Baquacil Allergy

[clduncan]

Has anyone had an allergic reaction to Baquacil products? This is our first year using Baquacil and my wife went for a swim and her eyes swelled up to the point she could barely see and has developed a rash all over her body. For some reason she wants to keep the Baquacil and we stopped using the CDX and are using the algaecide program now. Anyone have any advice besides getting rid of baquacil like I want to .

 

[JohnT]

It’s not unheard of.

You can’t safely operate a pool without the CDX portion of the system.

 

[clduncan]

Our pool store says we can operate without the CDX it will just use more of the oxidizer, and on top of that use the algaecide that is marked number 3. Is that not correct? How long does the CDX take to burn off? WE have backed washed the filter twice and have had several inches of rain around 4 inches.

 

[justinc]

If your wife had such a severe reaction, isn't she worried next time it might be worse? Like... I don't know... throat swells so much she can't breathe?

Is this the first time she has had an allergic reaction like this or does she regularly react to things? I say this because I have family members that are highly allergic to things and must carry supplies in case of emergency (like an Epi Pen).

I'm not trying to be overly dramatic I just would hate to wonder what might happen if she was in the water by herself and started having a reaction and nobody was around to assist.... could be quite dangerous.

Sorry I am not trying to freak you out or be overly dramatic I just think these are some things you guys should seriously consider. Especially if you are sure it's a baquacil issue. I would personally convert to chlorine. It would help me sleep better at night!

 

[clduncan]

Yes she is allergic to literally everything and will live in central texas yes it is bad.... we do have precautions in place meds/epi pen...this I her idea I wanted to drain and start over with chlorine the second she started having a reaction but she is stubborn and wants to give the algaecide system a try I am not sure if you can have a reaction to the algeastat and the oxidizer probably can just cant find anything on it the only thing I can find is a reaction to the cdx .. has anyone heard of the allergy getting better without the use of the cdx

 

[Donldson]

CDX takes a very long time to break down, it is a similar chemical to CYA designed to help slow the breakdown of the oxidizer. There's no easy way to test for it so you won't know when it's actually gone. You will probably want to do at least a partial drain and refill to reduce the CDX level, assuming that is the actual culprit.

John is likely confused, virtually none of us operate biguanide pools since joining the site, but the CDX is an optional addition. You still need to keep the sanitizer and oxidizer at the appropriate levels, and without CDX you will have to be diligent of keeping the oxidizer level in check.

Best of luck with this. I have opinions regarding Baquacil and the situation, but they won't help so I won't go in to it ?

 

[tim5055]

To be perfectly honest, very few (count on one or two hands maybe) people here still use Baquacil products so I'm not sure you will get any real answers. The vast majority of Baquacil users show up here wanting to get rid of Baquacil because of the cost of products and or the difficulty in keeping a clear pool using them.

My wife can get "set in her ways" about things, so I feel for you....

I hope I'm wrong and someone can help a little more

 

[jblizzle]

I can only think of one other member that is adamantly trying to keep using Baq products. He has recently come up with a system that appears to be working for him at great effort and expense.

If you look around the recent posts in the Baq subforum, I am sure you can find him and what he is doing

But, personally, I would ditch it and convert to have safe clear water at a fraction of the cost.

 

[clduncan]

Thanks for the help everyone, finally got her to switch drain the pool, removed sand from filter, cleaned filter added new water and now about to add chlorine. Anyone think of anything I missed got most of the water out besides maybe 1 or 2 inches.

 

[jblizzle]

You should still follow the conversion process that is in the sticky.

 

[clduncan]

99% fresh water new sand wouldnt it be just like adding chlorine to a new pool

 

[jblizzle]

2" of water could still be about 5% so there is still some Baq chemicals in the pool. The conversion should go very quickly, but don't try to shortcut.

 

[clduncan]

Use a non chlorine shock at first how long should i not use a chlorine shock

 

[jblizzle]

Where does it say to use non chlorine shock in the conversion process? You should be using liquid chlorine.

 

[Flying Tivo]

You also need a good Test Kits Compared.

 

[clduncan]

When adding the liquid shock to the pool do i distribute all around the pool slowly or add to the skimmer with pump running on recirculate

 

[clduncan]

It is a vinyl liner

 

[Texas Splash]

When adding the liquid shock to the pool do i distribute all around the pool slowly or add to the skimmer with pump running on recirculate

Never pour directly into the skimmer. Too strong for that location. Usually we advise to pour slowly near the return jet(s). For pools that have only one return jet or very limited pressure back to the pool, additional sweeping/brushing may be needed just to help the chlorine (bleach) move along.

 

[clduncan]

1.5 hp pump has some umph behind it in 15k gallons should be good as long and it is slow?

 

[jblizzle]

When adding the liquid shock to the pool do i distribute all around the pool slowly or add to the skimmer with pump running on recirculate

Lots of information in Pool School. This explains recommended chemicals and how to add them:

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com