Is chlorine or baquacil better

Answer 1

We have used Baquacil for the past 15 years in our pool. There have been no real problems BUT it is horrible with Algae!!! I mean horrible! You will spend a ton of money on shock and other products to fight this problem. With chlorine, the shock is much cheaper and will kill that algae on the spot. We could not afford to open our pool for the past 2 years because the cost of Baquacil and/or its compeditor Splashes was too great. We have a 30,000 gallon inground pool and the chemicals were costing upwards of $600 a season and we STILL fought the algae. Scrubbing the sides of your pool everyday takes all the fun out of having it! Enzymes were helpful but also expensive.

Both Chlorine and Baquacil have advantages and disadvantages. Chlorine is a much stronger santizer, therefore killing bacteria almost instantly. With that comes the possibility for skin and eye irritation, bleached hair and bathing suits, it can also bleach the liner and once the CL reading is that high it takes time for the sunlight to naturally bring it down where with Baquacil you can swim within 30 minutes of adding any product since they are all liquids and made with hydrogen peroxide.

Baquacil is not the magic potion that everyone claims it is. You still need to balance your water, use shock and algeacides to keep organic contaminents in check. Baquacil is not compatible with a lot of other brands of chemicals, so be careful.

I prefer chlorine.

Chlorine and bromine are the only treament chemicals recognized as disinfectants. All the others, including baquacil, are sanitizers.

Will baquacil do the job? You bet it will. Does it cost more? Is it harder to test and use? Yes. It will cause your filter to fail sooner or require more maintenance. It may be harder on your equipment overall.

It also takes longer for anything besides chlorine to kill the cooties in your pool. On some things it takes days for chlorine to work.

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This is my second year using the baquacil product and so far I like it very much. My pool is always very clear and no stinging of eyes with my children.

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I've had a Baquacil pool for 10 years and highly recommend the product. Pool always spotless, no stinging or odor and it goes 2 weeks or more before needing re-dosage. Extremely low maintenance compared to chlorine pools. I've have had no problem with wear on filter or other mechanical components.

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Baqucil is not useful in states such as Florida, California or states where the weather is hotter.

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I have used Baquacil for 11 years in a 37,000 gallon lined pool with DE filter. It requires little care other than testing once a week. Usually goes two weeks before need to re dose. Have had zero maintenance with the filter, pump or piping; no parts replaced in 11 years. Complete lack of odor and eye irritation. Price has not gone up in all that time; actually slightly cheaper today.

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I have used Baquacil with great success over about 30 years in both an outdoor and an indoor pool. The latter is kept at 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). The house does not stink of dangerous chlorine and overall I save money.

Some dealers don't like Baquacil because they make less profit from it, I suspect. Chlorine is cheaper to buy but you buy it more often and have much more work to do.

Incidentally, I believe Baquacil was first developed as a substance for helping clean surgeons' hands before operations.

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My one son suffers from eczyma. Chlorine pools have traditionally caused his condition to worsen. We switched from chlorine to baquacil and saw that he showed no reaction to swimming. I do recommend it for those for whom chlorine is an irritant.

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All Baquacil products are non-corrosive, and, when used properly, are generally much better for your pools vinyl liner, paint, plaster or other applicable lining, and for its Plumbing and filtration system. The only exception is with certain plastic parts that do not react properly with Baquacil, mostly pump basket lids, which are easily replaced or initially purchased with Baquacil compatible plastic. The issue with the lids is relatively new, and I believe it's only with certain newer clear Hayward pump lids and clear plastic sight glasses.

As far as the poster that claimed it is unsuitable for hot climates, I believe he or she is very confused, Baquacil products do not dissipate in high heat like chlorine products do, and they also do not release offensive odors caused by said dissipation (chloromines); thus, making Baquacil quite well suited for hot climates.

Baquacil, being a non-abrasive chemical, Is gentle on your skin, hair, eyes, swimsuits, toys, automatic cleaners, etc... When properly dosed and maintained, the pool tends to begin to balance itself, remaining incredibly stable. Baquacil and other biguanide sanitizers can be easily tested at home with either strip or drop testing, but as with all sanitizers, I recommend monthly (In season) professional water analysis to maintain a Healthy, balanced, and low maintenance pool.

ANSWER

I work in a pool store and have done so for a year and a half now and all baquacil is trouble for people. It is much more expensive and much harder to get. It is also a lot more difficult to test for and incompatible with most other chemicals. Chlorine is by far the most cost effective and otherwise effective sanitizing product there is. It is low maintenance with it as long as you keep a good level of chlorine in your pool. Oh and the stinging is not from chloramines it is from an improper pH level.

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We have been using Baquacil in our pool for 3 years and love it. Yes, it is a little more expensive to maintain, but totally worth it. I have never had any problems with corrosion of my equipment, and there is absolutely no skin or eye irritation. It does require some work to maintain correctly, but less than our chlorine pool did.

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Baquacil does require some basic use extras over Chlorine to keep using it for more than 5 years in a row.

1-In the Midwest where August alage show up you need to isolate your filter, pump, anf the hoses once a year and sterilize them with 1/2 gal chlorine bleach. I just pour it into my running pool skimmer with the valve set on backwash to waste to avoid getting the chlorine into the Baquacil treated pool. Stop the pump and plug the pool skimmer hole in the bottom of the pool skimmer hole for 4 hours. Then pull the plug and backwash to waste until your sure the chloribne is out and the set the valve to recirculate-Bam your good for another year...

2- Use the pool and it will stay cleaner and require less chemicals. The alage that happen in Baquacil pool are due to lack of use and particulate buildup from the air on the bottom. So go ahead and walk around your pool as soon as you get back from any time away from home. Basically stir up the bottom of your pool as often as possible.

3- Polycarbonate pump skimmer covers suffer from chemical stress cracking. Buy the non-PC pump lids which all pump manufactureres.

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I live in New Jersey and have used Baquacil for six years now. I love the product. It is odorless and very easty to maintain. You use a test strip once a week and add if needed. I find it to be much less expensive then chlorine since I only have to top off the Baquacil once every three weeks. Also my pool is always clear.Also when I take the cover off in the spring, the water is crystal clear.