pjs518 said:
whether it be bacquacil or chlorine every pool chemcial has its pros and cons
Pros and cons, yes, but in terms of the statistical frequency of problems, no. There are many users of Baquacil on a percentage basis that run into problems after some number of years, but very very few that use chlorine with a good test kit and managing the chlorine/CYA levels properly that have any issues. Take a look at almost any pool forum (
TFP,
PoolForum,
PoolWizard) and you'll find many dissatisfied Baquacil users. This is inherent in the nature of Baquacil that is only a membrane-active biocide where white water mold in particular can develop resistance and become difficult to kill. This does not happen with chlorine since it has multitude modes of attack where it combines with and/or oxidizes many organic molecules in both the membrane and in the cell itself (most proteins, enzymes, DNA, etc.) and looks very much like water in molecular terms.
It isn't impossible to be successful with Baquacil, but it is far more expensive, can require complete water replacement periodically, and require the use of a product such as
ProTeam System Support to deal with white water mold when it eventually gets really bad. If one is truly allergic to chlorine and bromine (which is extremely rare), then I can understand one using Baquacil, but for most people a properly managed chlorine pool is inexpensive, easy and safe, especially in a residential environment with an outdoor pool.