Salt water systems - bromine generators

[Calypso]

I am looking for your comments and experiences with the genesis system bomine generators. We have had our tub since April 2 and have had no issues. It is very easy to maintain the bromine between 3 to 5 ppm and even with at least 12 bather hours per week we only shock every 9 days and the water is still crystal clear. The only issue we have had is soap in peoples suits  

We like the fact that there is no smell while we are in the tub even with the jets and air on high which can create a "mist". Our suits also do not smell. The only issue is the "salt" puts white salt water marks on the cabinet which we have to wipe down.

Does anyone have the same system with a similar bather load and how long has the water lasted? Did you get a year out of the water? What is your routine. We have our genesis dial set at 5 and shock when the bromine level drops to 2 ppm otherwise bromine is fairly consistent at 4 ppm.

We look forward to your comments.  

[Calypso]

With all the "interesting" things happening on the forum today I know my topic is of little interest.

Any one have any salt water genesis system comments . I will say please and will keep Terms monkey in the closet.    

[Tom]

With all the "interesting" things happening on the forum today I know my topic is of little interest.

Any one have any salt water genesis system comments . I will say please and will keep Terms monkey in the closet.    

Calypso, for more information on the Genesis system, search this and other forums.  Check the manufacturer's site at http://www.spapurification.com.  

I've heard that a few people had issues with black water and black residue on shells from corroded electrodes, but Pioneer H20 has fixed them all under warranty and has issued a free retrofit kit to correct the problem.  Good outfit IMO.

[Micah]

We put in several hundred of these units over the last couple of years.  Our customers report back how easy it is to keep the water clean.  The issues are with people who do not check their ph and t/a.  Total Alkalinity has a downward trend.  (as all bromine systems do)  6-9 months is the average life of the water for most people.  Keep an eye on "phosphates" as to high of a phos reading will limit bromine production.
This is a great system

[Calypso]

Thanks for your answers Micah and Tom. We agree that it is very easy to keep the water clean. The genesis manual is very easy to follow if we ever have any issues. We regulary check the Ph and TA so that will not be a problem

We find that the Ph tends to rise but that could also be due to aeration from the "turbo" mode on the jets. We have found the TA to remain relatively stable with an approx. 10 point drop every couple of weeks.

Any thoughts on using bleach instead on shocking. The genesis manual states that bleach can be used to shock if the bromine level is dropping. Right now we have to shock every 8 to 10 days. We wait to the bromine drops to 2 and then we shock. Bromine stays between 3 to 5 for the 8 to 10 days.

[J.C.McGILLICUDDY]

hi calypso , i have been using the system for 4 years now . i posted my thoughts and opinions on the system.awhile back under  re:salt water spa   reply # 30   03/09/07.  i change my water every 12 mths even though my tds levels are well below the max amount recommended to change out your water.it is not necessary to shock your water. the brominines that are created during use are constantly being destroyed during the bromine production process.i would recommend shocking with mps only if you are expecting heavy use and want to instantly bump up your br. as a bit of a buffer due to the high usage.remember it is mainly the chems . that you add that will increase your tds levels and will determine when to change your water. any ways check the post out if you  like ,i think you will find some useful information there.

                            still luvin it  J.C.

[Calypso]

Thanks for your response J.C.. The thread to your response is here

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1173291384/34#34

Thanks for all the work that you did in this post. It was very informative and makes me feel even more comfortable with this system. As you say it is easy to maintain, water feels great and is clear. Glad to hear you get a year between changes.

My readings are TA 90 to 100, Ph 7.5 and CH 125 to 150.

I do find that the PH tends to rise but have been told that this can also be due to the air turbo boost to the jets. I usually have to add 14g PH down per week to maintain Ph. High Ph dries the wifes skin out.

A few questions. What is your CH and have you tried bleach instead of shock. Bleach is mentioned in the genesis manual as a shock and will probably keep TDS lower. We have our genesis dial set at 4 and the Br has stayed at 4 PPM since May 19 and I have not had to shock.

The only problem has been foam from peoples bathing suits so we have a rule now. Only rinse your suit in water no soap. If they do not follow this rule they have to leave their suit behind when they leave our house. If they will not leave their suit behind they have to leave their suit behindgd before getting back into the tub. This system has worked and no more foam from suits

thanks again for the information and I look forward to your response

[Jet Sitter]

Do you Genesis users notice any bromine smell in the spa or while showering?  I am totally new to this  and have not seen a Genesis sytem but have heard that bromine smell can be an issue with some people.

[Calypso]

Do you Genesis users notice any bromine smell in the spa or while showering?  I am totally new to this  and have not seen a Genesis sytem but have heard that bromine smell can be an issue with some people.

No smell whatsoever with the salt system. I think the smell is from the bromine "puck" systems. Wet test a spa with this system. Your local Arctic or Pacific dealership will probably have a floor model with this system. Open the cover and you will smell nothing except maybe the ozone.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Thanks for your

We find that the Ph tends to rise but that could also be due to aeration from the "turbo" mode on the jets. We have found the TA to remain relatively stable with an approx. 10 point drop every couple of weeks.

Any thoughts on using bleach instead on shocking. The genesis manual states that bleach can be used to shock if the bromine level is dropping. Right now we have to shock every 8 to 10 days. We wait to the bromine drops to 2 and then we shock. Bromine stays between 3 to 5 for the 8 to 10 days.

If you use bleach to shock it will add to your PH rise. Household bleach has a high ph and your turbo jets will enhance this. It also seems to cause the bromine to have a stonger smell.

As for not shocking, IMO I would continue since you only have to do it less than once a week. Shocking not only reestablishes the bromine, it oxidizes bather waste such as sweat, body oil and those nasty risidual soaps. Ozone also helps do this. The shocking will help break this stuff down. I understand it will also add to the TDS, but with the small amount you are doing it, I don't think its an issue. Find a shock that has a higher amount of MPS in it to reduce the amount of TDS. Sea Klear is 45 % and I think Oxy shock is up there also opposed to the 31% in leisure time and other products.

[Calypso]

If you use bleach to shock it will add to your PH rise. Household bleach has a high ph and your turbo jets will enhance this. It also seems to cause the bromine to have a stonger smell.

As for not shocking, IMO I would continue since you only have to do it less than once a week. Shocking not only reestablishes the bromine, it oxidizes bather waste such as sweat, body oil and those nasty risidual soaps. Ozone also helps do this. The shocking will help break this stuff down. I understand it will also add to the TDS, but with the small amount you are doing it, I don't think its an issue. Find a shock that has a higher amount of MPS in it to reduce the amount of TDS. Sea Klear is 45 % and I think Oxy shock is up there also opposed to the 31% in leisure time and other products.

Thanks for your response. Since we only have to shock every 2 weeks now I will look for a better quality of MPS and cut back a bit on the amount put in.

[J.C.McGILLICUDDY]

calypso , i mentioned in the post  the total hardness of the water as TH which i keep on the low side  of 100-125 due to the higher  ph that i run. TH is a measure of both calcium and magnesium . i would not use bleach to shock with.it actually will add more tds and is chlorine based . use a good non chlorine shock like mps. if your going to shock.when your tds hits 3500 ppm , time to change water

                                  J.C.