Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: jeankat2 on May 01, 2006, 05:04:27 pm
-
Hi, I just brought a Caldera Tahitian and we are learning about the chemicals. We live in the NW so had to add lots of calcium. Can anyone recommend the best products and the way to get them the cheapist. Our spa came with Leisure Time, but we are looking for a less expensive alterntive.
-
Don' do it!
Leisure Time is good junk. If you find something cheaper, it's likely to be ChemTek or AquaChem or some other lamo brand at a home center.
LT works, and has done so for us for 18 years or so.
:)
-
We like to use the Nature 2 spa purifier with Leisure Time Renew (shock), Spa Defender and Spa 56.
That's what I've found to be the easiest way to take care of the spa with the lest amount of side effects....
-
Don' do it!
Leisure Time is good junk. If you find something cheaper, it's likely to be ChemTek or AquaChem or some other lamo brand at a home center.
LT works, and has done so for us for 18 years or so.
:)
Hey Chas!
What's up with that!
I agree that you have to be careful when picking up "spa chemicals" but dichlor is dichlor for the most part and some of it is more potent than others but if you can get something cheaper - why not?
Walmart's "spa" chlorine is Cal Hypo which is a big no no but Doc or Leslies sells dichlor for a lot less than my dealer. I can get 5 lbs from Doc for about $25, now I do know that some of you dealers sell products cheaper than others so I would agree that if you can support your local dealer and not paying too much - do so!
-
Who is Doc or Leslie?
-
Leslie's Pool Supplies sells chemicals.
Doc. Is dr.spa I believe he also has an online store.
You can also go to http://www.spapartsdepot.com
-
Good question Vinny -
I forgot: I don't sell the LT Dichlor. Too expensive. Same for the Renew. In my case, I have "Sun" brand Dichlor for a couple bucks less, and it is exactly the same, or close enough. The Renew is five or six bucks more per bottle, so I just offer the "FreshWater Oxidizer."
The OTHER LT products are priced much better and always seem to do the job.
-
Doc's web site is:
www.rhtubs.com
I buy stuff from him all of the time, great web site and great service if you have questions.
-
Should we get into baking soda and white vinegar? ;D
-
vinegar is good when coloring eggs ;D
-
I think it is best to use your local dealer. You may pay a bit more, but when you have a problem, they will be there to help you. They don't charge for their knowledge - which in most cases is substantial.
When you ask a dealer for their help and use them to test your water, then go elsewhere to buy, well..... I just am a believer in supporting your local dealer.
Leisure Time, BioGuard seem to be the best. You pay more for BioGuard, but they are regarded as the best products.
-
Leisure Time, BioGuard seem to be the best. You pay more for BioGuard, but they are regarded as the best products.
You really shouldn't state that.
ALL chems are basically the same, dichlor is dichlor and alkalinity up is baking soda.
My dealer charges $23 for a 2 lb bottle of enhanced shock which is basically MPS and chlorine. I can buy a 5 lb bottle of dichlor from Doc for $25. That's a huge difference. My local pool dealer sold me a quart of algecide for the pool for $24 and I bought the same algecide from Leslies but a half gallon for a few dollars more.
I don't go to dealers to ask for help and buy elsewhere. I am a firm believer to support the people I use ... I've been on Doc's site a while now and have received great info and I support.
-
You really shouldn't state that.
ALL chems are basically the same, dichlor is dichlor and alkalinity up is baking soda.
My dealer charges $23 for a 2 lb bottle of enhanced shock which is basically MPS and chlorine. I can buy a 5 lb bottle of dichlor from Doc for $25. That's a huge difference. My local pool dealer sold me a quart of algecide for the pool for $24 and I bought the same algecide from Leslies but a half gallon for a few dollars more.
I don't go to dealers to ask for help and buy elsewhere. I am a firm believer to support the people I use ... I've been on Doc's site a while now and have received great info and I support.
Yea, but the % of active ingredients may be different. Shopeprs need to read the lables and not go just by price.
I use Leisure Time and have had very good results. YMMV
-
Yea, but the % of active ingredients may be different. Shopeprs need to read the lables and not go just by price.
I use Leisure Time and have had very good results. YMMV
Leisure Tme has 55% chlorine and All Clear has 62%. Most dichlor has between 55% to 62% chlorine with about 56% being the norm. I can get 8 lb tub of dichlor from Leslies for $27 which has about the same active chlorine (52%) as LT. I think the LT stuff sells for about $15 to $18 a 2 lb bottle so ... there's really no difference in the % of active dichlor (3%) but a really big difference in price (25%).
Here's the link to leslies AND it's on sale too!
http://www.lesliespool.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=8080&iMainCat=14&iSubCat=104&iProductID=8080&tabID=2
They sell 2 lbs for $12.
-
Where are you finding the 5 lbs of dichlor at Doc's site for $25. I saw 2lbs of Leisure time for around $18 and 5 lbs of some other brand for around $30(especially for wooden tubs).
