My BC_2_CC BaquaCrud to Chlorine Conversion

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John E. Vee

John E. Vee

0
May 30, 2009
30
North Carolina
So.....is THIS what your BaquaCrud pool is looking like?
POOL18-1.jpg

"You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same......
Sometimes you wanna go.... where everybody feels your pain!" -Cheers :cheers: to TFP and to all who contribute!!!
And what a pain my BaquaCrud pool has been! Well, not in the beginning at least. We had an 18x36 Oasis shaped, vinyl lined, IG pool installed in 2006. We gave much thought as to the type of water sanitation we would use. We have 2 children and decided that the advantages of a BaquaCrud system would be well worth the extra expense of maintaining our pool. And we were happy. So satisfied with the product that I too touted its wonderful advantages over chlorine or salt systems. The clarity of the water, the silky feel on your skin, the relatively simple chemical maintenance, you'd think I was splitting the pool salesmen's commission or better yet as a previous poster said, "I owned stock in the company!"
Well (not so) fast forward to the end of 2008's swim season and I noticed that the deep end wasn't looking quite as clear as I would've liked. So with water sample in hand, its off to "the pool store" to begin what would amount to (no pun intended) a very expensive, very frustrating, very disappointing journey to clear my cloudy and worsening water. Well we finished off the season "dealing with" (pronounced:SPENDING!) the water clarity to no avail. We closed the pool and at the beginning of this year's season made a point and every effort to "start things right." Again with the water sample, the advice of the "the pool store" associate, the emptying wallet and emptying bottles, jugs and tubs of Oxidizer, Sanitizer, Algaecide, pH UP pH DOWN, Water Clarifier, oh I don't know, "why don't we try a DE alternative directly into the skimmer? Oh that didn't work either? You know, your 200lbs of sand should be good, but maybe its got channeling. Yeah, how 'bout trying some ZEO-Sand? Its a better engineered granular design that out-performs sand. THAT oughtta do it for you!" OK, now I'm gonna stop here. Stop because I'm only getting myself all worked up recalling this. And I'm sure there is a lot of head-nodding, uh-huh-ing and OMG-ing going on.
So, fast forward some more now to 2 weeks ago when I'm Google-ing looking for some answers. Looking for the answer as to why my water TURNED GREEN practically overnight. That's when I came across the TFP web site. I could not believe all the same stories and experiences that had been posted. It took me about 3 days of Forum reading and reviewing before I decided to go to the grocery store to buy my first 30 bottles of 96oz Clorox. (more on that later) I've since done my Costco run and am using 182oz. jugs. So I started my BaquaCrud Conversion on Sunday May 31st. And YES, I have been taking lotsa pictures (I'll be posting them soon) and YES on Tuesday June 2nd I received my "do it yerself junior chemist kit" the TF-100! Can I get a whoop-whoop!?! OK I gotta get going now. Gotta check the pool progress. will post pics soon.

Progress so far:

Started Clorox on Sunday. Sunday used: 16 small (96oz) jugs
Monday continued dosing. Monday used: 12 small (96oz) and 4 large (182oz) jugs
Tuesday Test 1 as a base test
Tuesday Test 1 Results:
FC 9
CC 10
TC 19
pH 7.4
T/A 100

Tuesday 2:00pm 3 big bottles
Tuesday 4:00pm 3 big bottles

Tuesday 4:20pm Test 2 results
Tuesday Test 2 4:20pm
FC 14
CC 9
TC 23
pH 7.8
T/A 120

No Clorox added
Tuesday 7:30pm Test 3 results:
Tuesday Test 3
FC 9
CC 9
TC 18
pH 7.5
T/A 120

Tuesday 9:00pm added 6 big bottles

Tuesday 11:30pm added 8 big bottles

Wednesday 9:00am Test 01 results
Wednesday Test 01 *****
FC 21
CC 11
TC 32
pH 7.5
T/A 120

******Question: Do these numbers sound right?


Wednesday 9:30am added 3 big bottles

Wednesday 2:30pm Test 02 results
Wednesday Test 02
FC 5
CC 7
TC 12
pH 7.1
T/A 120

Pool is still green, though it has lightened/cleared some particularly on the steps in the shallow end.
I will continue to dose 3 large bottles (182oz) and will sample and test after 1 hour of dosing.
Still can't post my pics.

Current time 3:30pm Wednesday
 
Hi and Welcome to TFP!

