BBB for pool services?

[lukepools]

Anyone on here that owns or works at a pool service that uses this method? Sounds interesting. Just not sure how to do it. I hear in florida, bleach is common to use for service guys. I know its hot there, so I know they probably run high CYA or visit often. Well for me, the most I'd be out is once a week. I'd see average bather load on some pools I wouldn't do it on a pool that would see high bather load. Anyone?

Luke Pools

 

[JasonLion]

There isn't any way to do straight traditional BBB with once a week visits. But daily testing and addition of bleach is only one of the elements of the BBB system. I know of a couple of companies that install bleach feed systems of one kind or another for their customers and follow the other tenants of the BBB system to at least some extent. See for example Tri-City Pool Service.

 

[chem geek]

Many pool services, including the ones in my area, just use Trichlor pucks and deal with the extra cost of having to balance pH and prevent algae growth through the use of additional chemicals such as PolyQuat 60 algaecide or phosphate removers at extra cost. I asked one of them why they didn't use an automatic dosing system such as The Liquidator or a peristaltic pump and they said that many of their customers have kids and don't want concentrated chlorine chemicals on their property, period.

As I believe was mentioned on another thread, there are some pool services that have the CYA level very high at around 100 ppm and dose using unstabilized chlorine (usually chlorinating liquid or chlorine gas) to around 14 ppm FC which then drops over a week to around 4 ppm FC at which point it's dosed up again.

BBB is not the only method; it's just the lowest cost and least hassle, especially if there is some form of automated dosing (or on-site generation as with an SWG). Also, if one has 50 ppm Borates in the pool, this not only acts as an additional pH buffer, but has some algaestatic properties. It may not completely prevent algae if the chlorine gets close to zero for too long, but it will help slow it down if it just gets low for a short time.

Richard

 

[Swimgirl]

I know some pool services out here in Arizona use chlorine gas. A friend of mine from work uses one of those services.

 

[lukepools]

There isn't any way to do straight traditional BBB with once a week visits. But daily testing and addition of bleach is only one of the elements of the BBB system. I know of a couple of companies that install bleach feed systems of one kind or another for their customers and follow the other tenants of the BBB system to at least some extent. See for example Tri-City Pool Service.

I contacted tri city about their system. They don't want to sale it. I guess it works soo well they don't want to risk it being out there. I looked at the picture. Looks like only one hose in and out of the chlorinator. Anyone have one of these?

Luke Pools

 

[launboy]

To me it looks like it's just a jug with a tube in it that goes through a valve and into the pump strainer. The valve is probably adjusted to keep the right amount of liquid chlorine constantly flowing. Hmmm, it seems so simple, why has nobody done this before?

Only two problems I see with this system is that the pump would start sucking air if the container ran out. The other problem would be what happens when the pump shuts off. A system like this on an Above Ground pool would only need a check valve to prevent it from overflowing, but on an inground the problem would be just the opposite. The chlorine would be getting sucked out and a chack valve couldn't be used. You'd need some sort of silinoid(sp?) that opens and closes with the pump.

Hmm. I may have just come up with a way to chlorinate my pool. Any reasons why doing it that way wouldn't work?

Adam

 

[JasonLion]

This has been covered before, for example in this thread. It is easy to make something that basically works, but it takes some fiddling to get the dosage rate right. The hard part seems to be figuring out a way to make something that will work off the shelf for everyone without the fiddling.