Chlorine Alternatives

[kellieand]

Hi I am kinda new to the pool thing we moved into a house with a pool and opened it last year not knowing much about it. We are having a new liner installed in our inground pool and I was looking to use something a little more "green" for pool maintenance. I am looking for something somewhat affordable because we are already putting a lot out in pool repairs. Please let me know what worked for you. Thanks

[Guest]

Try a search for biopool or swimming pond. Those are the only "green" alternatives. Chlorine is most common, usually the most economical but never green.

[Me...]

You could probably argue this all year. Green could be considered something that makes the best out of a situation we make ourselves. The world has chosen to have swimming pools and there isn't really isn't anything better than chlorine to keep it clean. Lots has been tried but I don't think anything has come close to replacing it and if you don't use something the worlds sewer systems would plug up with the custard people would be draining out of their pools.

Once again, its the CHLORAMINES or combined chlorine thats the culprit and when chloramines build your pH probably goes out the window and that makes your soup even uglier to swim in.

[muss08]

Options here are limited. Chlorine is the most common sanitizer. There is also bromine (mostly used in hot tubs- very expensive) and baquicil. Baquicil has its problems because you must put copper in your pool and if it is not properly done you will get metal stains all over your pool. These kind of pools also foam alot. I think chlorine is your best bet. If you have a cartridge filter you wont have to discharge any chlorinated water into the environment. Where I live (in DC) most people backwash their filters (sand and DE) into holding tanks then let them sit there a couple days so the chlorine dissapates and then empties the basin. Other alternatives are ionization and ozone but these still require your pool to use some chlorine