+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17

Thread: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Front Royal, VA
    Posts
    74

    Default Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    I just had my pool opened a month ago, new to me in a new house.

    We found out it was a baquacil pool as the 1st drop of chlorine made a pretty color.

    I'm seeing lot's of complaints about baquacil in this forum and I'm curious. Barring any problems that could occur, like algae and mold, what is a typical monthly cost comparison for a baquacil pool vs a chlorine pool, about 15000 gallons.

    We can only have the pool open from May - October. I was told baquacil is a little more expensive, but I'm wondering what the reality is because I always question what the pool store tells me.

    So far, it's clear and the kids love it. We went to a health club last summer for swim certification and they hated the chlorine in that pool.

  2. #2
    ivyleager is offline Lifetime Member Weir Watcher ivyleager 0
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    149

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    Quote Originally Posted by mariner09
    We went to a health club last summer for swim certification and they hated the chlorine in that pool.
    Any public pool is going to have higher chlorine. I take the kids to local sportsplexes during the winter, and their pool water is HORRIBLE!

    Do you have any friends who have chlorine pools? How does their water "feel" to you? That might be a better comparison.

    Good luck.

    CaryB
    Go 'Canes!!!

  3. #3
    prh129 is offline Lifetime Member Widget Weaver prh129 0
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rehoboth, MA
    Posts
    258

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    Quote Originally Posted by mariner09

    So far, it's clear and the kids love it. We went to a health club last summer for swim certification and they hated the chlorine in that pool.
    I have not used Baquacil so I can't give you any first hand experience, just some general comments. How good a chlorine pool is depends on how well it is maintained. In a public pool with high usage, there will like be a lot of "used up" chlorine called combined chlorine or chloramines which cause the chlorine smell, eye irritation etc. If the pH is not in the right range that will also cause problems. It is much harder to maintain a public pool than your own pool.

    I would say for now, if it works, don't fix it. If the Baquacil is working for you and you don't have any problems with it then continue on but read up on the other threads here so that if things start to go south, you know what to do and what to expect. It only takes 3 or 4 days to convert to chlorine if you should decide to do so at some point.

    The general consensus here is that Baquacil is considerably more expensive than chlorine but I can't give you numbers. A co-worker of mine uses Baquacil because his son has an allergy to chlorine so he had no choice. He said it took him about 4 years to get a good handle on how to keep his pool in balance. He also confirmed that it was a more expensive route. Chlorine is cheap and easy. I would say that a ballpark estimate per month for a chlorine pool is $50.00 or less and that would include the one-time purchases of stabilizer etc. It took me less than a month of reading through the material on this website (and the poolsolutions site) to keep a chlorine pool in balance.

    Peter

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    .
    Posts
    38

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    I haven't used it in a long time and don't remember the exact prices, but if you would like a good idea ask the pool store the price for a case of sanitizer and a case of shock. Get ready for your jaw to drop.

    I stayed on it though because of the no chlorine! sales pitch. I thought I didn't like chlorine either, because of public pools. Turns out you don't have any of those problems when you maintain your own pool correctly.

    I switched when my pool always had problems and then turned in to a deep green swamp and the dealer just kept having me pump tons of money into the pool. I switched to chlorine using really bad instructions on HTH's website (long since removed), it took about 5 days but everything was great... not one big problem since.

    FYI - As far as I know a true chlorine alergy is VERY rare. You would also have an immune system reaction to drinking or bathing in tap water.
    A more common reaction would be general chemical sensativity, if the reaction has only occured in commerical pools there is a good chance you would be just fine in a decently maintained chlorinated private pool.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    .
    Posts
    38

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    Oh, and as far as my current cost goes, I installed a salt water chrloine generator which ran me around $600.

    I now spend between $1-$5/mo on pool chemicals.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    .
    Posts
    17

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    When you pool store says Baqua is a little more expensive, they are comparing it to the chlorine supplies they sell.

    When you compare it to generics as recommended on this forum, the cost is MUCH higher.

    Jeff - former Baqua user

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    44

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    I'm in the 3rd day of my conversion. We had our pool installed last year and fell hook, line and sinker for the Baqua sales pitch.

    Worked great for half the summer. Then the cloudyness started. We spent hundreds of dollars last year trying to clear it up., Shock, clarifiers, floccs you name it. NOTHING.

    This year - opened the pool. You guessed it CLOUDY. The pool place told me the water was perfectly balanced. So why is it cloudy??? After being told to buy over $400 more in stuff, I said forget it.

    After 3 days of pumping bleach, the edges of my pool are crystal clear. It's working and I can't wait.

    As for the baqua chems - ebay will probably be the cheapest you find. The sanitizer at the store is $30 a bottle , the shock was $15 a bottle.

    Way too expensive for me. And I was always aggravated and apologizing for how my water looked.
    18x38 AGP with 6.5 foot deep end

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Front Royal, VA
    Posts
    74

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    I just don't see why everyone is having problems.

    Granted, I've only had this pool going on 2 months now and even after some torrential downpours, it's been great. Clear and not really that demanding. The only regular maintenance I need to do is power wash the filter cartridges every couple of days to maintain good pressure. That takes all of 15 minutes.

    If I do get into a jam like most have in this forum, I'll probably make the switch, but as long as it stays like this, steady as she goes...

  9. #9
    CarlD's Avatar
    CarlD is offline SuperMod Emeritus Vortex Adjuster CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Central NJ
    Posts
    6,607

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    That's because conversion is for people who ARE having problems. You aren't. That means you are either doing everything right or you are just lucky. One month isn't a lot, though. If you STILL are fine at the end of the season, you'll know you've managed it correctly.

    SO many people complain that June and July they are fine, but in August they get algae blooms.

    As for chlorine bothering you, you should take a look at the stickied threads in the Chlorine and Testing topics. Mostly, chlorine gets a bad rap when a badly maintained pool should get the blame. Contaminants, Combined Chloramines and out of whack pH are the cause of smell, and skin and eye irritation, but Free Chlorine gets the blame.
    Carl

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Front Royal, VA
    Posts
    74

    Default Re: Is Soft-Swim really that bad???

    My experiences with chlorine pools have all been public, but from what I've read here in the past month, it's proof positive that there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.

    I'll be watching August to see how things go and crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath....

+ Reply to Thread

Similar Threads

  1. Using Soft Swim. Cloudy water after adding flocculant.
    By JvilleKC in forum Chlorine Alternatives: UV, Ozone, Baquacil (PHMB), etc
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 07-07-2012, 05:29 PM
  2. Converting to Cl from Soft Swim, Peroxide at level 7
    By jeffmarc in forum Chlorine Alternatives: UV, Ozone, Baquacil (PHMB), etc
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-29-2008, 06:33 PM
  3. Soft(r) salt?
    By Sumo1 in forum Salt Generators (SWCG) & other Chlorine Feeders
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 04-24-2007, 10:23 AM
  4. can someone give me step by step to change from soft swim to chlorine, please
    By peggles0224 in forum Chlorine Alternatives: UV, Ozone, Baquacil (PHMB), etc
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 06-27-2006, 04:58 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts