A water cleanliness story

[Gomboman]

I work with someone who inherited a used 90's Hotspring Classic three years ago.  The spa is equipped with the factory CD Freshwater ozone. He said that he and his wife use the spa at least five time per week and rarely have any other guests. I talked to him today about his water sanitation method.  This is what he told me:

1. He shocks with 2 ounces of dichor after re-filling.
2. He checks his PH weekly and adjusts accordingly.
3. He doesn't add any sanitizer after each use.
4. He has never shocked his spa except after re-filling.
5. He changes out his water every six months.

He claims that his water is always perfectly crystal clear and has never had any problems. He's thinking that his ozone is enough to kill any bacteria in the spa.

I told him that crystal clear water isn't always a sign of clean water and should think about adding some dichlor every once in awhile.  I told him that he could get Pseudomonas with his current method.  He kind of looked at me with a blank stare.  This person is very intelligent and has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. I decided to not talk anymore since he isn't very easily convinced.

Is he just lucky or maybe he and his wife are immune from infection? I've seen his water and it is crystal clear. I would think that with this method his water would be cloudy. Is it possible to have clean water using just ozone if you are somewhat of a clean person? He has been on this method for over three years and uses the spa almost daily. Has anyone ever head of anything like this?  

[J._McD]

Gumboman, it is possible.  It is all about killing bacteria, virus and oxidizing neutrients and minerals, all of which you know ozone is capable of doing so.  I will not elaborate any further as ozone does have it's nonbelievers.

[lawdawgva]

I am not quite as brave as your friend, Gomboman.   However, I have a 97 HS Sovreign with an ozonator and here is my routine.

1. Fill, check Ph, Alk, Hardness and adjust if necessary.
2. Drop a new Nature 2 Cartridge in my center filter standpipe (the one feeding the 24/7 circ. pump)
3. Once a week add 2 1/2 to 3 Tbsp of Spa Guard Enhanced Shock.
4. Once a week, check Ph and Alk and adjust if necessary.
5. Once a month, clean filters (sometimes just rinse)
5. At 4 mos. Drain, Clean, refill and install a new Nature 2 cartridge at that time.

I do not add dichlor after each use.  The only time I've had a water issue was this past week when I didn't rinse all the filter cleaner out of my filters, but a dose of shock cleared that up.

I'm a firm believer in ozone and the nature2 for that matter.  I'm convinced that working together, they have reduced my time spent maintaining my water and given me more time to actually enjoy it.  It makes me all the more thankful when I read some of the posts where people are adding something or doing something to their water daily to try to "fix" it.  If I had as much trouble as some I've read on the board, I would give up on my hot tub.  Isn't the whole idea of one to help you RELAX?

[Spatech_tuo]

To me this is like having sex without protection and relying on the "rhythm method" to avoid pregnancy. It may work sometimes but...

[ssbraun]

I'm with you, Spatech t.u.o.  My routine is a little (1-2 tsp.) dichlor after each use; a shock with dichlor weekly, or whenever the chloramine level is on the rise; ph up as required; Nature 2.  Water is always crystal clear, and I have no more of the "weird" issues I was having with water earlier.  My friend commented that his brother's tub was slimy, and that he was impressed by how clean the shell felt.  Very simple, and proven to be a safe method of sanitizing.  My $.02

Steve

[Brookenstein]

To me this is like having sex without protection and relying on the "rhythm method" to avoid pregnancy. It may work sometimes but...

If done properly, the rhythm method aka natural family planning is very effective.  I've known more girls who got pregnant on the pill, IUD, even after tubals and vassectomies than I do who got pregnant from NFM.    

Just had to give you a hard time, spa tech.  

[wmccall]

Has he mentioned ever having replaced the Ozonator? ?What are the odds that it is still working? Ever have a friend that if you told him you bowled at 300 game, he would mention the time he bowled 310?

[SerjicalStrike]

Without getting your chlorine level to the 3-5 ppm range when you are done using the spa, you are just guessing at weather your water is sanitary or not.  

If you could test for your ozone level and silver level, then you could worry less about the chlorine.  Until then, not using chlorine is just setting yourself up for a biofilm infestation.  

