Can anyone tell about HTH Algaecide

[poolboyforjenny]

I remember reading back before the forum crashed that someone was using the HTH Super Algaecide that is 60% strength. I could be total wrong but i just bought some at Walmart and before I added some to my pool, i figured I'd check with you all.

Active ingredient
Alkyl(60%C14, 30%C16, 5%C12, 5%C18)
dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride...........30%
Alkyl(60%C12, 32%C14) dimethyl
ethybenzyl ammonium chloride.................30%
Inert Ingredients...................................40%
Total 100%

Any idea what this all means. I don't remember me covering this in high school chemistry. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bleach=Chlorine?]

I know the general feeling on the forum regarding algeacides is 60% polyquat..... for active ingredients. I am not familar with that product or those ingredients.

[waterbear]

I remember reading back before the forum crashed that someone was using the HTH Super Algaecide that is 60% strength. I could be total wrong but i just bought some at Walmart and before I added some to my pool, i figured I'd check with you all.

Active ingredient
Alkyl(60%C14, 30%C16, 5%C12, 5%C18)
dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride...........30%
Alkyl(60%C12, 32%C14) dimethyl
ethybenzyl ammonium chloride.................30%
Inert Ingredients...................................40%
Total 100%

Any idea what this all means. I don't remember me covering this in high school chemistry. Any help would be appreciated.
These are linear quats NOT polyqaut!...As as I know the ONY polyquat HTH has is the Aglaecide 30 which is 30%...Not sure but they might be discontinuing that one also and replacing it with linear quats!

[poolboyforjenny]

I believe i will just take this back to Walmart. Think I'll just stick to the advice on this forum. Thanks.

[jim erickson]

I had mustard algae and looked for the "polyquat" that was recommended by this forum. Could not find in local stores, but found the exact same algeacide you mentioned here. Decided to use, did two treatments in 4 days and it cleared out the mustard algae with no side affects.

[waterbear]

You are lucky, this is one of the algecides that we stock, although I do not recommend it. I have had a few customers buy it and come back and tell me their pools turned into a mountain of foam!

[bc9nd3h]

I have used a similar algecide and had foaming problems in the past. What is the best way to deal with the foam? I was also wondering about the whole idea of using any algecide. This may sound wierd but I was thinking that algae is one of the few visible signs of water problems and if the algecide works and prevents algae from growing it might mask other water poblems you might have?

[waterbear]

I have used a similar algecide and had foaming problems in the past. What is the best way to deal with the foam?
Wait for it to subside. shocking sometimes helps.
I was also wondering about the whole idea of using any algecide. This may sound wierd but I was thinking that algae is one of the few visible signs of water problems and if the algecide works and prevents algae from growing it might mask other water poblems you might have?
This is very true. If your water chemistry is correct you will not have algae! Usually algae happens when the free chlorine is too low for the stabilzer level and the pH is out of range. It is a symptom of an improperly maintained pool! Keep your water chemisty on target and you won't have algae!

[bc9nd3h]

Thanks, my foaming is just about stopped now, I had a problem after the guys I hired to open my pool accidently overdosed with algecide (about 3x too much). I shocked the pool for several days and it was still foaming. It seemed to stop on it's own. Do you think these chemicals are being broken by the sun? My neighbor had the same problem from the same guys but worse (about 4.5X as much because of a smaller pool. Hers is still foaming. I guess there's no magic bullet for this. Just time and CL.

[finch]

Can someone explain what causes the foaming. I have heard that one has to be careful of chlorine levels with linear quats. Can someone give advice about the optimal ph, chlorine levels for a product like this?

[waterbear]

The reason linear quats foam is they are cationic surfactants. This is a class of synthetic detergents. Nature of the beast. Best advice is to not use them. They also can cause eye stinging. If you must use an algaecide use polyquat.

[finch]

I have used them before though, without foaming problems, so I was wondering what conditions promote foaming. Is it usually due to overdosing, do ph, chlorine, hard water etc. have a big effect?
Also does chloring quickly destroy the quats and their effectiveness?

[huskerfan]

HTH has changed their algaecide 60 -- it's NOT polyquat anymore. I use Pooltrine from Leslies online for $7.73/qt. Last time I checked it was $9 something a quart - still cheap. You have to purchase it online, though - their stores do not stock it. Only downside is no measuring guide on the bottle, you have to measure it out into a measuring cup, but small sacrifice for a huge savings! I use a maintenance dose once a week just as a precaution- my water is gorgeous and glistens!!

[CarlD]

My current view of HTH is that if you cannot find the WalMart 5 way test kit, they sell no other product I know of that I can recommend. They don't even seem to sell the 68% cal-hypo anymore, though I believe their sister company, also owned by Arch Chem, does. But I don't remember the name.

[PoolDoc]

Carl, Arch owns the HTH brand. HTH is, and has been for years, just a trademark.

Olin spun off the pool chlorine operation several years ago, including the Charleston TN production plant (about 6o miles up the road from me!), to the Arch company. I'm not clear on whether Arch is an entirely independent company, or is owned by Olin. But it is independent.

The 5-way kit, as you know, is a Taylor kit relabeled for Arch / HTH.

The plain calcium hypochlorite product made by Arch is still fine.

But, Arch is now run by a former BioLab VP, and is blending and selling all of the chemical messes (4n1 shock, etc.) that are BioLab's hallmark.

However, some good things may be in the works for Walmart. This year, at least in Chattanooga, Sams Club has been selling plain, basic pool chemicals for very low prices. They are labeled by some company I've never heard of in New Jersey. My guess is that they are an importer for Asian companies that can actually make money selling commodity chemicals. Anyhow, they had prices for plain dichlor and trichlor that were substantially below common wholesale prices! I'm hoping that this may respresent a trend, and that all Walmart stores will begin selling basic pool chemicals, instead of the Arch / BioLab blended messes.

Ben
PoolDoc

[CarlD]

Ben,
Does it matter if HTH is simply a label or a wholly owned company of Arch's as long as ALL policy decisions regarding HTH are made in Arch HQ? I suppose there's a technical difference but the ex-biogard CEO is calling ALL the shots either way--and I think both you and I agree that we don't like those shots he's calling.

But I thought they (Arch) had another label/brand/company that is still shipping 68% cal-hypo--PoolClear or something--I don't remember.

[prh129]

Hey Carl,

I think Poolife is the company you're thinking of. I got some of their active cleaning caplets that are still 68%. Here's an online link to it:

http://www.hydropool.com/cgi-bin/hydro/chemicals/pool/hth/cleaning_caplets.htm

Peter

[njpool]

Before showing my father this site, he had bought some linear quat algaecide of the HTH & PoolBrand variety. Since he can't bring them to the Philippines and is a new convert of the BBB method (plus some judicious use of polyquat), he has dumped said algaecide on me. Besides the possible foaming, what other side effects are associated with these products? Are they effective at all or should I just pour them down the drain? I believe it was noted that ammonium chlorides do kill algae, but with the side effect of reducing FC and increasing CC.

[RavenNS]

I don't know about the side effects
but if you really want to use that stuff instead of dumping it down the drain:

you could use it during your pool closing ( who cares if you get foam then?)

you could run around to all the bird baths in town & use a eye-dropper full

you could sell it at a fleamarket or yard sale

you could give it away

you could mix it with water & spray your house roof or shed roof
( to get rid of growths from tree debris)

[PFlynn]

My neighbor had foam so thick it wouldn't even flow into the skimmer.
We made up a couple of gallons of dish detergent and water mix in a pump sprayer and dissolved it. The pool was such a mess at that point I figured it couldn't hurt.