thunderkyss said:
There is
another thread here, where a guy in Arizona bought a pool that was evidently treated with pucks for a long time, he has a high CYA level, but his pool is clear. So there must be a way.... maybe not as efficient or cost efficient as BBB..... but there's got to be a way.
One thing you'll find is that people who have had pools for years find this site and are amazed at how clear the water is when they follow our philosophy. They thought it was clear before, but it just gets amazingly clear when you keep things under control. I have had people just stop and stare into my pool and comment about the water "glittering". I don't think most folks even notice the haze in most pools until they see the alternative. Hotel pools look like they are full of milk to me.
The other thing is that many people open their pool the week before Memorial Day, shock the heck out of it 3 or 4 times, swim for a couple of months with regular shocking, then close a green pool in August. That does several things that allow you to get by with stabilized chlorine. One is that the shorter season reduces chlorine use and therefore CYA addition. Another is that the out of control pool during the offseason often results in little to no CYA at opening. A third is that the regular shocking hides the ineffectiveness of the normal chlorine levels at the high CYA levels. Much of the US and Canada get enough rain over the offseason to result in significant dilution too. Lastly, people are just adapted to pools burning their eyes, fading their swimwear and smelling like a pool.
BBB can be a confusing name. It implies that those particular chemicals are the answer. I've argued before that we shouldn't use it because it isn't really accurate and leads people to the wrong conclusion. For want of a better short, catchy name, it remains.
Rather than BBB, my take on our pool philosophy is "BBB is really just knowing what is happening in your water and knowing how to fix it."
Or as Jason posted once:
"Use inexpensive chemicals whenever possible (often from the grocery store)
Test your water to know what is going on
Don't add things that aren't required or which you don't understand
Empower the pool owner and stop depending on the pool store/pool service
Be consistent, pay attention to the pool and measure chemicals (don't just ignore it for a week and then nuke it)
Use simple/reliable/proven techniques, avoid fads and miracle cures"
Neither of those ideas says not to use trichlor or dichlor. I use trichlor regularly in the spring when my CYA is low. Just know what effect using them will have on your water. The only way to do that is to be educated about the chemistry and to have accurate test results.