Salt Or Chorine?

[currytoys]

What is better a Salt or Chorine Hot Tub? I have the option to get either in the Hot Springs Line. I have very sensitive skin with tattoo's and was thinking that maybe the salt solution might be better?

[mkrozell]

I have always used Bromine and I think thats the correct thing to use in a hot tub in place of chlorine.

[currytoys]

What is Bromine? Is that a Chorine replacement to be used on a chorine system?

[ejf The Spa Guy]

I would go with a chlorine system, i use it on my own personal tub, Bromine is a cousin if you will to chlorine, i believe it is a little rougher on the tub , the jets and the pump seals,, With ozone and chlorine and mineral purifier you would only be using a 1-3 ppms of chlorine , so you do not smell like a chlorine factory...just my opinion

[chem geek]

When one refers to a salt system, it IS a chlorine system.  It is a saltwater chlorine generator.  It simply uses the chloride salt in the water to generate chlorine which then reverts back to chloride salt when it is used.

Bromine is a different chemical than chlorine, but is similarly a sanitizer though not necessarily as good an oxidizer so you usually shock a bromine tub not only to produce more bromine but to help keep the tub clean by using either chlorine or MPS for shocking.

[currytoys]

I went back at looked at the Hot Springs Hot Tubs and am leaning towards the JetSetter which is the 2 to 3 person unit. They have a special going on right now to convert the tub for an extra $300 to a salt tub. The salesman was saying that I could go with chorine for now with the built in ozonizer or I could add the salt water thingie for an extra $300 which is usually around $1,000 or so. It's a special they are running right now. I asked them what do most people go with and they said they the sales are 50/50. Half go with Chorine and half go with Salt. That didn't help make my mind up very well. My only thoughts were that I could add the salt option in now for $300 instead of deciding later that I would want it for over $1,000...which wouldn't be smart. I see most everyone here votes for the chorine unit so I will keep that in mind...and sleep on it! Thanks everyone! Sandy...

[ejf The Spa Guy]

chlorine system....

[hottubdan]

Our customers are loving the ACE system.  $300 is virtually free.  You should do it!

[ejf The Spa Guy]

hot tubdan,
hey on the other forum someone asked about cleaning the probe, theres is full of gunk...what do you guys reccomend, on the salt generators we sold a few years ago , we used Spa Defender, and muratic acid...

[Tman122]

Our customers are loving the ACE system.  $300 is virtually free.  You should do it!

300 bucks buys enough dichlor for 20 years.

[Chas]

I used to be dead set against the salt systems. The problems were very real, and they didn't strike me as being worth the money. But HotSpring has engineered out the problems: you get a cell made with diamond, so it's going to last far longer than any other system on the market. You can pull the cell right out of the filter compartment and soak it in water and spa down (or acid), and the system will tell you if you need to do so.

The water feels softer, it is far easier on the skin than running high levels of chlorine, but it keeps the water as clear as if you WERE running high levels of chlorine.

And for the first time, you get to fill your tub with Soft Water! The problems with THAT have also been engineered out - in fact if you don't have soft water you can use "Vanishing Act" to take the calcium out easily.

$300 is less than what the dealer pays for the unit - it's obviously a very special deal, most likely they are reducing the price of the tub and the unit both to come up with that price. OR they have a few on hand they want to move...?

[chem geek]

Let's bet for chlorine....
but not so environmentally-friendly.

Salt is better, but costly

Since saltwater chlorine generator pools/spas ARE producing chlorine, I assume by "environmentally-friendly" you mean avoiding having the chlorine generated off-site in a chlor-alkali plant and transported to a store where you buy it.  Having the chlorine generated on-site in your pool/spa avoids the energy costs of transportation.  Also, if the containers used to buy the chlorine are not reused, then there is additional environmental impact from landfill or recycling energy costs.

On the downside, there is an environmental impact to dumping the saltwater since that is not something easily handled by water treatment plants.  So unless they were putting such water into the ocean, there are issues dealing with such quantities of salt.  For this reason, a very small number of communities, such as Santa Clarita prohibit installation of saltwater pools that discharge into the sewer system.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

  I like chlorine but if Jacuzzi offered the salt system I would push it.   Doesn't look like they are going to anytime soon      Cal spa has it and we have sold a few but it's only available in bigger spas 7x7 and above.