Questions	Answers	More Info on this question
Q: Do I have to drain my pool to convert from chlorine to BAQUACIL?  Or back to chlorine, if I wish?   Bob S., Bear Creek	Michael:  No.  All that's required to convert from one sanitizer to another (or back again) is that your pool water be relatively free of the sanitizer you're converting from.  In other words, a zero chlorine level gives you the "green light" to start using BAQUACIL, and vice-versa.	Time alone will drop a sanitizer's level to zero, though chlorine bottoms out much faster than BAQUACIL, which can take up to two weeks to zero out.
Q: Does BAQUACIL "build up" in my pool, requiring draining every few years?   Anne B., Huntington Mills	Michael:  No.  This is one myth dreamed up by non-BAQUACIL pool dealers.  BAQUACIL dissipates to a zero level over time just like chlorine.  Though, due to its more stable nature, it takes BAQUACIL longer to do so, up to two weeks.
Q: I'm in the market for a new filter system, and have been hearing a lot about DE. filters.  What are they?  Are they good?  bad?  What’s your opinion on    -Jack B.,  Plains	Michael:   DE., short for Diatomaceous Earth filters are, in our view, the best on the market.  Unlike sand filters, which use a permanent bed of sand as their “media”, DE. filters have inside them a super tightly woven mesh fabric, which gets coated with powder called Diatomaceous Earth.  The D.E.  powder absorbs and filters out particulates as small as one to two microns, which is amazingly tiny.   (Sand filters are capable of removing only 25 microns or larger.)  The end result is pool water that is astonishingly clear.	DE filter owners also realize a savings in their sanitizer, since it is removing many of the contaminants that a sand filter would leave in the water.  Superior Pools offers a policy to all DE filter buyers that if they are not completely satisfied with the performance of their DE filter, we will give them within one year a full credit toward a new sand filter.  We believe in DE.  Go for it, Jack.
Q: Is BAQUACIL harmful to my pool liner or pipes?	Michael:  No.  Chlorine is though.  BAQUACIL is not an oxidizer like chlorine is, it is simply a bactericide, meaning BAQUACIL kills bacteria only.  Chlorine, on the other hand, kills bacteria through an erosive oxidizing process, and oxidizes everything else it comes in contact with like your pool parts, liner, covers and pipes, not to mention bathing suits.  BAQUACIL does none of these things.
Q: I've been hearing a lot lately about ozonators.  What are they and what do they do?   -Mel B., Clarks Summit	Michael:   Ozone generators, or "ozonators" are a marvelous pool water sanitizing device.  They sanitize your pool water by manufacturing and injecting ozone gas into it through a venturi at your pool's filter.  Ozone gas is innocuous but a powerful oxidizer, closely related to oxygen, which kills bacteria 3000 times faster than chlorine, burns up irritating "chloramines", and reduces your  chlorine demand by 70  to 80%.	Ozone gas is created by nature during lightning storms, purifying the air, and is the crisp scent you smell afterwards.  Though an ozonator can be a hefty investment at the outset, they provide an ongoing savings on chlorine, a constant and vigilant means of sanitizing, and ultra-pure pool water.  Many motel operators, who can't afford to have pool water clarity problems, have installed them.  Ozone is an excellent and modern method of sanitizing your pool with many benefits.
Q: Last winter my pool cover tore, the leaves fell in and now my pool resembles a swamp.  Must I drain the pool to clear up this water?  Help!!   -June L.,  Larksville	Michael:   Don't panic, and no, you don't have to drain your pool.  Take patience and my advice:  Get the solids out by dredging the floor with a good pool "leaf rake".  A leaf rake is like a hand skimmer but with a bag type net instead of a taut screen.  If you don't have one, buy one.  They run about  $15-$20 and will make your job a lot easier.  Next, run your filter 24 hours a day until it's clear.   Balance your water following the recommendations of a professional water analysis.  Add 2 lbs. of a di-chlor granular chlorine through the skimmer each day for five days, and 4 ounces of a good polymeric algicide daily.  You'll start to "see daylight" after a few days, then you'll be able to vacuum the floor conventionally with your vacuum head.  As it clears, brush the floor and walls with a wall brush until spotless.	For future reference, replace your winter cover with a good quality 24 thread fabric, and drain rain water off it as needed during the off-season.  Then you won’t end up with a swamp again.
Q: My pool is chronically turning green.  How can I solve this problem?   -Jerry L.,  Mountaintop	Michael:  Green water is most often caused by algae, a microscopic, single celled animal which can multiply geometrically (2-4-8-16-32-64, etc.) and rapidly in lakes, ponds and pools, given low sanitizer levels and the right environmental conditions.  The short answer is to convert your chlorinated pool to BAQUACIL.  Green water in a BAQUACIL treated pool is virtually non-existent, due to the effective algicide used in the BAQUACIL system.  The least you should do is to use a good algicide (not those found in Marts or Clubs, which are 90 to 95% water) on a weekly basis.  After initial application, brush your walls and floor with a pool wall brush attachment, and scrub your solar cover and ladder rungs with a 5% solution of that algicide and water.  Adjust your pH upward too, as algae can grow more readily in a low pH.
