Information, please?

[waterbear]

If I am not mistaken the bioguard smartstix are trichlor which is a stabilized chlorine compound. That means the CYA is in it already. It also means that they have a very low pH and that you have no control of the amount of CYA in your pool. CYA levels will continue to build until one day you find that algae has taken over even though you FC levels seem fine. All the more reason to get a test kit and check your levels!. This wil tell you at what level you need to run your FC based on the level of CYA that is in your pool. The burn out is Lithium Hypoclorite which is a non stablized chlorine and also probably the most expensive non stablized chlorine that you can buy. It's main advantage is that it won't raise your calcium hardness which is a good thing if your water is balanced. If your water is balanced and and your chlorine levels are correct there should be no need for algecide. I was just on the bioguard website and with their "3-step programs" they make no mention of balancing the water or adjusting pH. Those are important ommisions! They also suggest adding their "optimizer" to the water to help prevent algae and control pH. Guess what that puts into your water? Borates! Yes good old 20 mule team---just like most of the folks on here already use for pH control!

[TX Daisy]

So you're saying that the SmartSticks, being non-stabilized, don't have CYA? Can the pool store test for CYA until I get the kit from this site?

[aylad]

Look at the ingredients for the "Smart Sticks". If the main ingredient is trichlor or dichlor, then they do indeed contain CYA. And if you've been using them for that long, I'm willing to bet that your CYA levels are plenty high. A pool store should test CYA for you, although the results are going to be a ball-park figure at best. At least that would give you your starting point. What is the main ingredient in the shock?

Janet

[waterbear]

So you're saying that the SmartSticks, being non-stabilized, don't have CYA? Can the pool store test for CYA until I get the kit from this site?

No I'm saying that according to the info I found on the net they are trichlor which is stablized chlorine. You need to get a test kit and put your numbers up here so people can advise you.

[waterbear]

Look at the ingredients for the "Smart Sticks". If the main ingredient is trichlor or dichlor, then they do indeed contain CYA. And if you've been using them for that long, I'm willing to bet that your CYA levels are plenty high. A pool store should test CYA for you, although the results are going to be a ball-park figure at best. At least that would give you your starting point. What is the main ingredient in the shock?

Janet

Burnout 35 is lithium shock.