How important is it to stick with the Leisure Time brand for Dichlor? Is it OK to use the dichlor from Leslie's site mentioned above which looks like it is meant for pools?
-
There are differences in the quality of commercially available water treatment chemicals. I use BioGuard products and can say that they are clearly superior to others that I have tried.
In my professional life, I have worked with another manufacturer of pool and spa chemicals. The purity, the consistency batch to batch, the fineness of the grain, the solubility, are all determined by how carefully they are produced, packaged, and controlled. Quality is the issue and there is a difference.
Regards,
Bill
-
Where are you finding the 5 lbs of dichlor at Doc's site for $25. I saw 2lbs of Leisure time for around $18 and 5 lbs of some other brand for around $30(especially for wooden tubs).
How important is it to stick with the Leisure Time brand for Dichlor? Is it OK to use the dichlor from Leslie's site mentioned above which looks like it is meant for pools?
I guess chlorine is going up ... Doc mentioned it a while back that it was. The last time I looked it was about $25.
Reguardless of quality, Sodium dichlor is sodium dichlor - for pools, spas or houshold disinfection. Bioguard might be "the best" in quality but how much quality do you need in chlorine. As long as you dose and get 3 PPM, 5 PPM or 15 PPM - what does it matter. I would agree that if they cost the same then I would go for the higher quality. I put in the chlorine as my pumps are working and I'm sure within a minute being in hot water the dichlor is dissolved.
How much is quality worth, for me it depends on it's use - I buy generic bleach but buy Perdue chicken.
-
I guess chlorine is going up ... Doc mentioned it a while back that it was. The last time I looked it was about $25.
Reguardless of quality, Sodium dichlor is sodium dichlor - for pools, spas or houshold disinfection. Bioguard might be "the best" in quality but how much quality do you need in chlorine. As long as you dose and get 3 PPM, 5 PPM or 15 PPM - what does it matter. I would agree that if they cost the same then I would go for the higher quality. I put in the chlorine as my pumps are working and I'm sure within a minute being in hot water the dichlor is dissolved.
How much is quality worth, for me it depends on it's use - I buy generic bleach but buy Perdue chicken.
Theres a big difference. You reffered a few posts ago to some algacide that you bought a half gallon for the same price as a quart of another brand. A lot of people will look at that and say hey thats a lot better deal then you read the dosage and find a quart of one will treat as much water as a gallon of the cheaper one and then that cheaper price doesnt seem like such a good deal. It reminds me of the customer that pulled up to our store in a $60,000 Cadillac and came in and started complaining that I was selling a pound of Lithium for $4.00 a pound when he could go buy a pound of shock from Wal Mart for $2.98. I said do you buy oil for your Caddy there too? He said no way thats a $60,000 car! I asked him how much did you pay to build your pool? He said $45,000. I explained there are differences in chemical dosages and even qualities.
-
Well 55% dichlor, and the other 45% is filler. The lower the dichlor the more filler you are adding to your soup. The more your filters have to work to filter out the fillers that have dissolved. The Bio guard is easier on your system. You may save a few bucks up front on buying the cheap chemicals but in the long run, your spending more on filters and other products to keep the water clean. Your just fooling yourself, buying cheap. I'm an end user and sell nothing. My bother has this kind of mentality. Less money spent is better value to him.
-
Well 55% dichlor, and the other 45% is filler. The lower the dichlor the more filler you are adding to your soup. The more your filters have to work to filter out the fillers that have desolved. The Bioguard is easier on your system. You may save a few bucks up front on buying the cheap chemicals but in the long run, your spending more on filters and other products to keep the water clean. Your just fooling your self, buying cheap.
You will be draining more often too.
-
Theres a big difference. You reffered a few posts ago to some algacide that you bought a half gallon for the same price as a quart of another brand. A lot of people will look at that and say hey thats a lot better deal then you read the dosage and find a quart of one will treat as much water as a gallon of the cheaper one and then that cheaper price doesnt seem like such a good deal. It reminds me of the customer that pulled up to our store in a $60,000 Cadillac and came in and started complaining that I was selling a pound of Lithium for $4.00 a pound when he could go buy a pound of shock from Wal Mart for $2.98. I said do you buy oil for your Caddy there too? He said no way thats a $60,000 car! I asked him how much did you pay to build your pool? He said $45,000. I explained there are differences in chemical dosages and even qualities.
My post about algecide was based on the same % of algecide - 60% polyquat ... I'm not stupid enough to think that a gallon of 10% solution is equiilent to a quart of 100% solution. Hopefully other people are not either.
And I'm sure most people go to Jiffy Lube or equivilent for their cars and I'm sure they use the top notch oil - yeah right.
