Dupont Spa Chemicals, ETC

[cburk0677]

I was a lowes last night and saw that they have Dupont spa products. I am almost out of the startup chlorine that came with my vanguard and wanted to do a price comparison between my local hottub store and other places.

I noticed a couple of interesting things:

1. Dupont sells both spa and pool chemicals. The only difference between the spa and pool chemicals is that the spa chemicals come in a much smaller amount and are about twice as expensive as the pool chemicals. The active ingredients are exactly the same between the spa and pool chemcials.

2. A 1lb bottle of Chlorine granuals from my local hottub store is around $8.00  A 25lb container of dupont chlorine granuals is $83.00 at my local lowes. I checked the active ingredients and they are exactly the same. 25lb of chlorine from the hottub store would cost me $200. I paid $83.00 for the same amount at lowes. They even had a 40lb container for $100.00 which would be an even better deal but I figured 25lb of chlorine will last me quite awhile.

Needless to say I am switching to Dupont Pool products after my startup chemicals run out. I'm going to save the smaller bottles to keep in a box I keep near my spa. When they run out I will go out to the garage and fill them backup from the larger containers.   I think the only thing I will buy at my hottub store will be the EZSpa since I didn't see a similiar product in the Dupont line of products.

Seems crazy that the pool products are exacly the same ingredients and much cheaper. I guess most people buy into the marketing. I think the marketing people assume people who own hottubs must have $ to burn.

[Chris_H]

Make sure you are using di-chlor granular and not calcium hypochlorite or tri-chlor.  If your spa store sells pool chemicals you might want to check their prices out on the larger containers pool chemicals.  

Smaller packaging is obviously going to cost more per pound and is going to be much more convenient for the normal spa user.  Most people don’t want to be any where near their chemicals and especially don’t want to transfer chlorine from a big container to a smaller container.  Especially with the smell.

Your 25 pounds of chlorine is probably last you about 5 years.

[drewstar]

Careful!

Dupont offers granulated chlorine in the 25lb buckets. This is pool chlorine (Trichlor)

http://www2.dupont.com/Pool/en_US/products/pool_weekly_care.html#granules

But for spas, they offer bromine in the 3.75lb container.
http://www2.dupont.com/Spa/en_US/products/routine_spa_care.html


Don't use pool chlorine (Tri chlor) in your spa. you need Dichlor.

[cburk0677]

I'm sure it is the correct kind of chlorine, I checked the dupont pool chlorine against the dupont spa chlorine and also agains the startup chlorine I received with my vanguard. The active ingredients were exactly the same.

[cburk0677]

What is the difference between trichlor and Dichlor?

[drewstar]

It is my understanding the Trichlor (for pools) is very acidic and can damage the heater and is not effective at high temperatures.

[cburk0677]

Hmm, I will be checking this out tonight when I get home. If so there goes my major money saving idea. Dang it!

[cburk0677]

Just got off the phone with Dupont.

Active ingredient in their pool chlorine granules is:

sodium dichloro S triazinetrione hydrated

I'm no chemist but that looks like Dichlor to me.

Also looked up the active ingredient in the leisure time spa 56 chlorine granules. Active ingredient is:

SODIUM DICHLORO-S-TRIAZINETRIONE DIHYDRATE

LEISURE TIME
SPA 56 CONCENTRATED
CHLORINGATING GRANULES
FOR SPAS AND HOT TUBS

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:

SODIUM DICHLORO-S-TRIAZINETRIONE DIHYDRATE ….. 99%
INERT INGREDIENTS ……………………………………………. 1%

That's proof enough for me.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Welcome to the cost of packaging.

As the president of Gerber once said, "we don't sell baby food, we sell glass bottles".

[cburk0677]

Well if I were you Dr. Spa I would be at lowes buying the 100lb packages and then repackaging it as Dr. Spa's Dichlor and selling it for 1lb for $4.00  You would make a killing.

[drewstar]

what?

Why would folks use dichlr in pools? I thought it got used up too fast and that you need much more of it?

[Brewman]

There must be some call for large packages of stuff- I saw a really large pail of dichlor at Sam's club- I believe maybe 80lbs, and it sold for right around $100.  Or maybe it was a #100 pail that sold for $80.  
 And it was dicholr.

I only know a couple of people with pools, and they all use trichlor pucks.  

[drewstar]

If we can validate that this stuff is the same and we are not ignorant of anythiing....I'm going to sam's club.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Well if I were you Dr. Spa I would be at lowes buying the 100lb packages and then repackaging it as Dr. Spa's Dichlor and selling it for 1lb for $4.00  You would make a killing.

By the time I rented more floor space, purchased and set up the packaging equipment, trained the personal, sourced the bottles with the proper printing and labeling, paid the insurance, and got the proper licensing and permitting........... I'd need to get about $20.00 a pound if I expect to break even in the next 5 years...

[cburk0677]

Screw that just sell it on ebay:)