Silver Ion - Ozonators & Chlorine/Bromine Requirements

[dougga]

I just received a HotSpring Spa with a Silver Ion / Ozonator
I adjusted the chemicals per the instructions that were delivered with the tub.
Late last night, I tried it out and woke up with dried cracked skin from all the chemicals.

The thing smells strongly of chlorine and I'm thinking either this silver ion thing is a scam
or they provided me with incorrect chemicals and instructions for spa maintenance.

The key is the testing strips.  The test strips that was delivered with the tub is the
InstaTest 4plus from LaMotte  Details here: http://www.lamotte.com/en/pool-spa/insta-test/3029.html

It states I want  1-3ppm of free chlorine, an alkalinity of 80-120ppm, a pH of 7.2, and a hardness of 250-450.
The documentation indicates I should have a non-chlorine oxidizer but I'm testing for chlorine?  Why?
The documentation states I should have a test for Monopersulfate?  It's not on the test strips nor is this chemical provided with the tub.  Very odd.

I just called the sales staff at Olympic Hot Tubs in Seattle  and they seem to have no idea how to spell "chlorine" nor what levels of chlorine should be in my tub (that uses a non-chlorine oxidizer).  These people are completely clueless and are of no help at all.  To clarify, I asked a real softball question: "What are the different chlorine requirements of your Silver-Ion system vs. the older chlorine systems?"  Answer:  "I haven't been around long enough to know the old chlorine systems.  Let me get one of my sales managers to call you back."   Grrrrrrrr...

Can anyone help?
Is anyone from The HotSpring Company on this forum? We need to chat.

[mzinga]

Funny, I just received my hotspring yesterday, and had a completely different experience.  My dealer took my water upon fill, did testing and told me what I needed to do for the inital treatments.  We also have the silver Ion etc.  Remember even if you are using the Silver Ion and Ozone you still will use shock/chlorine.  I would bang more on your dealer..

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

I just received a HotSpring Spa with a Silver Ion / Ozonator

What does "just received" mean? Yesterday? Last week? Last month? Last year?

I adjusted the chemicals per the instructions that were delivered with the tub.

Without telling us EXACTLY what this entailed, we can't possibly be of any help.

It states I want  1-3ppm of free chlorine, an alkalinity of 80-120ppm, a pH of 7.2, and a hardness of 250-450.
The documentation indicates I should have a non-chlorine oxidizer but I'm testing for chlorine?  Why?

Well, you say you want 1-3ppm of free chlorine, then immediately ask why your testing for chlorine?

The documentation states I should have a test for Monopersulfate?  It's not on the test strips nor is this chemical provided with the tub.  Very odd.

non-chlorine oxidizer is typically Monopersulfate

I just called the sales staff at Olympic Hot Tubs in Seattle  and they seem to have no idea how to spell "chlorine" nor what levels of chlorine should be in my tub (that uses a non-chlorine oxidizer).  These people are completely clueless and are of no help at all.  To clarify, I asked a real softball question: "What are the different chlorine requirements of your Silver-Ion system vs. the older chlorine systems?"  Answer:  "I haven't been around long enough to know the old chlorine systems.  Let me get one of my sales managers to call you back."

EXCELLENT answer. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and it's an intelligent person that know their shortcomings and what they still need to lean, and will refer you to someone else in the organization rather than making a guess or telling you something he's not completely knowledgeable about.

[dougga]

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Quote from: dougga on October 08, 2015, 01:46:04 PM
    I just received a HotSpring Spa with a Silver Ion / Ozonator

What does "just received" mean? Yesterday? Last week? Last month? Last year?

Yes, it was 'yesterday' at the time I wrote.  To be clear it was delivered on Tuesday and the electrician
hooked it up yesterday morning.

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Quote from: dougga on October 08, 2015, 01:46:04 PM
    I adjusted the chemicals per the instructions that were delivered with the tub.

Without telling us EXACTLY what this entailed, we can't possibly be of any help.

