Information about spa frog

[smackman]

I have been reading about this device. Can anyone give me there opinion of this device? Currently, I use Bromine for Sanitation.

[chem geek]

Spa Frog uses silver and limestone (calcium carbonate) where the silver aids in (slow) disinfection.  Spa Frog also has a bromine cartridge so it's really a "low bromine" system letting you use half the level of bromine compared to not having the silver ions.  However, in practice, if you maintain reasonable chlorine or bromine levels in a spa, you don't need anything else and can start your soak with a fairly low 1-2 ppm chlorine or 2-3 ppm bromine level that you are likely not to notice during your soak.  You can then dose a little after your soak.  Most bromine users just use bromine tabs for background bromine and dose with an oxidizer after their soak to handle their bather waste (especially if they don't use the spa every day, so they set their bromine tab floater for a low background level of bromine).

[faeriegirl]

I've been using it for a month and so far, it is great.. clear, clean water. I am using it with chlorine granules though.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 So using a spa frog/bromine with chlorine makes no sense, let alone the two should not really be mixed together.   Use one or the other.   

[gadfly]

So using a spa frog/bromine with chlorine makes no sense, let alone the two should not really be mixed together.   Use one or the other.

Why not?  Bromine tabs are part chlorine.  Chlorine is a good oxidizer.  It could replace MPS as a shock, and have the extra benefit of also being able bump up the sanitization, after a soak.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

So using a spa frog/bromine with chlorine makes no sense, let alone the two should not really be mixed together.   Use one or the other.

Why not?  Bromine tabs are part chlorine.  Chlorine is a good oxidizer.  It could replace MPS as a shock, and have the extra benefit of also being able bump up the sanitization, after a soak.

 Yes if you don't mind smelling like a 3" chlorine tab after use.     Spa frog then shock once a week.   Chlorine then shock once a week.    Using chlorine with bromine would work but why would you do it.  Now say your using chlorine would you shock with granular bromine?    No. 

[gadfly]

 Yes if you don't mind smelling like a 3" chlorine tab after use.     Spa frog then shock once a week.   Chlorine then shock once a week.    Using chlorine with bromine would work but why would you do it.  Now say your using chlorine would you shock with granular bromine?    No.

As far as using chlorine as a shock, for the reason I stated.  As far as using as bromine as a shock in a chlorine system... no I don't think so... it doesn't dissolve that quickly, and I am not sure how well it would oxidize the waste/amines.  I am not saying that a chlorine shock for a bromine system is the standard, I am just saying it could work... and if it is working for Faeriegirl, I don't see the harm.

[faeriegirl]

I should clarify.. i use the frog mineral cartridge without the bromine.

[chem geek]

So using the Spa Frog mineral cartridge without the bromine cartridge and using this with chlorine is similar to using Nature² with chlorine (instead of with MPS).  That's fine, but the silver ions in SpaFrog are not necessary if you maintain either chlorine or bromine levels consistently.  They will, however, prevent uncontrolled bacterial growth if for some reason you were to let the chlorine or bromine level get to zero.  It would be better to use a combination of copper and silver for this purpose, however, since as shown in this post the each kill different types of bacteria (copper doesn't kill fecal bacteria and silver doesn't handle Legionella pneumophila or Acinetobacter baumannii.

So if you want to consider the Spa Frog as insurance to handle bacteria if you are lax with chlorine or bromine dosing, then that's OK.  It doesn't lower your chlorine or bromine demand, however, since that's mostly determined by your bather load (bather waste from your using the spa).