Enhance & Activate

[Snowbird]

My Jacuzzi 385 has an ozonator and a Nature2 mineral stick in the filter.  The dealer told me to use Activate as a shock with pH Up or pH Down.  We test with Nature2 test strips that test for pH, total alkalinity and mps.

At 1st all was well but then I started reading the instructions - usually a bad thing.


Activate says to use it in conjunction with Enhance - so I bought some Enhance.  Now I can not get an mps reading on my test strips.  I bought a Taylor test kit and it supports the test strips.

Everytime I test the pH and TA are fine but the mps reading is zero.  I am going through Activate very fast.


The water feels fine and is clear.  So what's up?  Can anyone give me some advice?

[ssbraun]

I use ozone / Nature 2.  I use dichlor after each soak, and shock with dichlor each week.  I use no Enhance, clarifier etc.  Periodically I need to use a ph up product, as dichlor slowly lowers ph.  Perfect, clear water, always. Nature 2 website suggests this as an alternative to MPS. Simple, and effective.  I have no stress with water treatment issues, as I did when I followed more complicated routines .  Good luck!

Steve

[hottubdan]

Activate is a brand of MPS.  There are several other brands you can be using, such as Renew or SpaGuard Spa Shock.

MPS has several applications, one of which is working with Nature2.  

The packaging of Activate says it works with Enhance.  Enhance is a bromine product.  Bromine and nature2 are not compatable.

My suggestion is to drain and refill.  Then go back to your dealer's suggestion.

I also suggest using dichlor once a week as the shock treatment you need to do with your Nature2 program.

[tony]

Activate is a brand of MPS.  There are several other brands you can be using, such as Renew or SpaGuard Spa Shock.

MPS has several applications, one of which is working with Nature2.  

The packaging of Activate says it works with Enhance.  Enhance is a bromine product.  Bromine and nature2 are not compatable.

My suggestion is to drain and refill.  Then go back to your dealer's suggestion.

I also suggest using dichlor once a week as the shock treatment you need to do with your Nature2 program.

This is correct.  Enhance is bromine.  Take the Nature2 stick out... they are not compatable.  You can use a frog stick or a LeisureTime mineral purifier, but not Nature2.

The Enhance/Activate (or LeisureTime Reserve/Renew) is a non floater bromine sanitizing system.  You add Enhance/Reserve (bromine) weekly and Activate/Renew (MPS or non chlorine shock) after use.

Since you now have a bromine spa, you may as well continue with the program and see if you like it.  Just take the N2 cartridge out.

Doc's site has some info on Enhance/Activate or you can check the Leisure Time site for Reserve/Renew instructions.

You can get back to a dichlor system only by draining and filling.

[tony]

BTW, it seems as if your dealer has you using Nature2 with just non chloring shock (your Activate).  Not a great way to try to sanitize your water, IMHO.  You would need to add a little dichlor, preferably after use.

I would use the Enchance/Activate before N2 and MPS.  I personally use N2 with a little dichlor after use and shock with MPS weekly.

With your now bromine spa, you can stop testing for MPS.  Hope this all makes sense.

[Snowbird]

Is there any danger to getting in  the tub with the current system?  We have been using it and I notice my hands are always dry.  Everything else is okay.

Is there a chlorine odor from the dichlor?  Our tub is indoors and we do not want any strong odors in the house.  What we have now is completely odorless.

When I followed the dealer instructions my water turned a light green and they advised me to throw a cup of Clorox in.  This cleared it up but it would go green again after a while.  I am not entirely happy with their method.

Since the water is clear, I think I will take the N2 out as advised and stick with Enhance/Activate until it needs changing.  At that time I will go back to N2 with dichlor as long as it doesn't produce an odor.

[tony]

If you add about a tsp of dichlor after use and shock with non chlorine shock when needed, there should be no chlorine smell at all and you will be soaking in sanitized water with a very low free chlorine level, essentially meaning soaking in no chemcals.

To be honest, I don't know what happens with bromine and N2 together.

If throwing chlorox in eliminated green in the water, then you need more consistant sanitation than what N2 and non chlorine shock is providing.  Chlorox is chlorine.