Pool water went milky immediately after adding sanitizer

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blessedmamato3

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Jun 10, 2012
58
Springtown, TX
Hi all,

First, I want to say that I do not want to do chlorine. I MUST make this stuff work :).

We have a small pool (3,400 gals, 12' x 52"). We drained and refilled our pool and added the chlorine neutralizer, since our water has a LOT of chlorine naturally. We let it filter overnight. The next day we added the oxidizer and CDX and all was well. The pool guy said to add the sanitizer 8 hours after the oxidizer. So, today, I added the suggested amount of sanitizer and it immediately went completely milky. I had this happen last year when I tried to make Bacqucil work and had the same problem.

Anyway, I called the pool guy and, of course, he said to filter it for 24-48 hours and see how it goes. I did the test strip and it has plenty of oxidizer, but the sanitizer was around 30, so I topped it off. The PH and TA was within the ok range. I can dip it again if it's helpful to have numbers? I have no had the pool place run water numbers yet, thought I suspect we have high calcium, just based on the fact that our soil is highly alkaline due to calcium. Could that be the problem?

I googled and searched and couldn't find anyone with a similar problem.

Thanks!
 
Welcome to TFP!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you will have a very difficult time finding anyone that frequents these boards that is happy with baquacil. While I have no experience myself, I have read many, many threads on baqua problems and the baqua conversion, and there is nothing good that anyone says about it.

Do you have a specific reason for your aversion to chlorine?
 
Keep the sanitizer level above 50. You may have an issue as Jason stated, or algae may have started in your pool. Keeping ahead with baquacil is a pain on a good day....but can be done. Keep the stabilizer levels high, and until it clears up keep adding oxidizer.

Have you been using algicide at all? Make sure you are adding the suggested amount weekly.
 
Thanks for your replies!

I tested the pool yesterday and it said that the sanitizer was only 30, so I topped it off. Today, I checked it and it was still 30. The oxidizer level is really high though (the pad is MUCH darker than the ideal level for oxidizer). I added the required amount of oxidizer (Start up 5.3 cups - we have 3,400 gals), so I don't know why it's so high. Yesterday I could not see the bottom of the pool and today I can, so there's progress. Maybe there was algae? I hesitate to add more sanitizer at the moment, as the oxidizer seems to be eating it up. Is there a way to lower the oxidizer level?

The ph and TA are both fine. I'll take a sample in today or tomorrow and post the numbers then. I do not use separate algaecide. The sanitizer has an algaecide, so that's all I use.

I understand that most people convert to chlorine, but that's not an option. I will sell the pool before that happens. So, I'd really appreciate any help in making this work.
 
You need to use algicide with baquacil. If the pool gets any algae you've gotta fight to clean it up. The algicide in the stabilizer isn't enough to keep the pool clear. I'd suggest using the "performance" algicide (or whatever the name is) as its almost the same as polyquat 60. With a low sanitizer level, plus cloudy water I'll bet you have an outbreak. Keep the oxidizer up, and add some sanitizer to get to 50ppm. The water will clear up....but it's gonna be some time.
 
Raise your sanitizer level up to 50 and add about 5 ounces of Baquacil performance algicide. I'm guessing the pool store may also suggest you add "floc" to the pool.....but I've never had any success with that. You may also want to take an hour or so and clean out your filter some too as it maybe clogged some.
 

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Hi blessedmamato3,

Can you post a picture of the "milky" water? When you say it "immediately" turns milky after adding sanitizer, how much time is that?

I had four (bad) years using Bacquacil before switching to chlorine. I know a lot of the problems with it. Your CH isn't that high. Mine was higher when I was on Bacquacil (because the pool store kept telling me to increase my CH). In the end it wasn't CH that was my problem, it was the white water mold and pink slimy stuff that ruined my pool water. If that is indeed your problem, draining and refilling won't help because it had taken over your waterlines, pump, filter, and every nook and cranny in your pool. Bacquacil won't kill it. If you post a few pics, especially one inside your skimmer, I'll see if I recognize the water.

The fact that you are able to hold oxidizer levels would indicate that you don't have water mold. You are able to hold oxidizer levels, right?
 
That's the amount I added the day after I added the start up dose. I tested and it was still 30.

The water is almost completely clear now. I backwashed the filter and the water was pretty nasty. I would expect it to be totally clear by morning. I'll add another top off amount and the algaecide in the morning. Hopefully, it won't go milky again.

Matt, it went milky immediately after I poured it in. It did the same thing last year and I thought it was a defective product. Since it happened again I guess it wasn't after all.

Here's a picture of it at 90% clear from this afternoon. Yesterday it was so bad that I couldn't see the bottom at all.
photo-4.jpg
 
Well, your description and picture is not consistent with white water mold.

Strange, I don't know what would have cause it to immediately get milky. And the fact that is clears up quickly is another mystery. Are you adding anything else? Clarifier? Flocculent?
 

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