Chemistry 101?

[Swell-Tub]

Now that my spa search has come to a close, and we have some new spa owners on the horizon. I have not understood all the shocking chemical talk going on. What will I need to know to keep my new hot spot in the Desert from becoming a stink hole?

I have figured out that I will need to drain the tub every three months. I know there is some test strips I need to dip. I hear that I need to throw a plugged in toaster into the spa to shock it every so often. So what will become my daily, weekly, monthly routine?

Thanks in advance,
Scott  :-?

 

[Vinny]

First you're going to need to decide if chlorine or bromine is to be used. Either way these are the 2 main sanitizers.

Both are easy to use but I would say that if you use your tub every day or every other day then dichlor is probably the best out of the two.

Check the water's parameters on a weekly basis adjust if neccessary, shock with either chlorine or MPS weekly or at least every other week. If you decide to shock with chlorine you need 10x free chlorine of the combined chlorine amount (TC+CC+FC). <--- SHOULD BE: TC=CC+FC
Other than that you need to clean the filters on a monthly basis.

Thats about it.

 

[Swell-Tub]

I see that many people use a garden hose filter to put water in their spa's. Is there one kind or brand that is better than others?

Scott  :-?

 

[Vinny]

I can't say as I don't use one. Honestly don't know what they're for.

 

[Micah]

I see that many people use a garden hose filter to put water in their spa's. Is there one kind or brand that is better than others?

Scott  :-?

Although some people might need it, you probably don't .  You are getting a Jacuzzi J-470.  The "Polishing" filter is made of the same filtering agent as most "pre-filters".  Your filtration system will take out as much in the first 60 seconds of filtering as a pre filter would.

As for the choice of chlorine vs bromine I am going to respectfully disagree with Vinny on this one.  IMO Bromine is a much better choice.  With chlorine you will have to add chemicals several time a week.  with bromine most people add every 7-10 days.  Your J-470 comes standard with a bromine dispenser inside the filter compartment.  
One thing to look for in bromine is "100% chlorine free" bromine.  Most bromine is diluted with chlorine to keep the price down.  If it is "True Bromine" it will say 100% chlorine free

 

[Vinny]

As for the choice of chlorine vs bromine I am going to respectfully disagree with Vinny on this one.  IMO Bromine is a much better choice.  With chlorine you will have to add chemicals several time a week.  with bromine most people add every 7-10 days.  Your J-470 comes standard with a bromine dispenser inside the filter compartment.  
One thing to look for in bromine is "100% chlorine free" bromine.  Most bromine is diluted with chlorine to keep the price down.  If it is "True Bromine" it will say 100% chlorine free

Isn't the bromine feeder for bromine pucks? I thought 100% bromine was only in powdered form ... learn something new every day!

 

[tony]

Isn't the bromine feeder for bromine pucks? I thought 100% bromine was only in powdered form ... learn something new every day!

I know that the Brilliance bromine product is 100% bromine and has its own feeder system.  For bromine pucks that do not include chlorine, what do they use with the bromine to make it a slow dissolving puck?

 

[Micah]

Brillance comes in a pellet form that works great with the feeder on the 400 series

 

[Hillbilly_Hot_Tub]

I personally use the Brillance bromine system and love it. it does not have the smell that the bromine/chlorine tablets do. They have a sytem that is very easy to follow, and I have had no issues with this sytem and I even "abused" it, ie: let it go longer than I was suppose to, not adding stain and scale, over shocking and under shocking, just to see what this chemical system did.( I knew some customers would not follow full instructions, so I wanted to see what happened) No big issues even doing that. I would look into it, and as Micah said, chlorine is very much more labor intensive.

 

[tony]

Brillance comes in a pellet form that works great with the feeder on the 400 series

I wonder if it would work in the Sundance feeder that is in the filter weir?  I've seen a picture of the Brlliance feeder that you can attach inside the filter area.  Is that the pellet form you are referring to?

 

[drewstar]

...I know there is some test strips I need to dip. I hear that I need to throw a plugged in toaster into the spa to shock it every so often. ...Thanks in advance,
Scott  :-?

I really hope you are joking.  Honeslty, (and don't mean to be rude here) but throwing a toaster  into a pool of water to "Shock it"  is asinine.

W. T. F?


to properly shock a tub, you sneak up on it, and annouce:


"I am Terminators and Bonniebells illegitmate love child!"


That will sufuccinelty shock the tub.  

 

[Swell-Tub]

"I am Terminators and Bonniebells illegitmate love child!"

WHAT??? I'm shocked.......

