Swimming Pools treated with biguanide products such as Soft Swim® & Baquacil have their own set of rules & idiosyncrasies.  HOWEVER, the basic still apply.  Good water balance, keeping up with regular maintenance & following the prescribed methods & chemicals doses performed at the correct intervals.

The biggest difference between biguanides & halogens (chlorine & bromine) is the way the operate.  But first, let's look at their chemical natures.

Chlorine & bromine are both naturally occurring elements.  They have their own atomic weight & space in the periodic table (remember your high school chemistry).  Bromine & chlorine are combined with other elements to make up various chemicals & products that truth be told, we would have a very big problem living without. In residential swimming pools, chlorine tends to be in powder or tablet or stick form. Some people still use liquid.  Bromine is typically available as a tablet.

Biguanides on the other hand are not basic elements. Biguanides are "long string" polymers with really big names. We call them PHMBs (polyhexamethylbiguanides); even that's a shortened name!  Biguanides (in different formulas) are also used in veterinary (disinfecting) & human medicine (treating type 2 diabetes).  The real difference is how biguanides attack bacteria & algae versus chlorine or bromine.  Here's the difference:

Chlorine & bromine are like bombs or landmines that are in your pool water.  When the chlorine or bromine molecule hits a bacteria or algae cell, it basically blows it up!  It oxidizes the bacteria.  It's gone (as long as there are enough of them to combat the bacteria & algae).  Chlorine & bromine tend to have very low pH values making them "harsh" on skin & hair.

Biguanides on the other hand work like fly paper.  These long string polymers float through the pool water & attach to anything they come in contact with & eventually "strangle" the bad guys.  As that dirty string of polymer gets heavier with more dead stuff attached to it, it becomes large enough to settle on the filter & is filtered out of the water. Biguanides tend to aid making water clearer because they are a kind of water clarifier.  Biguanides are preferred by many people because they are much more gentle on skin & hair because their pH value is almost neutral.

With all of that in mind, let's show you how to...

1. Start a Freshly filled pool using Soft Swim or biguanides

2. How to convert a chlorine or bromine pool to Soft Swim or biguanide

3. Starting a Soft Swim or Biguanide pool in the Spring

4. Regular chemical maintenance of a Soft Swim or biguanide pool

5. Vacation proofing your Soft Swim or biguanide pool

6. How to Winterize or Close your Soft Swim or biguanide pool

7. Trouble shooting problems.

8. Water Balance in Soft Swim or Biguanide pools
 

Product Name	Purpose	Dosage	How Often to Add	What it does
SoftSwim A	Algicide made purposefully for Biguanides	2 ounces for every 5,000 gallons	Every two weeks	Inhibits & controls the growth of algae
SoftSwim B	Bactericide & Sanitizer	1/2 pint (8 oz) for every 5,000 gallons to raise "B" level by 10 ppm, maintain 30 - 50 ppm	ONLY as needed, test weekly, top up when under 30 ppm	Kills bacteria; prevents spreading of disease through pool water
SoftSwim C	"shock" treatment, oxidizing Clarifier	1 gallon for every 10,000 gallons of water. don't skimp	Once every 3 weeks or as needed to maintain 20 to 60 ppm	Oxidizes body oils, sweat, and other unwanted wastes. Helps clear the water.
SoftSwim Stain Control	treats heavy metals - iron, copper, manganese, calcium	1 qt. per 10,000 gallons	monthly	Prevents staining & interference of metals with Soft Swim System
SoftSwim Filter Cleaner	Biguanide specific filter cleaner - all media	follow label instructions	about every 6 weeks	Keeps filter cleaner by removing "spent"  residue
SoftSwim Assist®			Every two weeks	Prevents slime and mold from forming in pipes

One big problem is that Soft Swim or biguanide pools tend to be so easy to maintain that many, many people figure that they don't need to perform ANY maintenance.  The water looks great so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  That attitude gets many of those same people into trouble with cloudy water and other problems that require time, effort & money to fix.  They then blame the product for their lack of care.  We see it constantly.  Don't fall into that trap.  Follow the doses & instructions & have a great experience!

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