Also, to give an idea on chemicals, Oxidizer, Sanitizer and Algistat plus CDX. Just those I started last season purchasing about $800 worth... probably spent another $500 midseason just on Oxidizer and Sanitizer before I gave up.
I think there is a desire among some pool sellers and owners to be push the Chlorine free alternative. They think chlorine is bad because they don't understand what conditions make it harsh. We (on the forum) know what makes it work, others get the chlorine fear mongering marketing pitch. And others like Matt were introduced to it unknowingly by their PB's. Back before my TFP days and pre SWG, I know I was starting to look at non chlorine alternatives for my pool since my daughter had such sensitive skin reaction. The SWG fixed that, but I didn't understand why until I started hanging out here.
My pool store sells it solely for the people who demand it. It was a good 5 years of going there and one day I leaned on the display while waiting. Hey !!! What’s THIS stuff ?? They explained how much they didn’t want to even offer it as an option but a select few of their customers would go elsewhere if they didn’t.
Matt....most interesting that baqua didn't work out well for you being that I've always been told that sand works much better with Baquacil than DE filters. A friend of mine has sand and claims to have very minimal problems. He's been using baqua as long as I have.
The pool store I used - almost exclusively up until the past few years - never suggested it when I put the pool in ('89). I had no idea there were non-chlorine systems, so, of course, I started with chlorine. It was fine for several years until I started to get into a seemingly insatiable "chlorine demand" situation - at least that's how it was explained to me. I now know, however - thanks to many here who took the time to explain it all - that such was NOT the case. I only ever used granular chlorine ("stingy sticks"). Those things were ok to work with until I had to cut them so as to reduce the amount needed...whatever...can't remember anymore. Anyway, hacksawing through one of those things was not fun - nearly need a gas mask to do it for one thing. So, what REALLY happened (see if I still remember correctly) is that the solid /granular chlorine was continuing to add to the CYA level, resulting in overstabilization of the chlorine and thus creating a chlorine "lock". "Demand" is present in every pool. So it was this lock or 'tie up' that resulted in the chlorine becoming increasingly less effective. Had I been using liquid chlorine all along, it would not have increased the CYA and I might have still been using it to this day. At one point I went back through all my test print-outs from the pool store and saw how they clearly had me adding some things that really didn't need to be added. But, back then I paid little attention to stuff like the SI, CYA, etc. At any rate, along came "Softswim". Given the frustrations of adding huge amounts of (granular) chlorine to no avail, the switch to a non-chlorine system had great appeal. My friend, who used the same store, and the same chlorine method, ran into exactly the same problem, switched at the same time. We've both been on baqua ever since. I stopped using the store for testing after coming here. Most recently they decided to discontinue the 10% discount on ANY chemical purchased by me, despite my being considered a "VIP" customer (even have a card that says so...YEA!!!! Aren't you impressed now???!). They've always delivered - for free - but decided to have no discount anymore even though I was promised this forever more. I've been using them less and less in recent years cause they don't even carry Baquacil products anymore - so that probably entered into the equation as well. So I told them - 'no discount, no order' and canceled. Doesn't faze them one bit. The outfit is so big that they don't need (nor will miss) my business. You'd think 32 years of loyalty would count for something. Oh well.....water over the skimmer....
Agree completely. Baqua is an expensive system for sure.
I have 1 full unopened Sanatizer and 1 partial. Also a full opened CDX and no idea what to do with it.(thats about $90 for the rest of ya'll) All the rest of the baquacil branded pH up and down, alkalinity increaser powder is all safe for chlorine too so I shall use that stuff up before I buy anything.
Yeah, I know....all too well!