 

[Vinny]

I personally use the Brillance bromine system and love it. it does not have the smell that the bromine/chlorine tablets do. They have a sytem that is very easy to follow, and I have had no issues with this sytem and I even "abused" it, ie: let it go longer than I was suppose to, not adding stain and scale, over shocking and under shocking, just to see what this chemical system did.( I knew some customers would not follow full instructions, so I wanted to see what happened) No big issues even doing that. I would look into it, and as Micah said, chlorine is very much more labor intensive.

Although I have never used bromine, to classify using chlorine as "very much more labor intensive" is a little of a misinformation. What's the difference of shocking before or after soaking with bromine or adding chlorine before or after soaking? Same amount of work. I would imagine that either system needs to be looked after weekly and things adjusted if need be. Unless this Brillience doesn't need shocking to re-activate the bromine.

If you use the tub often then there is no difference. The difference is when you don't use the tub often then bromine wins hands down. On the plus side of chlorine - there is nothing more powerful besides flourine and ozone to kill organisms ... florine is lethal and ozone is questionable in the quantities that we are talking here. Bromine can't do the killing/clearing job of chlorine even after 3 months of use with the exception of the hot tub itch bacteria ... don't know how long it takes for bromine to kill it, chlorine won't kill it after 50 PPM CYA.

I found that brilliance doesn't require the shocking before or after use as the pucks do ... how long does a 5 lb jug last? 5 lbs of chlorine lasts about a year for me in a 400 gallon tub.

 

[Micah]

I found that brilliance doesn't require the shocking before or after use as the pucks do ... how long does a 5 lb jug last? 5 lbs of chlorine lasts about a year for me in a 400 gallon tub.

1.5 lb of brillance last between 3-5 month.  5lb should last about a year.   Most people on brillance shock every 7-10 days when they refill the bromine dispenser

 

[Vinny]

Can the mermaid dispenser be refilled?

 

[Micah]

Can the mermaid dispenser be refilled?

I have seen people refill them, but I do not belive that is the way they were designed to use.

 

[Saved_by_Grace]

Spantini,

To your original question/post.  Here are some of the very basic things I have learned (hopefully correctly) picking people's brains on water care.  So basic in fact that it could be in a book called "Basic Water Care for Dummies".

Use dichlor not trichlor.

Chlorine Dichlor = sanitizer.  Non-chlorine Shock = MPS.

I was set up with Nature2 cartrigde which is referred to as N2 which is a mineral sanitizer.  With N2 some use the sanitizer (dichlor) after each soak and shock with MPS weekly while some use MPS after each use and shook with sanitizer (dichlor) weekly.  Some start with dichlor as their daily routine and then switch after a month.  The instructions that come with the N2 call for a daily dose of MPS and adding dichlor as needed.  I'm going to try the dichlor after each use and then MPS weekly.

From what I've learned it is most important to get the PH right before trying to work with the other chemicals because if the PH is out of range the other chemicals won't react correctly.  PH should be between 7.4 - 7.6 (I've also seen 7.2-7.6).

We purchased a Watkins pre-filter because we have iron in our well water.  We have 3.2 PPM total iron.  2.6 PPM dissolved iron and .6 PPM organic bleed - "bonded iron".  This bonded iron is called tannins.  By using the filter I am keeping as much of that orange junk out of our tub as I can.  I figure for $50 and 10,000 gallons of usage it is worth the cost.

Lastly, something I've heard over and over again on this forum which I plan on following as much as my detail orientated mind will allow.  That is to NOT micro-manage our water.  I'll do my best at that.

Please, if anyone has read anything on here that is incorrect let me know....I'm still learning.

Hope this helps if only a little.

In His Peace,
Fred

 

[Swell-Tub]

Basic Water Care for Dummies is just the perfect book for me. Thanks for the recommendation....

Scott  

 

[Steve]

From what I've learned it is most important to get the PH right before trying to work with the other chemicals because if the PH is out of range the other chemicals won't react correctly.  PH should be between 7.4 - 7.6 (I've also seen 7.2-7.6).

Great post Fred. The only correction I would make is in your statement above.

Alk should always be adjusted first (80-120ppm) prior to a pH adjustment. If your alk is low, it will always tend to draw down your pH and vise versa.

 

[benalexe]

Can someone educate me more on the nature 2?  Do most people use this??  I read someplace that if you use this and an ozonator you need very very little dichlor and / or shock?

I read that you alternate one week a few tablespoons of shock and one week a few tablespoons of dichlor then before you get in you also throw some shock in to sanatize the water?