Baquacil vs. Chlorine pools

[bmar]

We've been using Baquacil for the past few years in our pool, but every year it turns green at least twice. We started with Baquacil because the salesman told us it was better for your skin and swimsuits. It worked great the first year, then the next year we fought red algae all summer and couldn't use the pool for a majority of the time and spent a ton of money. Last year was a little better, but we still had a couple of spells of green pool. Now that we've had problems, the pool folks tell us that it's hard to fix problems when using Baquacil. I also think chlorine products are cheaper than Baquacil...cheaper would be a very good thing. Any thoughts on switching?

[traci]

Originally Posted by bmar

We've been using Baquacil for the past few years in our pool, but every year it turns green at least twice. We started with Baquacil because the salesman told us it was better for your skin and swimsuits. It worked great the first year, then the next year we fought red algae all summer and couldn't use the pool for a majority of the time and spent a ton of money. Last year was a little better, but we still had a couple of spells of green pool. Now that we've had problems, the pool folks tell us that it's hard to fix problems when using Baquacil. I also think chlorine products are cheaper than Baquacil...cheaper would be a very good thing. Any thoughts on switching?

What exactly is Baquacil? We have a salt-water pool and it's very cheap to maintain. Buy a 40 lb. bag of salt at Home Depot for 4 bucks, and throw it in when the levels get low. Easy, and much easier on skin/eyes, etc...

[Doggiemom]

I've had a "chlorine" pool for 5 years now. No problems what-so-ever! Very easy to maintain IMHO. I also have a cartridge filter, easy too! If you can, switch to clorine.

[JJJ]

Used baquicil for 3 years and averaged $350.00- $500.00 a year... $30.00 just to schock the pool... When I had trouble (pink slime) it took for ever to clear up. It does work okay, but cost was a concern... I ordered $150.00 worth of chlorine chemicals and that's more than enough for the whole year... Really haven't noticed anymore fading in the liner or in swimsuits.... And a bottle of lotion for dry skin is only a couple bucks.....

[MikenJulie]

We just converted my parent's indoor pool over to salt water from chlorine. We use chlorine in all our hot tubs too, always been reliable and cheap, don't see us changing.

[mlsbkp]

Originally Posted by bmar

We've been using Baquacil for the past few years in our pool, but every year it turns green at least twice. We started with Baquacil because the salesman told us it was better for your skin and swimsuits. It worked great the first year, then the next year we fought red algae all summer and couldn't use the pool for a majority of the time and spent a ton of money. Last year was a little better, but we still had a couple of spells of green pool. Now that we've had problems, the pool folks tell us that it's hard to fix problems when using Baquacil. I also think chlorine products are cheaper than Baquacil...cheaper would be a very good thing. Any thoughts on switching?

We switched from Baquacil to Chlorine a couple of years ago in our hot tubs. The lady we bought the hot tub from recommended it and even though we looked at hers and saw " big cloudy bubbles" we thought we would give it a try. We found it hard to regulate the Baquacil - we would get bubbles, cloudy water, a slimey feeling and sometimes a strange odor. We switched to Chlorine - which has proven to be a lot cheaper - and have not had any of the above issues.

[MikenJulie]

There's always the Bromine option with hot tubs too (not sure for pools), but I never cared for the "smell and feel" of bromine. Chlorine gives me the "hey this smells and looks sanitary" kind of results, which is good considering you have a stag party, there's 10 guys in the tub (I have a 550 Imperial gallon tub at the lake), which is pretty much a ballsack, penis, and hairy man arse soup. You bet I want chemicals in there, screw the hippy stuff!

[bmar]

What exactly is Baquacil?

I really don't know what I'm talking about (what's new), but my understanding is that Baquacil is a non-chlorine pool system. It includes shock, santizer and algicide products. It's great as long as you have no problems, other than it's pretty expensive.

We have a salt-water pool and it's very cheap to maintain. Buy a 40 lb. bag of salt at Home Depot for 4 bucks, and throw it in when the levels get low. Easy, and much easier on skin/eyes, etc...

I really haven't heard anything about a salt-water pool, but I really like the cost. You just poor salt in? Does it work as the shock or sanitizer?