But did you ever use it as a weekly maintenance dose? That's where I left off last season. I was quite surprised, actually, and pleased with the results. You might remember the product called "Assist"? That was, at the time, the 'gold standard' for dealing with the slime and mold problems, but then they discontinued that about 4 years ago I'm thinking (?) So then is when I embarked on the search for other products to replace it. A suggestion (here) was to use "Ahhsome" - which I do like and will continue again with it this season. I experimented with "AquaFinesse Pool Water Care Tablets" but that kept raising the pH and really didn't eliminate the white water mold either. So I stopped that near the end of last year. I still maintain that at least a portion of my problems are compounded by all the work that is done on the farmers' fields on all 3 sides of the pool - with the one actively-worked field being only about 20-30 feet away from the edge of the pool. The proverbial Crud really hit the fan last summer about two days after they cut the closest field. The pool is immediate east of the field and so prevailing westerlies blow (whatever) right in the water. The filter pressure went crazy - from a starting pressure of 11 up to 20 literally in less than a day after the field work. By the next day, couldn't even see the bottom. From that point, things went south for weeks after. Probably doesn't help that there is a chicken manure pit within sight of our house (let's say the smell is, at times, very typically 'rural' depending on how the winds blow
) Then, they come along and apply chemical fertilizer to all the fields as well several times a season. That just gives me the creeps cause I always wonder about it possibly seeping down into the water vein that supplies our well. Life out in the country, ya know? You might consider trying to sell. . If you're an eBay seller by chance, I'm betting you could unload it. I had two big containers of the AquaFinesse pucks - listed them on eBay and sold both (actually got a bit more than I paid for them) within two days.
I think this season is truly the determining factor. If it turns out that the latter part of last season was a fluke and the weekly maintenance dose of line cleaner doesn't do what it did last August and September, then I don't see anything else to try in the way of continuing to use Baquacil. I was really set on converting (during last season) up until things drastically improved once I started the weely 1/2 lb. of Line Cleaner. I was intrigued by the end of the season and figured it's worth one more shot.
I believe I found here or somewhere, a method to fight back a little. When it began to get cloudy, oxidizer would rapidly disappear and water would get a haze. I would put in a gallon of Baq Oxi and within a day or two, it was nearly non-existent. I would then put 2 to 4 small packs of non-chlorine shock powder sprinkled into the pool near the inlets. Then 1 to 2 gallons of Oxidizer. Add floccant to skimmer so it would help the sand. There would be a bubbling gassy period and the water greened up. 24hrs later it seemed to clear right up. But always had to pull the light housing and scrub it, pour Oxidizer as near as possible to that hole. Also pull the ladder and wash with diluted oxi and rinse.Yeah, I know....all too well!
But did you ever use it as a weekly maintenance dose? That's where I left off last season. I was quite surprised, actually, and pleased with the results. You might remember the product called "Assist"? That was, at the time, the 'gold standard' for dealing with the slime and mold problems, but then they discontinued that about 4 years ago I'm thinking (?) So then is when I embarked on the search for other products to replace it. A suggestion (here) was to use "Ahhsome" - which I do like and will continue again with it this season. I experimented with "AquaFinesse Pool Water Care Tablets" but that kept raising the pH and really didn't eliminate the white water mold either. So I stopped that near the end of last year. I still maintain that at least a portion of my problems are compounded by all the work that is done on the farmers' fields on all 3 sides of the pool - with the one actively-worked field being only about 20-30 feet away from the edge of the pool. The proverbial Crud really hit the fan last summer about two days after they cut the closest field. The pool is immediate east of the field and so prevailing westerlies blow (whatever) right in the water. The filter pressure went crazy - from a starting pressure of 11 up to 20 literally in less than a day after the field work. By the next day, couldn't even see the bottom. From that point, things went south for weeks after. Probably doesn't help that there is a chicken manure pit within sight of our house (let's say the smell is, at times, very typically 'rural' depending on how the winds blow
You might consider trying to sell. . If you're an eBay seller by chance, I'm betting you could unload it. I had two big containers of the AquaFinesse pucks - listed them on eBay and sold both (actually got a bit more than I paid for them) within two days.
I think this season is truly the determining factor. If it turns out that the latter part of last season was a fluke and the weekly maintenance dose of line cleaner doesn't do what it did last August and September, then I don't see anything else to try in the way of continuing to use Baquacil. I was really set on converting (during last season) up until things drastically improved once I started the weely 1/2 lb. of Line Cleaner. I was intrigued by the end of the season and figured it's worth one more shot.
You are on what is the best site showing how easy, cheap, and trouble free caring for a pool can be with chlorine, and you keep making excuses to yourself why you will stick with something that’s insanely more expensive, complicated, frustrating, and doesn’t work as well. Sadly, I doubt you will ever switch. It’s really sad to see honestly.
