To Baquacil or not to Baquacil...that is the question.

[brent.roberts]

I was searching for a Canadian distributor for Baq after we move into this house 3 years ago and inherited the pool.

Baq type treatements are not goverment approved up here for sanitation.
During the searching for distributors, Google offered up this site. Since then I have read case after case of people with algae blooms and after they get rid of the green they have this yukie milk that seems to be next to impossible to get rid of .

Just last week a new member here admitted spending $ 1500 in a few weeks trying to get rid of the milk. For maybe $100 for chlorine ( bleach ) and I think new sand, they got clear water.

I am so happy I could not get anyone to accept my startup order for $ 500 -700 of Baq products. There are some people out there that are happy with Baq but once it goes into tilt mode, the sound of the cash register rings frequently until the light comes on and they give up.

Too bad we had the computer crash so you could read the cases. From where I'm sitting its a no brainer.

[VOLDADDY]

Why on Earth would you consider doing Baquacil again??? Are you not draining it now because of Baquacil? BBB and chlorine are 1 in the same, BBB = Bleach, Baking Soda, and Borax. I highly recommend using the BBB method and running as fast as you can from Baquacil. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[radialaced]

Why on Earth would you consider doing Baquacil again??? Are you not draining it now because of Baquacil? BBB and chlorine are 1 in the same, BBB = Bleach, Baking Soda, and Borax. I highly recommend using the BBB method and running as fast as you can from Baquacil. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Okay, I'm convinced that I'm not doing Baq. I don't want to drain my pool all the time anyway. If my liner doesn't stretch and rip this time I don't want to drain it again, period.

So everyone here says BBB or Chlorine. When you guys use the BBB method do you use any tablets in the skimmer at all?

Thanks,
Rick

[duraleigh]

When you guys use the BBB method do you use any tablets in the skimmer at all?

Yes and No. Used judiciously, Tri-chlor (tabs) can be helpful for vacations and fine tuning some water balance details.

On start up, I would encourage you to stick with bleach. Once your up and running and your water is in good shape, the tabs can be helpful occaisionaly but they should not be used year in and year out because of the excessive CYA build up they cause.

Read through this forum and notice ALL the threads having water issues because of the extended (and extensive) use of tabs.

[prh129]

And just to clarify, BBB uses chlorine (from the first B - bleach) so everyone is using chlorine.

Peter

[brent.roberts]

I was in the pool store yesterday to pick up some skimmer socks. They had "liquid shock" on sale in gallon jugs. It is exactly the same chemistry as the liquid chlorine they sell in bulk, that's the same as unscented bleach.

Sodium hyporchlorite is sodium hypochlorite.

Generally the cheapest place to get it is Walmart. From there all the costs go up to the absurdity I saw yesterday. 12 % sodium hypochlorite sold in a gallon jug as "liquid shock" at 4 1/2 times the price of the equivalent concentration at Walmart.

The guy in front of me in the checkout with his gallon ( and a bottle of copper based algicide ) got "poolstored".

[lizzie64]

Just last week a new member here admitted spending $ 1500 in a few weeks trying to get rid of the milk. For maybe $100 for chlorine ( bleach ) and I think new sand, they got clear water.

That new member was me. I couldn't be happier with the conversion. My pool has never sparkled like it does now. I'm so happy and so are my boys. They can now see the toys at the bottom of the deep end.

[radialaced]

pool is full of clear water, 24ft round 4 feet deep.

but.....I put too much bleach in.... three gallons in, so my chlorine must be about 12ppm.

too strong for people right?

how long will it take to go down?

Thanks people.

P.S. anyone want to buy some baquacil products cheap? ;-)

Rick

[brent.roberts]

I'm not so sure about "safe" but it might be a little rough on the eyes. Someone with more knowledge on this will need to respond here.

You should download the small program called bleachcalc that was created by MW Smith, one of our forum members.

Here is the link http://home.earthlink.net/%7Emwsmith...achCalc262.exe

It will help you calculate your pool volume, and from there, let you put in numbers for how much bleach, borax, etc to add to make a given change in your water. Note: the numbers are for the change desired, not the end result.
EG if your free chlorine is 2 and you want to raise it to 5, you enter 3 ... the desired change. Real cool little program. It will help avoid situations like this.

Leave the cover off the pool to help lower the chlorine level.

Enjoy the clear water.

[radialaced]

I'm not so sure about "safe" but it might be a little rough on the eyes. Someone with more knowledge on this will need to respond here.

You should download the small program called bleachcalc that was created by MW Smith, one of our forum members.

Here is the link http://home.earthlink.net/%7Emwsmith...achCalc262.exe

It will help you calculate your pool volume, and from there, let you put in numbers for how much bleach, borax, etc to add to make a given change in your water. Note: the numbers are for the change desired, not the end result.
EG if your free chlorine is 2 and you want to raise it to 5, you enter 3 ... the desired change. Real cool little program. It will help avoid situations like this.

Leave the cover off the pool to help lower the chlorine level.

Enjoy the clear water.

Thanks Brent,

You've been real helpful. I've got the program, it's really slick.

How do I know what my target values are that I am shooting for?

Thanks,
Rick