Leisure Time "Free" sanitizer

[GoWyoGo]

I was setup with the Leisure Time Free sanitation system w/ my spa, but want to switch. The product seems to be working great, but it seems like it may be more expensive than dichlor or bromine and harder to come by. My one complaint is the fact that the test strips seem FAR from reliable. When you dip them in and monitor as instructed, the color seems to bleed and its not consistant. I decided to order the Taylor kit from Doc as i am very concerned w/ chemistry. I don't want to deteriorate plumbing, etc.

My question to all is: Can i swith to bromine or dichlor w/o having to do a water change? The water is only 2weeks old and its hovering around 5 degrees outside so i would rather not drain now if at all possible. the free sanitizing system is a Biguanide sanitizing product.

http://www.leisuretimespa.com/FreeSanitizingSystem.asp

Thanks again in advance
james

[Chas]

You must drain and refill, as well as clean your filters before you can switch to dichlor.

The Free system is very similar to Baqua, and yes, it is a bit more expensive than a chlorine regimine.

Is your tub only two weeks old? If so, you are most likely still obsessing over the chemistry as most new tub owners do. In that two weeks, you should have tested the water twice. And if the sanitizer was low, added maybe once.

 8-)

[eln1559]

You do not have to drain it.  There is a product called Flip Out that takes out the biguanide sanitizer and makes it safe to go back to Chlorine or Bromine.  If you don't use that product than it will cause your water to turn a milky white.

[GoWyoGo]

Chas -

I am not really obsessing with the chemistry, but honestly i don't know what my pH is. Like i said, those stips suck as far as being able to get an accurate reading. Maybe i will just monitor everything but sanitizer level with the Taylor kit, and switch over at firist water change.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 I tried seling the free system and handed it out (free)to quite afew people.
None of them liked it and all went back to chlorine after use with a proclear(nature 2) in the filter.

 I no longer carry it at all.

 Its like Baqua  some people really love it some really hate it and most people dont understand nor want to deal with it,let alone like the cost of it.

[hottubdan]

I tried seling the free system and handed it out (free)to quite afew people.
None of them liked it and all went back to chlorine after use with a proclear(nature 2) in the filter.

 I no longer carry it at all.

 Its like Baqua  some people really love it some really hate it and most people dont understand nor want to deal with it,let alone like the cost of it.

I find that most people who understand it love it.  I find it is [glow]dealers and salespeople[/glow] who don't understand it and cause consumers to hate it.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

I find that most people who understand it love it.  I find it is [glow]dealers and salespeople[/glow] who don't understand it and cause consumers to hate it.

 Thats probably why I dont carry that product either, plus I have a D1/cal spa dealer close enough that I can throw a snowball and hit there store that sells it.

[GoWyoGo]

I think it may be a great system for those that have sensitive skin, etc. but they need some serious improvements to the test strips....

It seems to moniter the sanitizer ok, but as far as ph, alkilinity and calcium i would have just as good a reading if i called Miss Cleo!

If they had a decent test kit for this program i might think about staying with it, but I think those test strips are a joke :-/

[NDfar]

I tried Free after haveing itch issues and it worked great.   What I had problems with was when the water was a couple months old, there would be alot of effervence in the water when you  turned the air on.  This fizz would get up your nose and also make you cough which I have heard of when using similar product as this.  Run the jets with no air the water was crystal clear and no fizz.  I emailed Leisure Time and they said they never heard of this and I may have to use more Boost which is the shock with the Free system.  I had already changed my water so I don't know if this would have helped.  Other than that I had no problems with the strips and you added chems once a week which made the tub very easy to take care of.

[Tatooed_Lady]

isn't that known as "Baqua-cough"? Thanks, but no....I've found that the way to cruise (usually) along through life is to keep things simple.....dichlor and bromine are readily available around here, and aren't that hard on the checkbook (BIG bonus)...I'll personally stick to one of the above unless there's a medical reason to change.
Our dealer had a real mess with a customer that had used baqua....I forget if she had added all the adjusting chems at the same time, or if she'd tried to add dichlor.....but the dealer said when he got there, it looked like cauliflower had been grown in her tub. It was soft, broke apart easily, but was a HUGE PITA to clean from the tub and plumbing!!