What is the actual reason you choose to stay with the system? I mean, let’s say this new regimen “works” and minimizes your major problems.Yeah, I know....all too well!
But did you ever use it as a weekly maintenance dose? That's where I left off last season. I was quite surprised, actually, and pleased with the results. You might remember the product called "Assist"? That was, at the time, the 'gold standard' for dealing with the slime and mold problems, but then they discontinued that about 4 years ago I'm thinking (?) So then is when I embarked on the search for other products to replace it. A suggestion (here) was to use "Ahhsome" - which I do like and will continue again with it this season. I experimented with "AquaFinesse Pool Water Care Tablets" but that kept raising the pH and really didn't eliminate the white water mold either. So I stopped that near the end of last year. I still maintain that at least a portion of my problems are compounded by all the work that is done on the farmers' fields on all 3 sides of the pool - with the one actively-worked field being only about 20-30 feet away from the edge of the pool. The proverbial Crud really hit the fan last summer about two days after they cut the closest field. The pool is immediate east of the field and so prevailing westerlies blow (whatever) right in the water. The filter pressure went crazy - from a starting pressure of 11 up to 20 literally in less than a day after the field work. By the next day, couldn't even see the bottom. From that point, things went south for weeks after. Probably doesn't help that there is a chicken manure pit within sight of our house (let's say the smell is, at times, very typically 'rural' depending on how the winds blow
You might consider trying to sell. . If you're an eBay seller by chance, I'm betting you could unload it. I had two big containers of the AquaFinesse pucks - listed them on eBay and sold both (actually got a bit more than I paid for them) within two days.
I think this season is truly the determining factor. If it turns out that the latter part of last season was a fluke and the weekly maintenance dose of line cleaner doesn't do what it did last August and September, then I don't see anything else to try in the way of continuing to use Baquacil. I was really set on converting (during last season) up until things drastically improved once I started the weely 1/2 lb. of Line Cleaner. I was intrigued by the end of the season and figured it's worth one more shot.
You must REALLY like that old Apollo filter to remember it so well. It's a classic, dude. A pool tech who was out one time to do some work told me that thing is the "cadillac" of filters. Gotta say, still works great after 32 years. No plastic on that baby - just like the ol' Cub Cadet. Very little has been done to that filter except for some new o-rings, pressure gauge, and reworked a bit of the plumbing over the years. Lifetime warranty. At one point, when the heater was put in (by the pool store), when they plumbed it, instead of using the original copper connection, they put a rubber fernco fitting on the pressure side of the filter. Bad idea from what I was told later. Luckily we were home when the darn thing blew apart. Looked out the kitchen window and saw this geyser erupting over at the filter. Pool would have emptied in a matter of hours. Wait...don't say it......I know....would have been a great time to refill and CONVERT TO CHLORINE!!!
Gradually the paint is wearing off...can't wait till about 10 years down the road (assuming I and it are still here) when it'll be totally devoid of the brown paint - bright shiny steel, and TRULY reflecting the sun...blindingly stark in its simplicity but still doing it's thing...
Hmmm...that IS a really good question...I have no idea what the answer is to be honest. I have a predilection for hanging on to old ways of doing things...and old things in general for that matter...just ask newdude. Both my cars still have cassette players
(but none of that newfangled stuff like back-up cameras, apple carplay, etc.) The day is coming though. How many people, really, are still driving the same car for the past 26 years?? This is not any sort of boast, but rather merely an observation. Hanging on to the baqua is probably, in some bizarre fashion, linked in with the general scheme of things here. That being said, when I got the new John Deere mower the other year, I could have kicked myself in the butt for not doing it years ago - so much easier to drive (especially turn) than the old Cub. Would probably feel the same way about a new car (?) but then I keep reading about the recalls and vehicles that could catch fire while in the garage. Hanging in there for EV - time to go green(er). But I didn't answer you...so here's one thing...we always liked the softer feel of the non-chlorine system. Easier on the skin, hair, etc. I've been down this whole road with Leebo a good part of last season. I suspect he gave up on me at this point as a hopeless case.
LOL......I could say, "they don't make 'em like that anymore", except that the reply might be "thank God"....I'll gladly post pics of the Awesome Apollo - for .25 each. Just send to my paypal account in advance.