As far as your numbers are concerned, they seem a bit high, but we cannot really determine if they are right or not, because we don't know what you have done. If you could post what actions you have taken after each test result and the approximate time you did the tests, it would help us determine better if you are on the right track. Also, a picture is really worth a thousand words and we LOVE pics!...lol.

Also, let us know how often you are backwashing, if at all.

As far as your pool info goes, that would go in your siggy and your location would go in the profile. To access both, click on the User Control Panel under the TFP logo on the top left of the page. Click on profile and enter your location. Then click on edit signature to put your pool specs in your siggy. Make sure you keep it to 5 lines.

I know I have asked for a lot, but the more information we have, the better we can help you.

Good luck!
 
This is my pool prior to beginning my conversion.
These photos are a bit misleading as the color of the water was not unlike that of split pea soup!
POOL01.jpg

NOTE:The white in the pool water is clouds reflecting from the sky
POOL02.jpg


POOL03.jpg


Hey John T,
I just joined and posted my first.
I have some questions and could use some help.
I started my conversion 4 days ago.
My pool water was pea soup green.
I've added: 35 jugs of 96oz and 30 jugs 182oz Clorox
Pool water is still pea soup green though lighter.
My last 6 bottle treatment resulted in very little if any BaquaCrud foaming.
3 days before starting the conversion I used my 3rd and 4th bottle of Baqua Oxidizer and my test strips indicated (not surprisingly) a VERY dark blue.
I backwashed this morning and am operating at about 18psi.
I have my water test results posted at the bottom of my first posting.
Lemme know what additional info is required or what I need to do next.
Thanks,
John V.
 
Hi and welcome. :wave:

Funny intro.... :wink:

You should check your calculations for dosing. You are doing fine, your numbers look good....though you are a little high on that last FC test....you don't want to get that high on the FC. Stick to 15 as your target, going too high too often or too long can fade your liner.

Just keep testing, and adding bleach to raise the FC to 15.

Have you used the Pool Calculator to calculate your dosages?

What should you be doing now?
:cheers:

Have some POP. Pool Owner Patience. Grab a deck chair, have a cold one, watch the pretty colors. :mrgreen:
 
I'm adding the info I received in PM so everyone has it:

I started my conversion 4 days ago. (Sunday)
Prior to that on Thursday and then again on Friday I used a total of 4 bottles of Oxidizer.
Needless to say my test strip was a dark blue.

Day 1 Sunday I used 4 96oz bottles 4 x's = 1536oz = 24 gallons
Day 2 Monday I used 4 96oz bottles 4 x's = 1536oz = 24 gallons
Day 3 Tuesday I used 6 182oz bottles 4 x's = 4368oz = 68 gallons
Day 4 Wednesday I've used 3 182oz bottles once = 546oz = 8 gallons
Total so far: 124 gallons Clorox bleach

I've been backwashing once a day when pressure gets around 24psi. I drop it down to about 18psi after 2-2 1/2 mins and the sight glass clears. I last bleached at 8:00am this morning.
I will add time info to test results as best as my notes will allow me.

I'm trying to post jpegs that I've reduced down to 200-250kb file size but get an error message that the file is too big. Any ideas?
 
Ok, using the pool calculator, your initial dose of bleach should have been (8) 96oz bottles of bleach. That would increase your FC to 15. After the initial dose, you should test your CL levels as often as possible and add enough bleach to bring your FC level back up to 15. You would use the pool calculator and enter your current FC reading and your target FC reading and it will tell you how much bleach to add.

At this point it looks as though you are going a bit overboard with the amount of bleach you need. You only need to keep your FC at 15.

Your goal is to get down to 0 CC's and have the FC hold overnight with less than a 1ppm loss.

Make sure you are using the pool calculator determine your dosing requirements. Here's the link:

http://www.poolcalculator.com/

ETA: I forgot to answer the picture question. I use photobucket and resize the pictures to large. It works for me. Not too large and not too small.
 

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Ahhhhhh, so that's what my liner looks like! I remember now! Or better yet, I can see it!
So here's an update: I woke this morning to my wife's giddy glee as she looked out the kitchen window an exclaimed "Honey, I can see the bottom of the pool in the shallow end!" "And the deep end ain't looking so bad either!" -She's an English teacher. :roll:
My last Clorox dose was on Wednesday @ 8:00am.
I performed a water test @ 3:00pm

Test Wed_02_3p Results:
FC 5
CC 7
TC 12
pH 7.1
T/A 120
Air Temp 85

A storm came through last night so I didn't manage to do a follow up test.
I have still not added any more Clorox. Though according to the Pool Calculator, maybe I did go a bit overboard! :oops:
You know, a little is good so a lot must be gooder! :lol:
So here's Thursday's morning test results performed @ 7:00am

Test Th_01_7a Results:
FC 1
CC 6
TC 7
pH 7.2
T/A 110
Air Temp 70

Will post more pics soon.
 
