BBB method is it right for me?

[pbhound]

hello all,

wanted to say thanks for your help on other topics...

i would like to swap to the BBB method but i have one BIG concern; my daughter has eczema, and it reacts to so many different things, we have to use one particular laundry detergent and it has to be liquid because of this; anyway we got an ionizer to help reduce the amount of chemicals (chlorine) that we put in the pool to try to avoid agrivating her Eczema.

my question is would switching to the BBB method do anything to her eczema (causing a reaction or nothing at all)? also would i still be able to use the ionizer?

thanks for your help.

 

[JohnT]

Chemically, BBB is no different than conventional pool care. The key to the method is to know what is going on in the water and to know what effects the chemicals you add will have on the water. That's why we encourage everyone to test their own water with a kit that gives accurate results.

Since you know about your water and the chemicals you use, you'll typically operate at more reasonable levels without extremes in either direction and with better sanitation, so I'd expect it would be better for everyone, your daughter included.

 

[svenpup]

JohnT said it well; accurate testing and keeping the pool balanced according to the TFP principals can only help.

My guess would be that an SWCG might be even better. My understanding is that a salt soak can help relieve the eczema symptoms. Also, with an SWCG you can maintain a lower chlorine level and still maintain proper sanitization.

Your subject reminds me of those pharmaceutical ads...

• "Ask your doctor if BBB is right for you. Side effects may include sparklypoolitis and intolerance with pool store employees and neighbors who ask why your pool is so nice and then disregard your advice."

 

[anonapersona]

I did a quick search of eczema and pools and found this article that suggest that chlorine may be a good thing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/health/01case.html?_r=1&ref=science

Otehr articles were both pro and con, but the articles were not able to be scientific about the difference between pools that smell of chlorine and were deemed bad (due to high CC which is known to be an irritant to everyone) and well maintained pools. The BBB method will keep the level of CC down since if you measure more than a trace you will shock until it is gone, no one swims in high CC water. One article said that algaecides were irritating, and the BBB method will allow you to avoid that easily. Some articles said saltwater was good, others said it was drying to the skin, so you might want to drop in at a saltwater pool to see for yourself if it is good or not.

[edit] another site, Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eczema-bleach-bath/AN02003 I had to check to see what FC level is with the recommended 1/2 cup of 6% bleach in a 40 gallon bath.... approx 50 ppm!!! With a regular pool on BBB the normal FC level is often 3 to 8 ppm, so I don't know if a chlorine pool would even approximate the results seen with a blech bath twice a week.

 

[pbhound]

I did a quick search of eczema and pools and found this article that suggest that chlorine may be a good thing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/health/01case.html?_r=1&ref=science

Otehr articles were both pro and con, but the articles were not able to be scientific about the difference between pools that smell of chlorine and were deemed bad (due to high CC which is known to be an irritant to everyone) and well maintained pools. The BBB method will keep the level of CC down since if you measure more than a trace you will shock until it is gone, no one swims in high CC water. One article said that algaecides were irritating, and the BBB method will allow you to avoid that easily. Some articles said saltwater was good, others said it was drying to the skin, so you might want to drop in at a saltwater pool to see for yourself if it is good or not.

[edit] another site, Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eczema-bleach-bath/AN02003 I had to check to see what FC level is with the recommended 1/2 cup of 6% bleach in a 40 gallon bath.... approx 50 ppm!!! With a regular pool on BBB the normal FC level is often 3 to 8 ppm, so I don't know if a chlorine pool would even approximate the results seen with a blech bath twice a week.

thank you so much for the info... like you said there are many articles that say bleach is good and bad for eczema; but from our experience she does get a reaction to chlorine (it might not be a bad one but any reaction is enough for me to not do it). and with the ionizer (uses copper instead of chlorine) she has not had any reaction at all, thats why i was wondering how the BBB method would stack up. i posted on another topic about the chemicals that i use (linked a pic) and i will do the same here...

the only chemicals that i have used since the end of june have been chlorine shock and non-chlorine shock pool shock during the hard months (lots of rain) we would chlorine shock on sundays and non-chlorine shock on wed. she had no reaction to those at all (no one would swim in the pool for at least 8 hours since we would shock at 8 or 9 pm).

thanks again...

 

[anonapersona]

When she did have a reaction to chlorine, can you be sure that it was chlorine or was it CC? Was it a pool that had what is typically called that "chlorine pool smell"?

That smell is an indication of Combined Chlorines (CC) which is known to be irritating, it has to be rather high to be noticeable by smell. A BBB pool should never have that smell because we test and treat often enough to keep that level near zero.

 

[MikeInNH]

My son has eczema on his leg and has for years. From what I can see different people have different reactions. We used Namco's version of Baquacil when we first got our pool, he noticed it stung slightly but otherwise had no visual reaction. We later switched to the BBB method and it actually would clear up in the swimming months. I read that a small amount of chlorine can help the eczema. This spring we added a cheap SWG so introduced salt but the pool is still BBB. No change over liquid bleach, the eczema clears up during the swimming months. I figured I'd give you our case, we really love our pool on BBB. :-D

 

[zea3]

Hi, I have a few questions...
Since you have used a chlorine product previously (cal-hypo), did you let it all burn off before allowing her to swim?
What do you use to test your pool?

If you are concerned about maintaining a lower level of chlorine, a saltwater chlorine generator (SWG) may be the answer for you. Since they generate chlorine slowly over a period of time, you can keep a lower chlorine level than you would with a manually chlorinated pool. The Intex SWG are fairly inexpensive and if you were not satisfied with it you shouldn't have any problem selling it to someone else.