Can you shock your spa more than once a week?

[TwinCitiesHotSpring]

The "cloudiness" may be due to your boyfriends habits AND the method of treatment.  RainForest Blue might be a good method...for some but others may benefit from a more "traditional" approach.  I am with the others.  Drain and refill using only di-chlor after each use (about a small capfull (1-2 tbsps) each time.

However, the condition of the water may actually be more directly related to your hair care habits rather than his workout routines.  Believe it or not, the hair product women typically employ can reek havoc with water treatment methods.  Conditioner is particularly troublesome.  If you (or he) washes your hair daily and use a conditioner or any type of gel to hold your hair, your compounding the problems.  Some have tried to use less conditioner, or keep their hair out of the water or even to shower out the hair products BEFORE getting into the tub

Lastly - The RainForest Blue site states that you can "benefit" by using it in conjunction with the EcoONE water management system.  I've seen these statements before and often wondered...WHY?  In some cases, I think that you probably NEED to use BOTH systems in that tub in order to maintain water quality.  My one question to the salesperson pushing the products would be "How would I KNOW if I needed both systems?  What EXACTLY is one to look out for in order to determine if adding EcoONE to the process is REQUIRED?"  If the answer comes back 'If in doubt, do both", I'd call BS on it.  This isn't snake oil.  You either need it or...you don't need it.  There HAS to be some type of empirical way to determine the requirements.  So, the last question is....Do you also currently run the EcoONE system in conjunction with the PacificBlue?  If not, why not and if they want you to spend more $$$'s on both products you might want to understand the costs differences of those programs vs. the older "2 tbsp of Di-Cholr after each dip.  Di-Chlor probably runs me about $80/year and doesn't leave any chlorine smell in the pool (because it dissipates overnight)

nail on the head....the only thing you NEED to do in any hottub is maintain 7.2-7.8pH..80-120ppm ALk...at least 1ppm chlorine/bromine at all times, and a reasonable calcium hardness level of around 150-200ppm for examples sake....now the chemicals need to achieve this are chlorine or bromine depending on preference, dry acid, baking soda, and maybe some calcium booster if you fill with soft water, so for someone to tell me I need some type of latest and greatest method that is not EPA approved unless used in conjunction with chlorine/shock doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me...why not just remove the "in conjunction with" and use the product that is actually doing the "work" ie chlorine or bromine...just my .02

[heninquins]

I do it every week, typically after a period of high bather usage. Shock treatments must be repeated, until such time as a stable sanitizer reading can be achieved, for at least a few hours.

C-4950 | c4950 | C 4950

[NurseN2000]

Thanks so much everyone for all the help!!!  I have decided to go with bromine, not necessarily because I think the rainforest blue doesn't work...but how do I KNOW it's working?  The test strips that are meant to show me the copper level are incredibly hard to read, all the shades of pinkish purple are virtually the same!  After speaking with the dealer again, they explained the system to me and it all sounds logical (no, they didn't try to sell me any additional products, in fact they say I don't need anything else since my spa has ozone running).  But "logical" doesn't make me feel comfortable if I can't accurately measure, not to mention when I asked him how often I should add it he said something to the effect of that's sort of a "grey area".  Huge red flag for me, being a newbie!!  So I took all of your advice, and I went to the local spa place and had the guy there explain how to use bromine with my ozone system.  They are super nice people, very knowledgeable and helpful and just a few miles from my house...would have bought my spa there, but they are locally made on the site and didn't really seem to have any variety in jets so I didn't really like the spas themselves.  The guy explained how to use either chlorine or bromine, didn't try to sell me anything at all.  I ended up leaving with bromine tablets, spa perfect and new test strips that I think will make me feel more comfortable.  I'm really happy that this nearby dealer is so willing to help me and take the time to explain everything to me, they also do free water tests there too... I really like the dealer I bought my spa from, they are super nice, I just think maybe they should not give a newbie a chemical system that is not something most commonly used.  They tell me that is what they use in their own personal spas, and that's great...for them, since they have years of experience and experimentation with lots of different things I'm sure.  I had no idea what I was getting, I just assumed it would be normal chemicals.  Maybe they thought they were doing me a favor, I don't know.  I just know I want something I can lay my eyes on that says my spa is within the correct range of sanitation, TA & pH.

As for my hair, I do indeed use conditioner, but really little else.  I cut the back of my hair (my "hot tub" haircut lol) so it doesn't get into the water very much, but it does get a little wet on the ends.  As for my boyfriend's hair, well it's a military style cut, pretty high & tight most of the time (he needs a haircut right at the moment lol), and he barely uses anything on it at all, not really even shampoo.  He just cleans it in the shower with his body wash, and that works for him, his hair is really very healthy .  Like I said earlier, I don't want to nag him about how he uses the hot tub, I'm just glad he's loving it as much as I am and I wouldn't want to spoil that for  him or for us as a couple (being able to get in together and relax is really wonderful, we are actually spending a bit more time together without distractions).  So I am happy to maintain the water, clean it, refresh it, replace it as needed.  At least now I feel like I have some control over knowing it's clean and sanitized.

