We are almost at construction of our pool time and we have a close friend/neighbor that is allergic to chlorine. Wanted to weigh the options between liquid chlorine and baquacil. We are having an 18x36 vinyl pool put in with a sun shelf. Any advice is welcome.
Liquid Chlorine vs Baquacil - Can someone provide the pros and cons?
- Thread starter Pasqua
- Start date
Stay as far away from baquacil as you can.
99% of the time, people who think they are allergic to chlorine are actually just allergic to the byproducts of inadequate chlorine breaking down waste in the water. The amount of active chlorine in a TFP pool is less than the chlorine found in tap water. If your friend can’t take a shower because of chlorine in the water then maybe it’s good to look at chlorine alternatives.
If you start out with chlorine and follow the TFP recommendations, your friend can try it out and see how it works out. If they really are allergic to chlorine, you can convert to something else easily. But note It’s really hard to convert from baquacil to anything else.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,607
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Chlorine can not trigger the formation of antibodies which is what defines an “allergy”. One can get chemical contact dermatitis (itchy skin rash) but that occurs when one is exposed to a chemical irritant (like chlorine bleach used in laundry cleaning). In those cases, the exposure level is many thousands of time more concentrated than the level of chlorine in a pool. If a person were truly allergic to chlorine, they’d likely die because the human body uses chlorine as both a chloride ion (nerve conduction) and as a reactive chlorine species in immune mediated responses to pathogens. It’s simply not a thing.
As others have alluded to, people can developed respiratory and dermal sensitivities to chlorinated by-products of disinfection and oxidation. Chloramines can be very irritating to most people.
Swimming pools that are improperly cared for, especially true in water parks and community swimming pools, can have high loads of chloramines. That is the “nasty chlorinated swimming pool” smell that everyone detests. Go to an indoor water park like a Great Wolf Lodge or similar and you will be overpowered by that smell. I find it incredibly irritating and nauseating which is why I rarely go to indoor water facilities.
When properly used in a residential outdoor swimming pool, you would never know that a chlorine pool actually has chlorine in it. At TFP, pool owners are taught how to properly take care of their pools. People are amazed at how my pool feels and they think that because I have a salt water chlorine generator that my “salt pool” isn’t a chlorinated pool. I just chuckle and let them believe what they want.
Baquacil is a money pit. It’s basically hand sanitizer for a swimming pool and it doesn’t work well. And when it fails to work, WHEN not IF, you will not be able to swim in your algae and white water mold infested swimming pool.
Look up Baquacil in the search bar and read horror story after horror story about it. And then be prepared to drain your bank account to use it.
As others have alluded to, people can developed respiratory and dermal sensitivities to chlorinated by-products of disinfection and oxidation. Chloramines can be very irritating to most people.
Swimming pools that are improperly cared for, especially true in water parks and community swimming pools, can have high loads of chloramines. That is the “nasty chlorinated swimming pool” smell that everyone detests. Go to an indoor water park like a Great Wolf Lodge or similar and you will be overpowered by that smell. I find it incredibly irritating and nauseating which is why I rarely go to indoor water facilities.
When properly used in a residential outdoor swimming pool, you would never know that a chlorine pool actually has chlorine in it. At TFP, pool owners are taught how to properly take care of their pools. People are amazed at how my pool feels and they think that because I have a salt water chlorine generator that my “salt pool” isn’t a chlorinated pool. I just chuckle and let them believe what they want.
Baquacil is a money pit. It’s basically hand sanitizer for a swimming pool and it doesn’t work well. And when it fails to work, WHEN not IF, you will not be able to swim in your algae and white water mold infested swimming pool.
Look up Baquacil in the search bar and read horror story after horror story about it. And then be prepared to drain your bank account to use it.
Great ideas! Thank you!Stay as far away from baquacil as you can.
99% of the time, people who think they are allergic to chlorine are actually just allergic to the byproducts of inadequate chlorine breaking down waste in the water. The amount of active chlorine in a TFP pool is less than the chlorine found in tap water. If your friend can’t take a shower because of chlorine in the water then maybe it’s good to look at chlorine alternatives.
If you start out with chlorine and follow the TFP recommendations, your friend can try it out and see how it works out. If they really are allergic to chlorine, you can convert to something else easily. But note It’s really hard to convert from baquacil to anything else.
- Jul 17, 2019
- 3,988
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
My mother in law is a perfect example of this. She is "allergic" to chlorine because their pool at home is a typical Leslie's pool and she says her skin is itchy after swimming so she never uses their pool.