OK if you do the math ... $16 for 2 lbs of 62% dichlor or $23 for 8 lbs of Leslies 52% dichlor. If my math is correct I'm paying $0.50 an ounce for 62% or $0.18 an ounce for 52%. Now I have to use 10% more to make up the difference so I pay $0.20 an ounce for an equivilent dose. So I should pay 150% more for .... ? Is Bioguard 100% active dichlor, I doubt it, it's probably 56% so 4% difference makes it that much better to pay 150% more.
I'm glad that you have people in the upper tax braket as clients, in my world I drive a $17,000 Hyundai and I have a $5000 above ground pool. The amazing thing is my car gets stuck in traffic next to those expensive cars and my water is just as wet ... not all of us are sold on that "you must spend a lot to have a good life"! And in my world some things are the same.
-
My post about algecide was based on the same % of algecide - 60% polyquat ... I'm not stupid enough to think that a gallon of 10% solution is equiilent to a quart of 100% solution. Hopefully other people are not either.
And I'm sure most people go to Jiffy Lube or equivilent for their cars and I'm sure they use the top notch oil - yeah right.
OK if you do the math ... $16 for 2 lbs of 62% dichlor or $23 for 8 lbs of Leslies 52% dichlor. If my math is correct I'm paying $0.50 an ounce for 62% or $0.18 an ounce for 52%. Now I have to use 10% more to make up the difference so I pay $0.20 an ounce for an equivilent dose. So I should pay 150% more for .... ? Is Bioguard 100% active dichlor, I doubt it, it's probably 56% so 4% difference makes it that much better to pay 150% more.
I'm glad that you have people in the upper tax braket as clients, in my world I drive a $17,000 Hyundai and I have a $5000 above ground pool. The amazing thing is my car gets stuck in traffic next to those expensive cars and my water is just as wet ... not all of us are sold on that "you must spend a lot to have a good life"! And in my world some things are the same.
I didnt say you have to spend a lot to have a good life. But if your going to try to tell me that all chemicals are the same I'd have to disagree. And believe it or not a lot of people out there do fall for the scams out there on cheaper chemicals that are out there. Just pick up a In the Swim catalog and look at the chemicals advertised in them. Do you honestly think every body that gets that catalog looks at the dosages? NO! A lot of them look at the price. Just because something is cheaper doesnt mean its a good deal. And just FYI a 2lb bottle of Spagaurd dichlor is 99% active and I sell it every day for $11.95.
-
Active ingredient:----Sodium dichloro-s -99.0%. Inert ingredients:----1.0% $12.00 for two lbs. $16 for 62% dichlor means your paying more money for less dichlor and more inert filler. Crunch those numbers. I feel good about what I do.
-
I have never seen 99% dichlor. Most is 50-60%. The bag at Lowes is the same % as BioGuard for $3/lb. vs. $9/lb. for the BioGuard. Now I've always bought BioGuard but at that big a difference, I'm trying the Lowes - so far no difference (1 month).
-
This is from In The Swim:
FAST DISSOLVING CHLORINE GRANULES LEAVE NO RESIDUE!
Great for use in spas, hot tubs and swimming pools.
Compare to BIOGUARD®, SUN®, GUARDEX® AND PACE®.
Premium-quality 56% available stabilized chlorine.
Broadcast chlorine into pool or spa.
99.5% Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione.
It sells for the same price you sell Spagurd. Are you saying that Spaguard chlorine has 99% available chlorine OR is it 99% active sodium dichlor. The available chlorine is as important as the active ingredient. I tried going on line and couldn't find Spaguard's available chlorine.
Doc's "All Clear" chlorine is 62% available chlorine which is the highest I've ever seen! Most of the pool and spa dealers by me don't sell chemicals cheap - you obviously do as I'm sure others here do.
But that "In The Swim" Brand is almost identical as the Leisure time product. You can't convince me that all "brand names" are better than off name brands. To spend more money on something that's not that much better or the same is ridiculous. What Brand of gas do you buy and why? What brand of milk and why? Maybe there is a difference and maybe not.
As far as people getting "suckered" into something, people get suckered all the time. People pay too much for everything - not everyone but most. Their sold on what someone is selling them, no matter what's being sold. It's their job to learn what they are getting - just because someone buys from a dealer doesn't mean he/she is not going to get ripped off.
A pool dealer told me not to worry about CYA in my pool even though it was at 100 PPM - I don't think it was in my best interest to tell me to get that CYA down since I needed algecide. My $24 algecide quart was for 60% Poly ....., my Leslies buy was the same 60% Poly .... for $28 a half gallon - same stuff different label.
-
Active ingredient:----Sodium dichloro-s -99.0%. Inert ingredients:----1.0% $12.00 for two lbs. $16 for 62% dichlor means your paying more money for less dichlor and more inert filler. Crunch those numbers. I feel good about what I do.
I did - it's 62% available chlorine NOT 62 % Dichlor - more available chlorine = LESS fillers. LT has 55% available ALL Clear has 7% more available chlorine per oz. but has 2% more inert ingredients but you need less chlorine to get to a certain PPM.
I feel good about what I do too!