[drewstar]

I am not quite as brave as your friend, Gomboman.   However, I have a 97 HS Sovreign with an ozonator and here is my routine.

1. Fill, check Ph, Alk, Hardness and adjust if necessary.
2. Drop a new Nature 2 Cartridge in my center filter standpipe (the one feeding the 24/7 circ. pump)
3. Once a week add 2 1/2 to 3 Tbsp of Spa Guard Enhanced Shock.
4. Once a week, check Ph and Alk and adjust if necessary.
5. Once a month, clean filters (sometimes just rinse)
5. At 4 mos. Drain, Clean, refill and install a new Nature 2 cartridge at that time.

I do not add dichlor after each use.  The only time I've had a water issue was this past week when I didn't rinse all the filter cleaner out of my filters, but a dose of shock cleared that up.

I'm a firm believer in ozone and the nature2 for that matter.  I'm convinced that working together, they have reduced my time spent maintaining my water and given me more time to actually enjoy it.  It makes me all the more thankful when I read some of the posts where people are adding something or doing something to their water daily to try to "fix" it.  If I had as much trouble as some I've read on the board, I would give up on my hot tub.  Isn't the whole idea of one to help you RELAX?

If you do not use a sanitizer (Dichlor or Bromine) why do you need to shock?  What is the shock doing?

It's my understanding that the only purpose of shoc

Is there something else going on?  Is the shock oxidizing bacteria killed by the ozone??

[Spatech_tuo]

I've known more girls who got pregnant on the pill, IUD, even after tubals and vassectomies than I do who got pregnant from NFM.    

You can't count porn stars!

[Brookenstein]

You can't count porn stars!

Are you stalking me?  How did you know my friends were porn stars?  

[lawdawgva]

Drewstar,

The shock assists in the oxidation of the "killed" wastes.  I have several friends who have been using this method for a much longer time than I have with no problems.  (Thats one of the reasons I went with my current routine, no better proof than a good track record).  

The Silver is a sanitizer, the ozone is both a sanitizer and oxidizer, so I feel very comfortable with the combination and their effectiveness.  Clearly, most people like to have something to measure.  There are strips to measure the silver but I dont use them and there is a meter you can buy to measure ozone but it's cost prohibitive from what I understand.  

It's definately not a routine for everyone, but it works for me.

-Sarge

[SerjicalStrike]

Ozone is an oxidizer first and a sanitizer second.  It will try and oxidize any metals or particles in the water before it tries to act as a sanitizer.  

The only way to properly sanitize a spa (using chlorine) is to get the chlorine levle to 3-5ppm.  Period.  

Adding arbitrary amounts of chlorine without testing leads to chloramines and biofilm.  

The track record of no chloring and using silver, ozone, and MPS is not a good one.  It seems there have been more people getting pseudamonus or biofilm on that method than not.  

What usually happens is the person(s) using the spa build up an immunity to the bacteria over time as most of the bacteria in the spa is what has come off their body.  They don't use any sanitizer because they are not getting sick.  Then, someone uses the spa with them, does not have the resistance to the bacteria like the original user, and ends up with an infection.  Remember, if other people use your spa, you are responsible for the spa being sanitary for them as well as yourself.

[lawdawgva]

It seems to me from what I've read on the board, most of the questions posted about pseudamonas that has been contracted, have come from folks who are using a strict bromine or chlorine regimin.  That's why they were wondering why they had gotten the pseudamonas since they were so religiously sanitizing their spa.  I will say 5 "Hail Marys" if I am wrong, but I dont' believe those posts have come from folks who are using the ozonator, nature2, shock routine.  

-Sarge

[J._McD]

Ozone is an oxidizer first and a sanitizer second.  It will try and oxidize any metals or particles in the water before it tries to act as a sanitizer.  

The only way to properly sanitize a spa (using chlorine) is to get the chlorine levle to 3-5ppm.  Period.  

 

Serj, I find it very hard to understand how ozone, which is unstable and looking to attract a like atom and the first like atom it is able to find, is able to distinguish and discriminate between bacteria, viruses, minerals or neutrients when it's only objective is to attrract a like atom, thus rendering the other molecule sanitized, oxidized or otherwise dead matter.  I do not see how it can prioritize which atoms first or second.