To BBB or not to BBB?

[jtblaw1]

THis will be my fourth summer season with my pool. Generally I have had luck keeping it clean with the standard fare of shocking every two weeks and chlorinating as recommended by the pool builder (Sylvan). Every once in a while I'll get algea growth on some of the walls for no apparent reason and sought help on the internet to try to prevent the same problems this year.

In any event, I have been reading your posts and Pool School and am intrigued. As you can see i have an automatic chlorinator and a Nature2 Clear Vision filter. My understanding of this filter is to allow low chlorination levels (.4 -.6 recommended).

Interestingly enough, despite the fact that this is my fourth year, I have never kept an eye on my CYA (never heard of it) and never measured or cared about Free Chlorine as oppsed to Total Chlorine.

My question basically is, can I do the BBB method while still using my automatic chlorinator and Nature2 Clear Vision filter. If so, how much will the numbers differ? I am looking for a nice crystal clear summer.

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP.

Adding metals to the water can be a problem if they accumulate, Blond swimmers are particularly susceptible to green hair, and you can get staining of your pool surface. In addition, the low chlorine level claims have been pretty well hammered as scientifically baseless, and the Australian government has prohibited them from making the low chlorine claims. The slow kill time that the metals have may be okay for maintaining a clean appearance, but when another swimmer is carrying viral or bacterial pathogens, you really don't want it swimming around for 30 minutes or more in the pool. Here's link to a thread about these sanitizers The Truth About Alternative Sanitizers

Plain and simply, you don't need the metals, but you do need the chlorine. Maintain sufficient chlorine, and your water will stay safe and clear. The appropriate chlorine level is determined by the CYA level in the water, which is shown in the Chlorine CYA Chart These levels are substantially higher than anything you'll hear from a pool store, but we have around 12,500 members here who will tell you that properly maintained water, even at those higher levels of chlorine is indistinguishable from tap water.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Despite the name, most of the BBB method centers around testing the water with a top quality test kit and being aware of what you are adding to the water and what effect it will have. So a good first step is to follow through with what JohnT is saying and start understanding the risks/problems with the approach you are using now.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Ditch the N2... I made thru three summers with total ignorance of what was going on in my pool. Around the fourth summer was when I began to experience trouble - and I now know it was from using an ionizer and following their chemistry recommendations.

I got rid of the ionizer and started BBB in 2007 and never looked back (not to mention I'm saving a ton of money in the process...)

 

[jtblaw1]

Thanks guys.