Q: My pool pump is a one horse power, but I don't get half the flow or vacuuming power out of it that my brother gets with his one h.p. pump.  What gives?	Michael:  You're using the wrong yardstick to measure "rate-of-flow" with.  A pool pump is actually two components:  the motor, and the attached pump itself.  Horse power is only a measurement of the electricity required to spin the motor; horse power has nothing to do with the design of  the pump.  It is the internal design of the pump which determines rate of flow.  Therefore, a well designed pump can move up to 60% more water than a poorly designed one.  To add insult to injury, the poorly designed one is using the same amount of electricity to operate as the spunkyer pump.  For example, a Muskin 1 h.p. pump moves about     gallons per minute, while  a Hayward 1 h.p. pump moves      gpm.
Q: My pool stays crystal clear, and all I do is add chlorine every day.  What's all the hullabaloo about "water balance"?  pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness and all that stuff?   -Stan K., Wanamie	Michael:  I'm proud of your clear water, Stan, but I’ll also bet you're pounding your water hard enough with chlorine that any organism with the least bit of sense is afraid to go near your pool!  The key, as the Greeks suggested, is "all things in moderation".  Overdosing with chlorine may keep a pool clear, but it's harmful to your equipment, liner, covers and your pool itself, not to mention being offensive to swimmers.  Your chlorine level should be kept between 1.0 and (no greater than) 3.0 p.p.m.  Pool water  will remain clear there and not be "sanitizer soup".  With respect to "balanced water", pool water is most comfortable to swimmers and least corrosive to equipment when the pH is at 7.4, the Total Alkalinity between 80 and 120 ppm, and the Calcium Hardness between 180 and 250 ppm.	You can determine this with a water sample analysis at a competent pool dealer, and should do so at least three times a season or more.  Keep these levels there, and  for the love of the ozone layer, lighten up on the chlorine!
Q: My pool water is currently causing an irritating or "burning" sensation.  What causes this and how do I solve it?   -Brooke S., Dallas	Michael:  If you're using chlorine, chloramines, a by-product of chlorine, are the most common cause of eye irritation.  They build up in pool water when chlorine combines with organic matter such as leaves, bugs, perspiration and body oils.  They must be "burned up" by properly "shocking" the pool (determining your "combined chlorine" level, and adding 10 times that amount of granular chlorine at one time).  Two other possible causes of eye irritation are low sanitizer levels, and water "out of balance" with regard to pH, Total Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness.  These levels should be kept at 7.4, 110 ppm and 220 ppm, respectively.  Bottom line solution:  Take a water sample to a competent pool dealer, have them do a computer analysis, and follow their recommendations.
Q: Over the last winter, my pool cover tore, the leaves fell in and now my pool resembles a swamp.  Must I drain it to clear this water?  Help!!   -June L.,  Larksville	Michael:   Don't panic, and no, you don't have to drain it.  Just follow these instructions:  Get the solids out by dredging the floor with a good pool "leaf rake".  A leaf rake is like a hand skimmer with a bag type net on it.  If you don't have one, buy one.  For about $15 they're a great and easy tool for cleaning debris up from a pool.  Next, run your filter 24 hours a day until it's clear.   Balance your water on the recommendations of a professional water analysis.  Then add 2 lbs. of a di-chlor chlorine through the skimmer each day for five days, along with 4 ounces of a good polymeric algicide daily.  You'll start to "see daylight" after a few days, then you'll be able to vacuum the floor conventionally with your vacuum head.  Your final step will be to brush the floor and walls with a wall brush.  You should be in good shape after that.
Q: Pool water temperature is always a problem for us with overhanging trees, so I'm considering making my own solar heat system with a series of 3/4" black pipe.  Your thoughts?   -Andy W., Sweet Valley	Michael:   Save your time and money.  In order for you to get effective heat out of a series of black poly pipe, you'll have to have about 40 square feet of surface area for every 3000 gallons of water.  That means a 20,000 gallon pool will have to have 280 square feet of pipe exposed to the sun.  In other words, you'll have to buy your neighbors' yards to lay that amount of exposed pipe on the ground!  Consider solar heat panels instead.  They're compact and much more effective.  Fafco (distributed by Rex Plumbing and Heating) makes a well designed solar panel in 4'x10' and 4'x8'.	The most economical means of heating a pool is a solar cover.  If you're looking for more heat on demand, a natural gas heater is the most economical way to go.  Figure 11,000 btu's for every 1000 gallons of pool water.  If you don't have natural gas available where you live, liquid propane is the next most economical option, but will require a LP tank.  Don't consider anything less than a 500 gallon gas tank. Oil and electric heaters are the most expensive to buy and to operate.
Q: We're thinking of converting our pool to BAQUACIL because we heard it's easier, but I'm told it's more expensive than chlorine, is this true?  What will it cost me to use it?  Betty C., Drums	Michael:  We don't represent BAQUACIL as a cheaper alternative to chlorine, just a better one.  We have many customers, however, who boast of better results AND savings over chlorine.  We estimate the average size pool will cost about $250 to sanitize with BAQUACIL from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  When you factor in the savings that BAQUACIL doesn't prematurely deteriorate your pipes, hoses, liner, covers, pool parts and bathing suits like chlorine does, the "big picture" cost of using BAQUACIL is about the same as chlorine.    Plus, your time saved on the daily testing and dosing of chlorine is worth something as well.
Q: What causes my pool water to become "cloudy"?   Jack H., Minooka	Michael:  We can count 11 causes of "cloudy" or "hazy" water.  The most common four are:  Inadequate filtration equipment, Inadequate filtration time (24 hours a day is recommended by the NSPI), Insufficient sanitizer levels and Pool water that is "out-of-balance" relative to pH, Alkalinity and Calcium levels.  A competent pool dealer can ask the right questions, test your pool water and find the source of your cloudy water to bring it back to the crystal clarity you should be enjoying.