Chemical option overload!!!

[snoopydance]

I'm having a hard time sorting through everyone's opinions, here and among my friends with tubs. Chlorine vs. bromine?  Today my chiropractor weighed in, from a holistic point of view: enzymes.

Enzymes? Copper?

So...what about Eco One? Nature 2? Cleanwater Blue? I understand that there will still be some use of chlorine, but supposedly much less.

My new/used tub came with a box full of bromine items. I care less about being frugal than being safe and un-smelly. I don't particularly care for the smell of bromine.

Help!

[kacrab10]

I picked chlorine or dichlor because we have a pool and we are used to the chlorine on our skin and know there are no allergy issues. I didn't have anything more scientific then that for my choice...

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Many people have had good luck with nature 2 ant the low chlorine recipe if the spa is not used heavy and you are clean when you use it.

I have not had good luck with the enzymes yet. I was sent a new one to try by the natural hot tub company. I will be doing it on my next water change to see how it goes and post my results here.

As a holistic point of view....Bromine and chlorine are on the periodic table of elements.....

[snoopydance]

Hillbilly: when you say you  haven't had good luck with the enzymes, what do you mean? As for my projected use, I plan to be in the tub several times a week, perhaps with friends once a week. But also, my teenager is going to have "hot tub parties." I don't want to be a hardcase about the tub (other than re: safety issues); I want people to have fun. So I anticipate some less than optimal usage -- teenagers use lotions, perfumes, etc.

Should I not even attempt Nature 2 or Cleanwater Blue or Eco One?

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

With any system you must be clean when using the spa. It is a small heated body of water. Lotions perfume ect will cause you to have water clarity issues and use up much more chemical trying to "eat" up all that gunk.

The enzyme systems I used just have not worked without a dose of chlorine after each use. IMO if I why waste the money on the enzymes if I have to use that much chlorine anyway. If I did not use the chlorine, the tub got cloudy and smelly. I never tried them with the dichlor at each use because it was not what I was looking for.

Nature 2 I did like, I could use MPS at each use and shock with chlorine weekly and did not have an issue with my tub. My customers have also had good luck under these circumstances .....2-3 people each night that are clean and rinse filters out weekly... my customers with teens or heavy use have to use dichlor at each use with N2, but they say the water feels better and has less of an irritating smell with N2 so they use it in conjunction with the dichlor. Many people on this forum and other have had good luck with N2 using both the low chlorine recipe or dichlor after each use.

I wont say you should not try 1 system or another. They each may work differently for people. If the enzymes dont work, then you can just go to strict dichlor till you next water change. if you use any system with bromine or bromide based products and don't like it, you will have to drain to change or wait till the next water change.

[Shaamus]

I have to disagree with Hillbilly on the EcoOne.  You don't use as much chlorine as normal and by the amounts of it we sell, it works for a fair amount people.  The downside to a many of the enzyme/alternative products is they make great use of flocculants that requires the filter to be cleaned more often.  With our EcoOne customers, we recommend filter cleaning every two weeks instead of each month.

We don't sell Cleanwater Blue, but the same manufacturer that makes EcoOne makes CWB for its owners so we have looked at it.  In our opinion, there's just a lot of steps to CWB to make it effective.  It works, but it's not as simple some of the others out there.

We recommend Nature2 profusely as an add-on to chlorine.  You'll use less chlorine, but you pay for the N2 cartridge which ranges from 19.99 to $45 depending on who you get it from.  Cartridges are good for 4 months.

[gunner12]

I have been using Aquafinesse for the last 18 months.  It is not enzymes.  It is a mineral based product.  I use 1 capful a week and 1/2 teaspoon of shock.  My tub has never smelled better, like lavander.   Best of all that is all I do except clean filters.  I have tried everything else before my dealer got this in.  The others all keep the water clear but did not smell good.  We tried enzymes and we smelled like a fish pond.  This stuff keeps the surface of my tub clean with no scum lines.  All of our friends love it.  Try it you will like it.