I've read for years on the BBB method, but I've had pretty good luck with a salt water generator pool. It does require a high use of acid, but it pretty much eliminates the need for storing chorine - which I really like. If I'm on it and watch things closely, I can get thru an entire year without an algae bloom or having to shock my pool.
However, my salt water generator (now over 10 years old) has died. I've gone thru three salt cells, and repaired the generator once. I think it's time for a change. I'm thinking this would be a good time to switch over to the true-and-tried BBB method. I'm not sure if I'll use liquid chorine (from pool store or Home Depot) vs plain-old bleach from grocery store yet.
So here's my two main concerns ....
1) With a salt level of 3000 ppm to run a SWG, do I need to drain the entire pool to switch to BBB? Or can I just lower the level of salt to an acceptable maximum? What would that salt level be? I live in southern California, so the price of water out here is rather high. Furthermore, we don't "winterize" our pools, so it's pretty much an around-the-year full maintenance for our pools. I'm not complaining, but I'm thinking wintertime is more ideal to do this conversion since there's less UV rays and swimmer activity to burn up the chorine. Right?
2) I have manufactured travertine as coping around our pool and over spa spillway. I've noticed the stone seems to "dissolve" holes and create pitting where salt water makes a lot of contact with it. Will the BBB method pretty much eliminate further disintegration of the stone? I was given an epoxy filler to repair the stone by a local stone servicing store. They showed me how to clean, acetone wash and fill the defects and then diamond polish the surface to make it look whole. But I didn't want to do this laborious task until I knew I could stop the process from reoccurring, if it is at all possible. Thoughts?
Marc
However, my salt water generator (now over 10 years old) has died. I've gone thru three salt cells, and repaired the generator once. I think it's time for a change. I'm thinking this would be a good time to switch over to the true-and-tried BBB method. I'm not sure if I'll use liquid chorine (from pool store or Home Depot) vs plain-old bleach from grocery store yet.
So here's my two main concerns ....
1) With a salt level of 3000 ppm to run a SWG, do I need to drain the entire pool to switch to BBB? Or can I just lower the level of salt to an acceptable maximum? What would that salt level be? I live in southern California, so the price of water out here is rather high. Furthermore, we don't "winterize" our pools, so it's pretty much an around-the-year full maintenance for our pools. I'm not complaining, but I'm thinking wintertime is more ideal to do this conversion since there's less UV rays and swimmer activity to burn up the chorine. Right?
2) I have manufactured travertine as coping around our pool and over spa spillway. I've noticed the stone seems to "dissolve" holes and create pitting where salt water makes a lot of contact with it. Will the BBB method pretty much eliminate further disintegration of the stone? I was given an epoxy filler to repair the stone by a local stone servicing store. They showed me how to clean, acetone wash and fill the defects and then diamond polish the surface to make it look whole. But I didn't want to do this laborious task until I knew I could stop the process from reoccurring, if it is at all possible. Thoughts?
Marc