When they come to my house, they use it all the time. Its a salt water pool, so she claims it doesn't break her out like a "chlorine" pool. Spoiler alert, a salt water pool uses chlorine too, and my pool has way more chlorine in it than theirs so it can adequately combat the germs, algae, and other contaminants and does not have as many of the chlorine byproducts that a lower chlorine pool has (causing the chlorine smell, burning eyes, itchy skin, etc.).
I tried explaining it to them once, but their eyes glossed over. They still compliment me on my "no chlorine" pool, so now I just say thank you and grab another drink.
When they come to my house, they use it all the time. Its a salt water pool, so she claims it doesn't break her out like a "chlorine" pool. Spoiler alert, a salt water pool uses chlorine too, and my pool has way more chlorine in it than theirs so it can adequately combat the germs, algae, and other contaminants and does not have as many of the chlorine byproducts that a lower chlorine pool has (causing the chlorine smell, burning eyes, itchy skin, etc.).
I tried explaining it to them once, but their eyes glossed over. They still compliment me on my "no chlorine" pool, so now I just say thank you and grab another drink.
Welcome to TFP!
I have had very similar experiences as Tex: people swear I have some "no chlorine" pool. Some of them I trust enough to tell them it's the opposite, most I just nod and tell them I "have a system".
There are stories on the forum of people who absolutely refuse to give up on Baqua and the time, effort, and expense they have gone through to get it working for another year. The Sunk Cost Fallacy in action.
If you find yourself still on the fence though then just remember: one can convert from chlorine to Baqua very easily, the conversion from Baqua to chlorine takes considerable effort. Starting with TFPC leaves the door open to other options in the unlikely event things don't work as expected.
I have had very similar experiences as Tex: people swear I have some "no chlorine" pool. Some of them I trust enough to tell them it's the opposite, most I just nod and tell them I "have a system".
There are stories on the forum of people who absolutely refuse to give up on Baqua and the time, effort, and expense they have gone through to get it working for another year. The Sunk Cost Fallacy in action.
If you find yourself still on the fence though then just remember: one can convert from chlorine to Baqua very easily, the conversion from Baqua to chlorine takes considerable effort. Starting with TFPC leaves the door open to other options in the unlikely event things don't work as expected.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,607
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
VinnyinNJ
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 20, 2022
- 1,007
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Turbo Cell (T-CELL-5)
+1 ^^^^^ My wife's aunt and uncle used Baquacil and it was a total mess after a couple of years. They had constant problems and was always fighting something and having to flock the pool all the time for whatever reason (maybe they didn't have to but didn't know better). It is also VERY expensive to use. When we bought our fist pool I went to the pool school being offered by the place we bought it from and after the end they introduced us to Baqa. It was 3 or 4X as expensive as running chlorine. I also remember people complaining about pink water mold all the time when they used Baqua. |
- May 23, 2015
- 25,607
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The funny part about Baquacil is how it’s marketed as somehow being better and safer for you than chlorine. Chlorine is one of the simplest chemicals found in nature and it requires very little of it to disinfect water and make it sanitary.
By contrast, Baquacil is a complicated quaternary ammonium organic compound synthesized that is similar to the chemicals used in non-alcohol hand sanitizer. It’s also not an oxidizer so you must add peroxide to the pool on top of the Baquacil. Also, most Baqua programs have you adding a secondary algaecide and a metal sequestering agent. And none of these chemicals have easy to use tests for them so you basically engage in a “dump and pray” methodology hoping that what you add will keep the water clear. So you’re basically swimming in a chemical stew with no idea what’s in the water.
In the end, you can either use 4 completely different and wildly expensive chemicals to sanitize your pool OR you can use one very simple chemical to do all of that … I really fail to see how Baquacil has managed to remain a viable product on the market for as long as it has
By contrast, Baquacil is a complicated quaternary ammonium organic compound synthesized that is similar to the chemicals used in non-alcohol hand sanitizer. It’s also not an oxidizer so you must add peroxide to the pool on top of the Baquacil. Also, most Baqua programs have you adding a secondary algaecide and a metal sequestering agent. And none of these chemicals have easy to use tests for them so you basically engage in a “dump and pray” methodology hoping that what you add will keep the water clear. So you’re basically swimming in a chemical stew with no idea what’s in the water.
In the end, you can either use 4 completely different and wildly expensive chemicals to sanitize your pool OR you can use one very simple chemical to do all of that … I really fail to see how Baquacil has managed to remain a viable product on the market for as long as it has