Thursday 12:15pm
I sampled the water 45 minutes after dosing with (4) 182oz Clorox bottles.
There is some more improvement in the deep end. A thin layer of "dust-like" residue rests at the bottom.
I have the Polaris running, sure that the vacuuming will make quite a difference in clarity.
Pool filter pressure is operating at 18psi.
Water level has come down just a bit near the skimmer indicator mark.
I think I will have to "top off" the pool water prior to my backwash later on today.

Thu_02_12p Test Results:
FC 14
CC 6
TC 20
pH 7.4
T/A 120
Air Temp 75
 
Looks like you are on the right track. :goodjob: You're pH is a bit low. You should bring it up to about 7.6. Use your reading from this morning before adding the bleach (7.2) to calculate how much borax or washing soda you need to add. Higher FC readings will make the pH reading higher than it actually is.

I don't know if using the polaris while converting is a good idea. You will have to change your filter media when you are almost done with the conversion and using the polaris means you will have to clean the heck out of it to make sure there is no baquacrud left in it. I don't have one, but maybe someone that does can chime in on the wisdom of using it during the conversion.
 
heatmisr said:
You're pH is a bit low. You should bring it up to about 7.6. Use your reading from this morning before adding the bleach (7.2) to calculate how much borax or washing soda you need to add
Click to expand...
Not a good idea, I 'm afraid. This is a baquacil conversion, so we want the PH to be between 7.2 and 7.4 when the FC level is low.

If I am following correctly, your FC level only fell by about 1 in 45 minutes. That means you are moving into the second half of the conversion, where FC levels fall more slowly. You might want to check the FC level less often during the day and focus more on evenings. When the FC level is falling more slowly, you lose more chlorine to sunlight. You can save on chlorine by only raising the FC level in the evening, though it does slow down the conversion a little.
 
JasonLion said:
heatmisr said:
You're pH is a bit low. You should bring it up to about 7.6. Use your reading from this morning before adding the bleach (7.2) to calculate how much borax or washing soda you need to add
Click to expand...
Not a good idea, I 'm afraid. This is a baquacil conversion, so we want the PH to be between 7.2 and 7.4 when the FC level is low.

If I am following correctly, your FC level only fell by about 1 in 45 minutes. That means you are moving into the second half of the conversion, where FC levels fall more slowly. You might want to check the FC level less often during the day and focus more on evenings. When the FC level is falling more slowly, you lose more chlorine to sunlight. You can save on chlorine by only raising the FC level in the evening, though it does slow down the conversion a little.
Click to expand...


I didn't know that. Why is that?

I don't think he is in the second half yet. Between 3pm wed and 7am thurs, he lost 4ppm of FC and 1ppm of CC.
 
Definitely into the second half. During the first half you lose all of your FC in an hour, let alone overnight. Losing only 4 ppm overnight means at least 3/4 of the way there.

When there isn't any CYA in the water, which is true during a conversion, chlorine is more effective at lower PH levels. Since the amounts of chlorine used in a conversion are so large, it is important to help it be as effective as possible. Once there is CYA in the water the PH doesn't affect the chlorine very much..
 
Thursday 7:00pm
OK. I just made another Costco run for more Clorox.
I picked up (6) cases of (3) 182oz. bottles for a total of 18 bottles on hand.
Don't worry, I won't be dumping all these in at one time. :oops:
Case cost was $7.35 with a per bottle cost of $2.45 pre-tax.
I understand that I've made it past the 1/2 way mark and things are looking (and feeling) good!
My pH is apparently a bit low so I checked at Costco for Borax- they had none.
Off to WalMart to pick up the other 2 "B's", Baking soda and Borax.
Found a 4lb. box of Arm & Hammer baking soda @ $2.12.
Picked up (3) boxes of 76oz. (just under 5lbs.) 20 Mule Borax.
I'll be dumping the 5 pounder this evening and shortly after will dose (4) large Clorox.
I'll test prior to adding these and test again before 8:00am Friday morning.
 

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