Just converted from baquacil to chlorine and have been told I have a chlorine lock

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flyingv

Active member
Jul 5, 2020
42
New Hampshire
I converted my 28 foot round pool from baquacil to chlorine this Spring. I switched pool stores to one closer so it would be easier to get what I needed. They helped me convert it. In the past 2 months, I have been basically unable to keep my chlorine level above .2-.5. I am embarrased to tell you how much I have spent, based on my pool store's advice, on liquid and powder shock to fix this issue. 3 times they had me put over 30 pounds of shock in my pool, and I STILL have almost no free chlorine. ARGH! This was supposed to be cheaper than baquacil.

Everytime I've brought my water in to test, they tell me my levels look okay, PH just normally a little off, but that I have to just keep over shocking my pool to get the cholorine block broken. I'm done with that.

I have a DE filter system, and have cleaned my cartridge (it's only a little over 1 year old as I had to replace the original one), twice. I have gone through a lot of DE as adding this shock just tends to cause my DE filter and DE on it to turn blue and then reduces the flow back into the pool.

If I release the water pressure valve on the cartridge and put a test strip on it, I see a good FC level. If I put the strip in front of the return I see a good FC level. If I put a test strip in my skimmer where the pucks are, or in the pool, I have 0 FC reading. Not good. Something in the pool is eating it, no?

I don't have the test kit that you recommend, but I think I should as I have no idea with my CYA level is. I'm thinking of just draining down 1/4 of the water and then refilling to help it? Which test kit do you recommend?

Open to any suggestion, as I am afraid I'm very close to an algae problem if I don't fix this.

Thank you.
 
Howdy FlyingV....welcome to TFP! Sooooooo sorry to hear you are going thru this.... lets see what the problem may be?

First-= STAY OUTTA THE POOL STORE!....sounds counter productive, doesn't it? But yup. They often are clueless and worse case just out to sell something. Their testing is questionable at best.

Order: www.tftestkits.net. the TF-100 test kit.. OR online someplace else get the Taylor K-2006C kit. Both use Taylor reagents but a company got jiggy with the Trouble Free Pool method and decided to market a kit based on our methods. It is a better buy than the K-2006C.

We will need to know:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

Until the time it gets to you add one gallon of PLAIN liquid chlorine (10% Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine at Walmart is a good buy). Add one per day and brush the pool. When the kit comes in do all the tests and get back to us.

Can you do this? Read Pool School also....start here: ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Maddie :flower:
 
Welcome V !!
flyingv said:
I don't have the test kit that you recommend, but I think I should as I have no idea with my CYA level is. I'm thinking of just draining down 1/4 of the water and then refilling to help it? Which test kit do you recommend
Click to expand...
You most likely have sky high CYA which requires equally as high FC which can be very difficult to maintain. Over 20 ppm and its burns off much faster. See FC/CYA Levels. Order a tf-100 and a speed stir from tftestkits.com. you've spent a ton of money so far and this will be the beginning of the end.

Once we know your CYA from the test kit we can go from there, but the only way to lower it is by draining. Don't bother testing it at the pool store, their cya # is almost made up. It will probably need more than 1/4 drain, i was going to guess a 3/4 drain but its just that... a guess.

While you wait for your kit, read up on ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
 
Of course. I heard other places still had them, amazon/ebay. Or you can wait for tftestkits to get more. It just makes it much easier so you don't have to swirl by hand while adding drops with the other hand and counting. Its kinda like patting your head and rubbing your belly while counting both.
 
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It might be instructive to review the TFP article on Baqua conversions. Just to see if something was missed.
www.troublefreepool.com

Convert Your Baqua Pool to Chlorine

This Step-by-step guide will help you transform your pool from Biguanide (Baquacil, SoftSwim hereafter referred to as Baqua) to chlorine. Read more
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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An interesting development today as I wait for the test kit and speed stirrer - hopefully both will arrive by Friday. As suggested, I am putting a gallon of liquid chlorine in my pool every day until I can get things right, as well as scrubbing the sides. Yesterday was the first time I put the liquid chlorine in (the pucks in the skimmer are dissolved), around 4pm. This morning, with the pump running all night, I took a test strip sample, attached. For the FIRST TIME (other than right after I poured a massive amount of shock in the pool), the strip had a tinge of purple on it, versus NONE. Could that mean something? And I know it isn't accruate, but the strip shows stabilizer is off the charts! I'm attaching a pic of the test strip. A few questions

1. Can I swim in this pool now?
2. Should I add more liquid chlorine right now or wait until tonight around the same time as yesterday.
3. Keep filter running non stop? The DE filter pressure gauge shows the normal level so that's good.

I so much appreciate the assistance here and am getting excited about moving forward!
 

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1). Not safely until we know what your CYA is and your ability to maintain the minimum relationship between the two. With your CYA most likely as high as it is that tinge of FC isn’t sanitizing anything.

2). When performing a SLAM it needs to be added anytime it drops below the target level. The more time it spends below level, the longer the SLAM takes. Right now you are basically just trying to not let it get any worse. it won’t hurt to add now or you can just wait for later.

3). At SLAM time the filter is run 24/7. Without the proper FC levels for the SLAM you won’t be properly killing whatever is in the pool and need to filter it. But it also won’t hurt to leave it on for 2 more days.

I also had a side thought to see what kind of stairs/ ladder you had. They would have needed to have been pulled, drained and cleaned in order to remove the original Baqua.
 
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If I may ask a question,

When you were converting you mentioned you added “shock.” Do you happen to still have a bag of that around that you can peak at to tell us the active ingredient in it?
 
Leebo said:
If I may ask a question,

When you were converting you mentioned you added “shock.” Do you happen to still have a bag of that around that you can peak at to tell us the active ingredient in it?
Click to expand...
Hi, The shock at the beginning was liquid shock, in the attached picture. During all of the trouble I've had, it was BioGuard Burnout 3, ingredients are Calcium Hypochlorite: 57.8%, Other Ingredients: 42.2%
 

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Did another water strip test this AM after another dose of liquid chlorine last night as I wait for the test kit and speedstrip. No pucks left in the skimmer and NOW I have chlorine reading. Crazy.
Amazing to me that, still, that pucks NEVER gave me this. Even after shocking, the next day I would never see a FC level. Glad I found this forum, and looking forward to getting a system going.
 

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The big laminated card that comes in the kit details the tests very well. It seems hard but it is as easy can be if you just do what it says one step at a time.

with the CYA test, the # goes by 10s and gets rounded up to the next ten so don’t even bother with the 1-9 parts. 71=80, etc. just fill to the next line and look. Then fill to the next line and look again. If you are over 100 you will need to do a dilution with regular water.
 

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