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Here are the instructions given:
For Startup: Perform the following each time you drain and fill your tub with new water:
1. Insert the silver ion cartridge in the filter bya of your tub according to the instructions
    in your hot tub owners manual.
2. Test the alkalinity level with your test strips.  With the jet running add the following to
    the filter bay of your tub and allow your jets to run at lest twenty min.
    Alkalinity reading 0-40: 2 scoops    80+: add nothing
3. Once alkalinity has been adjusted, test the pH level.  If the reading on the strip is below
    7.2, add 1/2 school of pH increaser to the filter bay and run the Clean Cycle.  Retest after
    30 min and only then, continue.
4. After alkalinity and pH level have been adjusted, add the following amount of each water
    care product from the table below: Shock and Sanitizing granules should be added to the filter
    bay and your jets for at least 20 min.  Then, add SilkBalance to the filter bay, allowing the tub
    to naturally circulate the product.    All Tubs:   Silk Balance 4 oz; SeaKlear Shock Oxidizer Pods: 1 pod;
    SeaKlear Sanitizing Granules: 1/4 scoop.

After each use, add one SeaKlear Schock Oxidizer Pod and run the Clean Cycle.

Every Week: Add 1/4 scoop SeaKlear Sanitizing Granules and run the Clean Cycle
                   Add 2 oz SilkBalance

Every Month:  Clean your filters with SeaKlear Filter Cleaner.

Every 4 Months:
  1. Drain and refill your hot tub with new water.
  2. Replace your silver ion cartridge with a new one. 
  3. It is recommended that you periodically use SilkBalance Clean Start
      to clean your plumbing [I assume the tub's] before adding new water.
  4. Clean & condition your spa cover with 303 protectant.
  5. Every year clean your ozone system, according to the instructions in
      your hot tub owner's manual.



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Quote from: dougga on October 08, 2015, 01:46:04 PM
    It states I want  1-3ppm of free chlorine, an alkalinity of 80-120ppm, a
    pH of 7.2, and a hardness of 250-450. The documentation indicates I
    should have a non-chlorine oxidizer but I'm testing for chlorine?  Why?


Well, you say you want 1-3ppm of free chlorine, then immediately ask
why your testing for chlorine?

No I did not state I wanted anything. I said "It states..." meaning the instructions that came with the tub.
 A laminated set of instructions it seems the dealer created that specifies a set of product of their choice. 
Details below.  It puzzles me that I'm evidently using non-chlorine oxidizers but the instructions and test
equipment have me testing for free chlorine with a targets apparently identical to chlorine-only systems. 
I'm clearly missing something obvious and one of these chemicals has a lot of chlorine in it but the question
remains: if the free-chlorine should be the same as the old chlorine systems, why are we paying for the silver
 ion/ozonators?

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Quote from: dougga on October 08, 2015, 01:46:04 PM
    The documentation states I should have a test for Monopersulfate?  It's not on the test strips nor is this
chemical provided with the tub.  Very odd.


non-chlorine oxidizer is typically Monopersulfate

Yes, I understand that non-chlorine oxidizer is typically Monopersulfate, so the question is why didn't
the dealer provide or sell me tests for MPS like the manufacturer recommends?

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Quote from: dougga on October 08, 2015, 01:46:04 PM
   I just called the sales staff at Olympic Hot Tubs in Seattle  and they seem to have no idea how to spell
"chlorine" nor what levels of chlorine should be in my tub (that uses a non-chlorine oxidizer).  These
people are completely clueless and are of no help at all.  To clarify, I asked a real softball question: "What
 are the different chlorine requirements of your Silver-Ion system vs. the older chlorine systems?" 
Answer:  "I haven't been around long enough to know the old chlorine systems.  Let me get one
of my sales managers to call you back."


EXCELLENT answer. Everyone needs to start somewhere, and it's an intelligent person
that know their shortcomings and what they still need to lean, and will refer you to someone else
in the organization rather than making a guess or telling you something he's not completely
knowledgeable about.

Well, perhaps that's fair but given this was the salesperson who sold me the tub,
I find it astonishing how little is known about the products.  Post-sale, extracting
correct and meaningful information from this group is absurdly difficult even
after receiving a damaged tub with a faulty electrical configuration: despite it being a 230v
config, it behaves like a 110v.

[dougga]

I've noticed chemical maintenance instructions is given in the borchure for SilkBalance.

It indicates that I should need 1/2 the amount of shock oxidizer as the instruction
provided with the tub (above).

I found a remarkably helpful person on another site.  Interesting, I see you throwing in a
comment or two as well.
http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/forum/index.php/topic,16469.0.html