the pool. What should we do?

 

[Leebo]

Sorry about that....not sure how I missed updates to the thread?

Keep shocking at a 15FC level, keep brushing, and keep vacuuming. In time it will clear. Sand just seems to take a few extra days.

Can you post a photo of the water currently?

 

[tablpa]

So I need to keep shocking even though we passed
the overnight chlorine test a week ago and the CC has been 0 ever since?

I will try to get a picture this afternoon.

 

[Leebo]

Yes, theres 3 steps to pass shocking your pool

Pass the OCLT
.5cc or less
Clear water

Don't stop till all three are done.

 

[yeggim]

Sorry, yup typo

CYA - 25

Pressure had been running 9-10 and with DE is 10-11. Filter seems to be running fine, great suction when vacuuming and great return. We have not had to backwash outside of when vacuuming, but we are doing that almost every day and do backwash then.

On a general note, backwashing frequently and before needed is counter productive. A dirty filter is more effective. As the voids in the sand bed get smaller and smaller as dirt is trapped, the filter will trap tinier and tinier particulates. Only backwash when the pressure rises 25% over clean running pressure. For example; if your filter reads 14 psi after backwashing, allow the filter to run until it reads 17 or 18 psi.

In a sense, that's what you're doing when you add DE to a sand filter. You're simulating a dirty filter. The DE fills the voids in the sand bed just like dirt. What takes hours to occur naturally in a sand filter now takes ten minutes when you add DE. The fact that DE is sterile and has more surface area per volume of sand is another plus. It's a pretty neat trick. Don't forget that new DE must be added after every backwash.

 

[JasonLion]

Now might be a good time to try clarifier.

 

[chem geek]

By any chance were you using the CDX product when you were using Baquacil?

 

[tablpa]

I took pictures, but am having trouble uploading them to this site.

We were not using CDX, just regular Baquacil.

Will add clarifier, but can't till tomorrow as we don't have any on hand. Just follow bottle directions I assume?

 

[wetchem]

I took pictures, but am having trouble uploading them to this site...

Are you using the full editor mode?
-wc

 

[tablpa]

have no idea what that is, very much an amateur at things like this

 

[wetchem]

OK... At the bottom of the thread... where I'm typing this now... is the "Quick Reply"
At the bottom of that area are two buttons... left click on [Full Editor]

This will open up a new message area with a bunch of smilies on the left.
A message area in the top part
An "Upload Attachment" in the middle.
and a bottom part with the bodies of the messages from the thread.

IN the Upload area is a small button [Browse...]
Click on this button and a file selection/open box will pop-up... use this box to select the file you want to upload.
Once selected, click on [Open]
The dialog will close, and you will see the path entered into the box next to the browse button.
You can enter a comment in the small box
then click on [Add the file]
a window showing the upload progress will open.
From what I found in my first series of posts is that three images can be added to each post by repeating the [Browse...] etc...

You then will have a new item show up under the message area....
This will have a drop down list in which to select the image you just uploaded and a button [Place inline]
Select the image, click the button.
You now have the image in your message.

Enter any other text you might need in the message body and then click on [Submit]

And now the whole world can see your pool!

You can also post a link to pictures you have online in photobucket or other such sites...
Can I post images?
What attachments are allowed on this board?

-wc

 

[tablpa]

trying the photo thing again; these were taken late yesterday afternoon. Tried to wait till brightest sunlight was gone, but the bottom picture is the reflection of the clouds, not something on the bottom of the pool. How do I take a picture without getting the reflection of the sky (clouds or not)?

Pool tests this morning
FC-14
CC-0
Vacuumed again yesterday
Looks about the same as it has for 3-4 weeks

Will get clarifier today if that is our next step

 

[wetchem]

It's fairly hard to do... my little brother used to take a lot of 35mm photos in highschool somethings he'd do for water shots:
if you have a polarized filter that will help.
straight down, not a an angle ( had angel... need a prayer for this too :angel: )
cover the area above the shot... large tarp on poles... tent etc... if you can't get the cover directly above, then try to get it to cast a shadow - not as effective but better than without.
-wc

 

[tablpa]

Put in clarifier last night along with another shock dose of bleach. Today the pool is the clearest we have had all this year. Can see the print on the bottom pretty well in the shallow end, but still can't see it in the deep end and can't see the drain.

Clairfier directions say you can repeat two or three times if needed. Do you recommend this and if so how long should we wait between clairfier treatments?

Getting very excited to have the sparkling clear waer everyone talks about!

 

[Leebo]

Keep up using the flock and shocking until it's all gone. Not sure why, but baqua swaps using sand filters are being a pain this year.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I wouldn't use the clarifier more than once per day.

 

[tablpa]

We are making progress. Having used clarifier for the past three days we can see the pattern on the bottom in the shallow end, and down the sloping walls of the deep end. Not crystal clear yet and can't see the bottom of the deep end, but at least improving after a month of very cloudy water.

Will continue to shock when no one will be swimming for the day, and adding clarifier once a day. As well as brushing and vacuuming. Anything else we should be doing?