2 "B" or 3 "B", that is the question I ask of thee....

Jump to latest Follow Reply
M

mfwade

0
Jul 1, 2011
30
Hagerstown, MD
Hello all,

I recently switched over to the 2 “B’s” method last week, Sunday to be exact and couldn’t be happier. I thought my water was clear before, and was complimented on it several times by friends and neighbors. Now it seems to have that little extra sparkle.

The reason for my converting to the “BB” method was not due to having any issues with my pool. All parameters are correct based on the charts used here in TFP. I have never shocked my pool (bought 4 bags of shock last year and sold to neighbor just a few weeks ago). He didn’t believe me, and then looked at the dates I wrote on the bags when purchased. He also seemed in awe that I have never had any issues with my pool. Seems that if I didn’t have an algae problem, I may be doing something wrong ? . The old method of chlorination was via the 3” pucks (GLB DuoGuard). The only other chemicals I used were Baking Soda (right from the beginning), Stabilizer, and GLB Natural Clear. The reason I switched was simple; I was tired of fighting the CYA battle. I told myself at the beginning of the swimming season that if the CYA level reached 70 I would switch to the BBB method. It finally reached 69 last Sunday. I pulled the remaining Chlorine pucks from the chlorinator and set out on a new adventure!

Why only Bleach and Baking soda you ask? Well to be honest, I am asking all of you whether or not I should add the 3rd “B” to my pool along with additional questions. What are the Pro’s and Con’s of doing so? Seems that searching the Internet for answers can be good and/or bad.

I also have one other concern, the addition of Phosphates as a result of using liquid Chlorine. In reading this site I understand that if I maintain the correct levels of Chlorine, it shouldn’t be an issue. Also, if I understand correctly, if I am concerned about Phosphates, I can use a product like “ULTIMA NIX” to remove Phosphates, which also eliminates and prevents algae growth. I would like to hear what others are doing with their pools.

My latest set of test results:

FC 6.13
TC 6.27
PH 7.5
ALK 94
CH 199
CYA 55
Water Temp 79.3
Filter PSI 16
Test time: 7:15 PM

Sorry if I added to much info regarding the test. I have an excel spreadsheet that details every test ever taken on the pool including the amount of chemicals dispensed. This assisted me in learning my pool (new ABG as of last year, never had a pool before).

Thank you all in advance for your contributions to this site and willingness to help others!

Thank you,

Marvin
 
I use the AB method. All my pool ever gets is Acid and Bleach. ('cept when I leave town, then it gets Trichlor pucks.) And I can toss a coin in the deep end and call heads or tails from the deck.

Borates are optional. I use pool water on my lawn, trying desperately to lower the CH level by drain and refills. Why add something only to pump it out? And I've been to Death Valley. Not much grows around the old Borax Works...

My phosphates haven't been tested since I bought the place almost 3 years ago, and I've never had an algae outbreak, nor even cloudy water.
 
Re: 2 "B" or 3 "B", that is the question I ask of thee....

Like Richard said, the borates are optional. But borax is often used to raise the pH. If you do not suffer from low pH, then you may never need the third B.

What test kit are you using? We are often sceptical when we see so many decimal places. Although it sounds like what you are doing is working great :goodjob:

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone ;)
 
I added borates to my pool once I recovered it from foreclosure because I suffer eczema and was worried chlorine would dry my skin. Borax is used in a lot of skin care products.
IMHO it has made my liner squeaky clean with no brushing, boosts sparkle, but more importantly, makes the water feel extra soft and silky -- a friend who was over Friday night remarked that his skin didn't feel like he had been swimming (we're hoping to convert his wife to bbb ;))

In my case, the borates seemed to help stabilize ph drift a little as well. But I did not ave a season without to compare, and many of these features are also features of a well balanced "bb" or "abb" pool as well ;)

In my case, my dishydrotic eczema has just about completely disappeared for the first time in ten years, without steroids. So I'm a fan, and I credit the borax.

Btw, if you decide to add and you hate handling muriatic acid as much as I do, pro team makes supreme plus, which is ph neutral (there is also a cheaper version that is not ph neutral, FYI.) it's quite a bit more expensive, but I am notoriously clumsy with acid, so we figure the added expense might be worth preserving an eye (yes, I wear goggles and still have managed to burn skin on corner of my eye during a bad over-the-pool pour).
 
I am like Richard, the only thing my pool ever gets is bleach and acid, with the acid amount being well under a gallon per year. The thing about phosphates is they are algae food, and as long as you maintain correct chlorine levels the algae never has a chance to get started so why worry about how much food it has. Also where did you see that bleach/liquid chlorine adds phosphates? There should be NONE in bleach.

Ike
 
jblizzle, I am using a Lamotte ColorQ Pro 7 Test Kit with version 5.01 software. While I can't comment on what issues I have read about in these forums, it seems to work very well for me, The tests are predictable and repeatable. Since converting over to the BB method, I will now need to order one of the recommended test kits outlined on this site as the ColorQ only measures to 10 for FC and TC. Should there be a need to shock my pool, I will not be able to correctly measure the chlorine levels with what I currently have.

duraleigh, I stopped in a pool store (big mistake) to see what they had in pool toys. Right away they tried to sell me some chemicals. The topic turned to the BBB method and right off the bat the sales person stated that I would experience a multitude of problems including high phosphates as a result of adding "bleach" or liquid chlorine. I asked him then why does he sell it (it being 12.5% chlorine), nothing but back peddling then. It did get me thinking hence the question posted to this forum. If it has no merit, so be it. If there is merit, please help me to understand.

I like the idea of the feeling of soft water in my pool. We also have a water softener in out home and we are on city water. The reason, high doses of chlorine and over 10 grains hardness. Anyway, I picked up 5 boxes of 10 Mule Team Borax from Walmart today, go figure, it cleaned out the shelf. I will go back in 2 days and buy the remaining boxes I need then head on over to Lowes and pick up the Muriatic Acid. Any suggestions from the experienced before I start the process?

Again, Thank you all in advance for your contributions to this site and willingness to help others!

Thank you,

Marvin
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply