Weekend Baquacil Conversion

[Watermom]

Great to hear your pool is clearing. After it looking so green during the conversion, it is hard to believe it will turn clear again, isn't it?

I would wait a few more days before adding cya. The container will tell you how much to add per volume to get to a desired level. I would initially shoot for 25-30. You can always add more later if you need to, but if you add too much now, the only way to lower it is to do a partial drain. Can't comment on the price from Leslie's - especially not knowing how big the bucket is. I don't remember how much I paid for my cya a month ago. Maybe somebody who recently bought it can comment on that question for you. You can put it in an old sock, but what I do is just dump it in the skimmer and let it dissolve in the filter. Your choice. Both ways are fine. The container may say to broadcast it across the pool, but don't do that because it will just lay on the pool floor for days waiting to dissolve.

Yes to shocking a couple more days. Then, after your conversion is done, you'll need to change your sand.

You're in the home stretch now! Glad we could help. You will not be sorry that you switched to chlorine from 'baquagoop!'

[b2001]

The change from green to clear was so sudden, I almost couldn't believe it.

I don't have a sand problem - I have a cartridge filter. I've been trying to ride the current filter, because I will chunk all filters and get a new one when I'm essentially baquapoop-free.

I'm acutally considering getting a sand filter and operating in parallel with the cartridge filter with cutoff valves so that only one filter operates at a time and use the sand filter for "heavy load" work and the cartridge filter for "pristine" work.

I'm going to see how I go thru some storms with chlorine before I pull the trigger. Baquacil was a complete and utter failure after rainstorms with all the oak trees hanging over my pool.

[duraleigh]

b,

If you put in your CYA prior to changing your cartridge, I wouldn't put it in the skimmer. It may accumulate in the cartridge for a few days and then you'll throw it out with the cartridge.

Good Job....Clorox is good stuff, huh?

[duraleigh]

b,

duraliegh, well I'm pulling my cartridge out two to three times a day now to clean - unless you're saying that it will lodge in the filter, and when I throw the filter away, I loose it. If that's the case, I can wait until I get a new filter. If I'm going to loose it when I power wash the filter, then I guess I can throw it in the pool although I didn't want it to sit on the bottom. How long does it take to dissolve?

Yep, it probably will lodge in your filter. May take as much as a week to dissolve completely.

[mjones]

Ok, I have talked my husband into converting to cl!! Now, I need help!! Are y'all using just regular bleach like from Wal-Mart? If so, how many gallons do I need to put in at a time? Also, my free cl is over the 10 on my strip. Total hardness 0-100, total cl +10, ph 6.8, alk 120. I put more algaecide in pool yesterday. I have a sand filter. I don't think that the gauge is working because when pump is off, it is still on 30-35. When on it is 50-55, & when backwashing it is 40-45. I have been using chlorinating granules that are 56% cl. I have put a total of 15-2 lb bottles in since last Friday. I am excited & scared about this conversion. I really need reassurance. My husband thinks that I am going to ruin our liner that we just spent $2300 on last summer. The people that put it in told us that if we mixed cl & baq, it would ruin it, & that cl would fade it! Anyway, should I go buy a bunch of bleach today? It has been a week since 1st shock with cl, but I haven't been keeping it really high like I have been reading about, since it has been at 10 or better all week. Also, what is cya? And, my filter has a cl feeder on it. How do I use that and how much cl should I need for summer? Do I need to buy a 5 gallon bucket of tablets($96 @ lowe's)?
Thank you all sooo much for all the great help!!