Spiking the tub

[bob5820]

I've seen several members say that they add chemicals to the filter box rather then dumping them in the tub itself. I was wondering what are the advantages of doing this. I keep my chem routine pretty simple, and so far its working for me. For the most part I just add the chemicals to the tub directly. Once in a while I'll add them to the filter area, but I've never really noticed any difference. I was just wondering what the reasoning was behind it, just why adding to the filter box is supposedly better.

[drewstar]

 

It's gonna mix faster and be better dispersed than if you just broadcast the chems over the wate's surface.


At least that's my guess.

The Filter Box: Your Tubs Electric Mixer. (sounds good if you say it in a  cheesey movie annoucer voice)

[Markus]

I guessing that chemicals in the filter area are most likely a better mix...since the particles will dissolve faster (being that the water in that area is rushing around...especially if all the pumps are running on high).  

[lawdawgva]

My tub is now 8/9 years old and the tub shell itself is still as white as snow.  However, the interior of the filter area when you remove the cover looks like a chain smoker's teeth!  Of course you can't see this when the filter area cover is on, but still it makes me wonder if that came from years of adding chems directly to the filter area?  I've owned the tub for about a year and I've just been adding the chems directly to the tub myself.  I've even read on some bottles of chems "never add directly to filter compartment" and then on the tub owners manual it states, "add all chemicals to the filter compartment".  Talk about contradiction.

-Sarge

[wmccall]

I thought perhaps you were going to ask about Vodka.

[Spatech_tuo]

I've even read on some bottles of chems "never add directly to filter compartment" and then on the tub owners manual it states, "add all chemicals to the filter compartment".  Talk about contradiction.

-Sarge

Adding into the filter compartment is fine but you want to run the main jet pump for 5 or 10 minutes at that time. What you don't want to do is to regularly rely on the circ pump alone to get it into diluted solution as the circ pump is for 24 hr filtering, not for mixing chemicals.

[st18901]

Yes, the chemicals will mix more quickly if put in the filter compartment when it's running - that's a no brainer, however, I can't imagine it's good for your pump parts. If you do this on a regular basis, that's going to be a much higher concentration of chemicals working on the parts then it should be - and that's not good.

I think the yellow "smoker's teeth" look that lawdawgva mentioned is totally based on the chemicals. I've attached my thermometer to my bromine dispenser, and it the plastic has turned yellow too - though the rest of the tub is white. Imagine what it does to rubber seals, etc.?

It's important to remember that Chlorine and Bromine are highly corrosive chemicals.

I think as long as clumps of chemical aren't dropping into the tub and hitting the floor, pouring the stuff in the center, slowly with the jets running is the best way to do it.

[Vinny]

Yes, the chemicals will mix more quickly if put in the filter compartment when it's running - that's a no brainer, ...  

I have to disagree, I think it depends on the tub. My filter compartment has 2 filters - 1 for the circ pump and 1 for pump #1. The tub has a total of 5 suction fittings on the bottom and the 2 filters - 7 openings and when I add the chems into the tub with 3 pumps running - they immediately are being mixed. Give the tub 3 to 5 minutes with all the jets on and I believe it's completely mixed. The chems never have a chance to  touch the tub's surface at all. I can't see that my tub would mix it better in the filter compartment.

[st18901]

Vinny, I agree with what you're doing. I do the same. However, the thinking when dropping chemicals into the filter is that they're going to be shot at high velocity into the water, dissolving them instantly, permanently and mercilessly.

I too think that dropping chemicals into a highly turbulent tub is better (and as I wrote before) less damaging to the pump in the long run.

As an additional note, I think that when manufacturers advise putting chemicals into the filter, they're doing it as a precautionary measure than anything else. I've even read advice to mix chlorine  in a bucket with some water and then pour that water into the tub.

I'm SURE all of you wear safety goggles when adding these highly dangerous chemcials, right?  

[SerjicalStrike]

I would agree that placing the chemicals in the middle of the tub is better.  Keeping undisolved chemicals out of the equipment area is better than undisolved chemicals on the shell.  

As a side note, even if your tub is not working, you can still add chlorine.  The way chlorine works, it forms an ion and wants to get as far away from itself as possible and will shoot itself through the pipes almost instantly.

[bob5820]

I should have mentioned that I have all (6) pumps running when I add the chemicals, regardless if I add them to the tub or the filter box. The comment about creating more turbulence in the filter box piqued my interest. I just fired up all the pumps, and it may just be the layout of my tub, but the water in the tub was considerably more turbulent the in the filter box. Another point to consider, at least on my tub, is that I have a nice clear shot at the center of the tub. Because I have my cover lifter on the same side as the filter box, I have to lean over the tub to add chemicals to the filter. Its because of this that I often dust the side of the filter box with chemicals, and then have splash that area by hand to clean it up. All in all, I think I'm better off just adding directly to the tub.

[East_TX_Spa]

I pour a little bit of chlorine in the filter compartment, hit the Clean button, and go on my merry way.  It does the trick.

Terminator

[Spatech_tuo]

I just fired up all the pumps, and it may just be the layout of my tub, but the water in the tub was considerably more turbulent the in the filter box.

That proably has to do with multiple jet streams shooting into the middle of the tub at varying angles and crashing itnot each other. In the filter comaprtment you probably have about 10 gallons of water being turned over at a high rate so many prefer that method.

In the end it's really about what NOT to do. You should NOT dump the chems in the spa WIHOUT also turning on the jet pump which is tied to the filter. As long as you've got that jet pump on you'll be fine whether you put the chems in the filter compartment or the tub section.