Thanks again for all the information, hopefully I am on the right track now!  And if I have any questions about bromine, I know there are plenty of experts here to help explain things as I go along  .  I really do appreciate it!

[Spatech_tuo]

they say I don't need anything else since my spa has ozone running

When I see that kind of statement above it tells me its someone without much direct hot tub experience. Ozone is an excellent AID in water care IMO but anyone who thinks that by having ozone you don't need anything else is someone who is saying it because they were told it was true or they read it, not someone who has lived it.

Personally I like chlorine better than bromine but bromine works well too. The good thing about bromine is you can keep a more constant level of sanitizer, the bad thing is that level is constant so I personally notice it when I'm in the water. Some favor bromine, some chlorine. Bromine may be exactly what you're looking for, you'll know soon.

If not bromine try chlorine another time (after draining) to see if that is what works for you. I like dichlor because I add after I get out and it sanitizes but then dissipates not long after so next time I go in its a low level again so when I'm in it there is no chemical smell and then I spike it afterward with more and it sanitizes, then dissipates ...

[NurseN2000]

thanks Spatech, let me just clarify one thing, what they said was I didn't need anything else besides the ozone AND the rainforest blue stuff... not sure if that's what you meant, but they didn't say the ozone and NOTHING else  .  They suggest using the rainforest blue as a non-chemical alternative to chlorine/bromine, which is what they say they personally do.

I just went in for the first time since adding the bromine, so far so good as far as my skin feeling ok...but I'm not sure it's up to the correct level yet, I will test it in the morning.  If I have any problems with it after a while I'll definitely want to try the chlorine.  Your routine seems pretty good, and easy.  Does it ever smell too much like chlorine?  Just curious, I like a faint smell of chlorine (smells clean) but too much is irritating to my eyes and throat. 

[Spatech_tuo]

If I have any problems with it after a while I'll definitely want to try the chlorine.  Your routine seems pretty good, and easy.  Does it ever smell too much like chlorine?  Just curious, I like a faint smell of chlorine (smells clean) but too much is irritating to my eyes and throat. 

The biggest smell issue is if you have a build-up of chlorine combined with waste so as long as you shock weekly (or so) you won't have a chlorine smell issue.

[sorebikr]

Do the pros out there have a particular test kit they recommend?  Something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Complete-FAS-DPD-Water-K-2006/dp/B0002IXIIG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

[NurseN2000]

Checking back in, I've now had the bromine tablet in my filter area since last friday.  It still doesn't really register on my test strips, but it's the slow dissolving tablets so I don't know how long before I will really see a color change on the strips.  The strips say to read them immediately, but when I do that hardly anything shows up; especially on the chlorine/bromine pads.  I find the strips really hard to read, is that just me?  I can easily see the TA and pH, so that's good;  but the hardness seems to be between the lowest 2 shades of blue, and with the bromine/chlorine pads I feel like I can't really tell if the strip changes color or if I'm just wishful thinking or it looks like it changed color but not really to one that compares with the color shown on the bottle!  It kind of makes me nuts!!  Also, now that I've got the bromine tab in there, I notice a slightly funny chemically smell, is that what it smells like?  I much prefer the smell of chlorine to this smell. 

Does anyone else notice a slightly funny smell with the bromine?  I only smell it when I first open the cover, then I can't really smell it any more...anyone else have any issues with bromine?  Smells or irritation to the skin? 

[Spatech_tuo]

I used to set people up after delviery and explain how to care for their spas. I just opened the Word file handout for Bromine and our instructions stated the following:

C. Add 2-3 tablets of All Clear Bromine tablets into the filter basket.

D. If you want to go in it that night or the next couple days use a packet of Sodium Bromide to make “instant bromine” as the tablets take 3-4 days before they dissolve and begin to sanitize your spa


I'm puzzled that they just had you add the tablets without any sodium bromide because they should know the tablets dissolve slowly and you may be using it in the meantime.

We also explained that you need to shock weekly with MPS, check your Ph/alk... but we also explained that the tablets are part chlorine so anytime you get behind in your water care or if the water just gets cloudy, etc. that you can/should add a TBS or two of dichlor, it really can save the situation. People often think they are going chlorine free when they are on a bromine routine but its just not the case and chlorine does a great job if things go awry.

[fangular]

I'm no expert as I have only had my tub for 3 weeks. I use bromine and have the slow dissolving tabs but for the first 4 or 5 days I also put in a couple of cap fulls of bromine granules and since then only added the granules twice as the slow tabs have been doing the job. Hope this helps.

[Waterbug]

Does anyone else notice a slightly funny smell with the bromine?  I only smell it when I first open the cover, then I can't really smell it any more...anyone else have any issues with bromine?  Smells or irritation to the skin? 

Did you drain and refill the tub, befor switching to bromine ?  If not, you could now have a copper/bromine reaction going on.  It's ALL chemistry.  What you put in the tub stays in the tub.  It's like a giant test tube with a low lever bunsen burner heating it.