Welcome to our forum.
I would hope that your dealer would provide you with a water care procedure when your tub is delivered. We laminate ours and review it as part of the orientation process during delivery.
pH and alkalinity should remain stable as long as you maintain even a small residual level of di-chlor in the water. The only time I've seen the pH take a nose dive is when the di-chlor level was at 0 for a period of 8 hours or more.
I must have read the part in parenthesis in the second paragraph 6 times, and I still can figure out what the heck my northern neighbors are doing! You're filliing WHAT with WHAT??
confused time."Do you use dichlor by itself for both daily use and shock. I just read Vermont method from Rhtubs and it is very informative, but I find it a little over my head."Yes you can use dichlor for both daily treatment and for shock once per week."For those that use dichlor I understand that I have to find an amount to have a free chlorine base of min 2ppm. what is a free chlorine base compared to combined base."Free chlorine is what you get when you first add dichlor to the spa. As the chlorine combines or reacts with the bacteria and so on it forms chloramines - in other words it chemically combines with the germs you are trying to kill. So after a week of happy tubbing you will have some free chlorine and some combined chlorine. When you shock you are adding enough extra chemical of oxidize - that is burn up - the chloramines. In other words they go away kind of like using up the gas in your car as you drive."Also I understand from Vermont method that I use approx 7 times the daily dosage for shock once a week."Yes, although in his more detailed information he admits that this is a very conservative approach. You probably could get by with 4 or 5 times the daily dose for the once a week shock.>Now, if I understand correctly which I most likely dont I use dichlor every day (optimal) or after each use. I use the proper amount to bring my chlorine reading to 2ppm. Can I go in tub right after or do I have to do after I use tub?<You can go in the tub right away with 2 ppm of free chlorine.>Next once a week I add my 7x dichlor for shock, I assume this is not safe to go in at this time. How long of a wait before reading goes back down to 2ppm.<You would need to test your water to learn how long it would take. Chlorine does not have a long life in hot water. I keep my water at 98 degrees F, and find that 24 hours after shocking, the chlorine level is 3 ppm or so and I can and do go in.>Ok, now, dichlor is not as acidic as trichlor. So does this mean that i dont have to play with ph or alkalinity. Or do I still add ph up and down and alk products?<Actually total alkalinity is extremely important and I recommend that you add the total alkalinity as the first step in your water treatment regime. Doing so stabilizes pH and makes your life much easier. I recommend 120 to 150 ppm of total alkalinity, although some recommend 80 to 120. The trade off is that the higher you go the more scale you will form and the more often you will need to change your water. On the other hand, if total alkalinity is kept on the high side the water is much more stable and easier to keep in the proper range. >Last but not least my tub is going to have an ozone with it. So is this enough or do I have to run this nature two thing. I have no clue how it works, i just understand it is a device that sits in the filter and releases crystals or something to sanatize. Does this have to be used or can you opt not to use it. Also can I get it in Canada.<Nature 2 is a silver ion exchange system. It is compatible with dichlor but not with bromine. Using it is an excellent idea as it will reduce the amount of dichlor that you need to sanitize your water. Ozone is a very powerful oxidizer that will help to keep your chloramines down and again this will help to reduce the amount of dichlor that you would need to add. Ozone is compatible with bromine if you decide to go that way."I think thats it. I really would like to give dichlor a fair shake but seem very confused. I have read many articles and I still cant get past the confusion. I guess it will be a little different when I actually have the tub here. I just want to make sure that I understand, as my local dealer knows nothing about dichlor."Bromine is more expensive and does not need to be added daily so most dealers tend to recommend it. They are in business to make money after all and don't want to scare potential customers out the door by confusing them. In reality, dichlor is not confusing or hard to use. I had my dealer tell me they don't get involved with dichlor, so I went to an independent pool and spa chemical store, these are ubiquitous.Here is a brief overview of the Vermonter's approach:1. Fill the tub with water and add total alkalinity to 120 + ppm.2. Add dichlor to reach 2 ppm3. Check pH and adjust if necessaryPlay in your hot tub1. After each use add dichlor to 2 ppm (this varies but for a typical 400 to 500 gallon tub this works out to perhaps 0.5 tps, to 0.75 tps, per person per use).2. Once a week, shock (this varies but 2 - 3 TBS is typical)3. Periodically check total alkalinity and ph and chlorine. the period will vary depending on usage, water temperature, number of people using it, and so on. For a new spa this might be daily, but after you get a handle on the thing it might be once a week, or even once every 2 or 3 weeks.It really is not hard.Regards,Bill
Furthermore, your dealer will only support you when you use Bromine. When they set up the tub, they will provide you with a bromine starter kit, so I would suggest atleast trying that...especially if you will be looking for dealer support.
Bosco,Ok, that makes sense! I just mis-read!Thanks for clarifying it!Be patient, and relax! I was concerned before I got my tub, but it has been fairly easy to maintain! There is a learning curve, don't get me wrong, but you can do it! If I can, anyone can! Just ask GeorgiaPeach! Good luck!
Author
Topic: questions about dichlor and vermont method (Read 7275 times)
