On Sunday, June 1, 2014 11:48:27 PM UTC-4, gonjah wrote:
On 6/1/2014 7:43 PM, sms wrote:

On 6/1/2014 5:24 AM, DannyD. wrote:

Oren wrote, on Sat, 31 May 2014 15:30:07 -0700:



I'm starting it. Got a pro test kit. (Taylor K-2005C)

This guy is in your area...he has a great channel.

https://tinyurl.com/nunvmf2

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsvsTjbpoT-drUUezN9ECDj239FX_rV2a





Thanks for the URLS to the Beach/Baking Soda/Borax BBB sites.



I don't really like the "BBB" terminology.



First of all, bleach is far more expensive than chlorine when you

consider the concentration. So the first letter should be a C.



Second, it should be sodium bicarbonate, not baking soda, though since

baking soda is usually less expensive than the sodium bicarbonate sold

at the pool store this might be okay.



The B for borax is okay.



But acid and phosphate remover are also important.



So I'd call it ABBCP (acid, baking soda, borax, chlorine, phosphate

remover. But that's not as catchy.



Also, once the pool is balanced and the borax added you really only need

chlorine and acid to maintain it, with phosphate remover only very

occasionally.





I was asking the guy at the pool store last week about Borax and he said

he only recommends it on start-ups to stabilize the pool's PH. After

that the cya kicks in and it's no longer needed.



If your PH is under control Borax is pretty much a waste of time and

money. Anyway, that's how I understand it. YMMV. I'm still learning too.



While on the subject, another problem with the cost effectiveness
is it appears to be based on very low liquid chlorine prices. The
cheapest liquid chlorine place here, NJ, was $18 for 5 gallons and that
place is gone. Last time I priced it out, for the amount of chlorine
you get, trichlor was actually less expensive than using liquid
chlorine. And it has the cyanuric acid in it, which I'd otherwise
have to buy and it isn't cheap. Some parts of the country having it
mixed in can be a drawback
because you wind up with too much, but here in the northeast it works
out about right. We lose water due to occasionally having to pump
out after heavy rain, winterizing, backwashing, etc. It's also
easier and more convenient to check a floating tablet dispenser
once a week, put 6 tablets in than it is dragging 5 gallon containers
around. I've never been too keen on having those chlorine containers in
the car either.