Used baquicil for 3 years and averaged $350.00- $500.00 a year... $30.00 just to schock the pool... When I had trouble (pink slime) it took for ever to clear up. It does work okay, but cost was a concern... I ordered $150.00 worth of chlorine chemicals and that's more than enough for the whole year... Really haven't noticed anymore fading in the liner or in swimsuits.... And a bottle of lotion for dry skin is only a couple bucks.....

Is it hard to convert to chlorine? My husband wanted to convert 2 years ago, but I listened to the salesman...now I'm gonna listen to people without an agenda!

Thanks everyone!

[Icon oclast]

Chlorine gas is still the cheapest and most effective means of maintaining pool water quality. the salesman was trying to sell you a more expensive product. I ran a municipal swimming pool for about 10 years. If you test your water every day for ph, alkalinity and chlorine residual you will never have smelly or corrosive water. For smaller pools a hockey puck of stabilized chlorine in the skimmer or feeder will keep the residual and the ph balanced. They have been predicting the demise of chlorine as a disinfectant for 20 years, but still haven't found a better alternative. good Luck.

[Icon oclast]

A roperly maintained pool will have no odor whatsoever. The beuty of chlorine, especially gas chlorine is the ability to superchlorinate quickly and then bring it back to 1 to 3 ppm almost immediately.

[bmar]

What's gas chlorine? Our pool is a lovely shade of dark green right now, we haven't put any chemicals in it yet. Will we have to drain it to switch over to chlorine, or are there products that will do it.

We're really looking for a product that will make the pool easier to maintain and cheaper. One year we spent hundreds of dollars and still had a green pool for 3 weeks!

[JJJ]

I converted at the start of the season... When the levels were down to nothing.. If the pool is open, I have known people to change in the middle of the year when the level is down and then using chlorine shock.. I didn't want to do it that way as their pools turned brown for a while from the chemical reaction.... I am pretty sure baquicil itself is a Hydrogen Peroxided based chemical... I think it says that on the box. Baquicil I only shocked once a month, but was more than if I had to schock once week with chlorine... Even though I have never done that. I have been told that chlorine is harder on pool tools and filters, but I can't say I notice any more rusting on the my filter...

[JJJ]

Originally Posted by bmar

What's gas chlorine? Our pool is a lovely shade of dark green right now, we haven't put any chemicals in it yet. Will we have to drain it to switch over to chlorine, or are there products that will do it.

We're really looking for a product that will make the pool easier to maintain and cheaper. One year we spent hundreds of dollars and still had a green pool for 3 weeks!

When people ask me how I have time for a pool... I tell them I only put about 1.5 days into it. Opening and closing. Some of the automatic vaccums work really well. I got $150.00 baraccuda that works great. I only use the manual vaccuum in the spring. I shock every 10 days keep the chlrone level high and leave the filter on 24/7...

[Icon oclast]

Originally Posted by bmar

What's gas chlorine? Our pool is a lovely shade of dark green right now, we haven't put any chemicals in it yet. Will we have to drain it to switch over to chlorine, or are there products that will do it.

We're really looking for a product that will make the pool easier to maintain and cheaper. One year we spent hundreds of dollars and still had a green pool for 3 weeks!

You shouldn't have to drain the pool to switch over. Your pool supplier can tell you what to superchlorinate at initially. If there is any algae, it will die off and float or sink and be filtered out. you may need to backwash your pool filters daily or several times a day if there is a large algae die-off. Gas chlorine comes in 150 lb. cylinders and is used in larger pools. They make a convenient hockey puck sized stabilized chlorine product that works great in residential pools. once you get the hang of it, it is actually kind of fun monkeying with the testing and maintenance. If you have a white pool, the water should be a crystal clear blue. Green pool equals trouble.

[Terry]

Originally Posted by bmar

I really haven't heard anything about a salt-water pool, but I really like the cost. You just poor salt in? Does it work as the shock or sanitizer

Salt systems still require you to balace the levels in your pool. Salt reacts to an electrical charge and produces chlorine. The system comes with a computer to control the amount of chlorine production. You can shock the pool by adjusting the production to 100%. Chlorine that is purchased at the store contains stabilizer which keeps he chlorine from breaking down in the heat and sun. With a salt system you have to buy stabilizer and add periodically. Stabilizer runs about $100 a year. The pool tastes salty but not that much, and you still have a slight chlorine smell.