Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Tatooed_Lady on May 02, 2006, 07:51:20 am
-
Okay, our tub is the "standard" N2, ozone, dichlor setup. The ONLY issue I've got at this point is that we're going to be getting into our "heavy" work season (construction), and I won't have time to do daily soaks, and there WILL be days that I won't be thinking of adding dichlor to the tub, and it's possible to go a week in a complete daze. In the interest of keeping the water hot, sparkling clean and ready to go, I'm seriously considering switching out to a bromine floater for the summer. I realize this means that IF I want to switch back to dichlor, I would have to be careful to flush all the brominated water out, and that's ok.
Thoughts?
Also, I've got N2....I believe I would have to switch to the frog? I'm just trying to get things straight before making any major water changes.
Thanks, guys......(and gals!!)
-
Have you looked at Vermonter's dichlor method?
You may get that type of a plan to work for you, and you'd be able to keep on your dichlor routine.
I've been on dichlor now for a few months, was on bromine prior. I wish I'd have switched years ago.
Bromine works fine, and if you can get it dialed in, it can be less daily work, but a lot of us had trouble with the bromine level- one day it's not even detectable, despite having the floater allways on, and the next day the reading is off the scale. Plus it tends to pull alk and Ph down, so in my case I was having to add a lot of Ph and alk boosters.
Dichlor is cheap,and easy- even if you're not using the spa daily.
You can pull the essay on Vermonter's method off of Doc's website if you're interested to read it.
If you have not, I'd do that before you decide to switch.
-
I went from chlorine to bromine a year ago, it was a good move for me. I also have no ozone system. I go out of town a lot, recently got back from 8 days away and the tub was fine. I put PH lock in at water changes and it really does seem to keep it from drifting. The level does seem to fluctuate some, not bad though. The key for me has been not to mess with it too much and it works out well in my case.
-
Stick with the program you are on. As long as you superchlorinate once a week and add chlorine or MPS when you use the tub you should be OK.
Compressed santizers in a floater (chlorine or bromine) may void your warranty, because many people think all they have to do is put the floater in and not test. Results acid water.
-
Tat, I would also recomend sticking to Dichlor and see what happens.
You have ozone runnin 24/7 and i beliver that makes a difference.
There are weeks I don't get to use my tub and I haven't had a problem. I never let it go longer than a week without getting the chlorine up to about 3 ppm and running the clean cycle for 10 minutes. But you should be able to find the 30 seconds a week to do that!.
-
I say go for it. I use bromine at home and here in the showroom. VERY easy, once you get your floater dialed in. I check PH and TA once a week, shock with MPS, that's it! There are some haters out there. Pay them no mind, there are many thousands of people that use bromine with noting but positive results.
With ozone you can run lower bromine levels(1-3 ppm instead of 2-5 ppm)
Bromine DOES NOT void your warranty, BTW.
-
You're seeing poeple give advice both ways which brings it back to you to decide. Whenever people are interested in the opposite switch (from bromine to dichlor) I always suggest they give it a try because I think most will prefer that but even though this is the reverse of what I'd think most would want I say GO FOR IT and learn for yourself which way YOU prefer. Having said that, yuck, I just can't stomach bromine.
-
I can understand switching to Bromine only if you or someone in the family has a strong sensitivity to Chlorine, but just to switch because you may only use the spa once a week is not necessary. I use my spa maybe 1 to 2x every two weeks and use Di-chlor and CD Ozone as my treatment method. If I use it, couple teaspoons of di-chlor when I get out. 1x per week, 2 tablespoons of di-chlor as a shock, and adjust ph levels 1x per week if necessary. Water is sparkling all the time. May take as Drewstar said 30 seconds out of my day. ;)
-
I can understand switching to Bromine only if you or someone in the family has a strong sensitivity to Chlorine, but just to switch because you may only use the spa once a week is not necessary. I use my spa maybe 1 to 2x every two weeks and use Di-chlor and CD Ozone as my treatment method. If I use it, couple teaspoons of di-chlor when I get out. 1x per week, 2 tablespoons of di-chlor as a shock, and adjust ph levels 1x per week if necessary. Water is sparkling all the time. May take as Drewstar said 30 seconds out of my day. ;)
I bet you could shock less often too.
-
I bet you could shock less often too.
I could if were just my wife and I, but my neighbors have a tendency to frequent the spa sometimes and I use the additional shock just to make sure. :)
-
Maybe your water is just "better" than mine straight from the source, but I added dichlor to raise the level to 3ppm after soaking, and within 2 or 3 days (I forget which, and this is why I worry) the water was pretty cloudy. NOT milk, mind you, bu cloudy enough to surprise me.
Yes, I can spare 30 seconds per day, however....when I get into "work mode", I tend to be too tired to eat by the time I get home, much less putz with the tub.....I'm thinking I'll switch to bromine for the summer months, then when we get more off time later in the fall, go back to chlorine for the winter. It just seems to make more sense to me. However, if it turns out that we HATE bromine, it'll be right back to dichlor...otoh, we could LOVE it and that's that....DOH.
I recall seeing posts about adding chlorine as a shock to a bromine tub......am I correct, or is my brain fuzzy from lack of oxygen again?
-
I've got a Grandee like yours on the deck, Mrs. Lady. I'm all about keeping it simple and this is what I do:
Initial fill- 2 tblsp dichlor, turn on both pumps, leave it alone
After each soak- 1 tblsp MPS, hit CLEAN button
Once/week- 1 tblsp dichlor, turn on both pumps, leave it alone
That's it. Water is crystal clear. :)
Terminator
-
I've probably monkeyed with my water a LOT more than you in your tub, Term....maybe it's my "gotta have control over the tub" mentality, I dunno.....but if I just added 2T of dichlor and left the tub alone on startup....I'd have readings like:
TA 240+
TH off the charts high
pH 8.4
Somehow I don't think that's real good for the tub, so I had to get one in line, then the other, then the other, and......doh.
Anyhow, maybe I should use some softened water along with the hard to balance some of the numbers...but yanno, I smelled the bromine at the HS dealer earlier......I actually kinda like the smell....or lack of. So, I'll try this, since I've tried that, and maybe I'll go back to square one in a month, who knows. *lol* I'll figure it as furthering my education at very least.
-
Well, I don't know what the heck pHd's and TnA's and STD's are and all that fancy talk, but we have high quality H2O in these here parts and all I got to do is put in chlorine to kill the critters. The Brilliance Bromine is mighty fine too.
Terminator
-
Here's a shot of our water.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/DSCF0168.jpg)
I'm guessin' we've got a lot more than just critters to chunk outta the tub, eh?
-
Wow. You don't drink that stuff, do you? Wait, maybe I'm overreacting: a body needs a good amount of iron.
Hmm.
HS sells a prefilter:
(http://www.hotspring.com/Spa_Showroom_Hot_Tub/jpgs/everfresh_freshstart.jpg)
Note: they are feeding raw sewage in throught the hose, and ShinerBock is coming out the other end. OK, it's not quite that good, but it does the trick. Around Fittybucks and it will filter 10,000 gallons before you toss it.
-
Wow. You don't drink that stuff, do you?
Yeah.....well, we TRIED drinking it when we first moved into the house.......turns out that just by passing the bathroom after it was used was enough to tell you if the person who had used it had been drinking straight from the faucet or the filtered or bottled stuff. YUCK. We've been letting the dogs and cats drink it, but I think now that we buy 5 gallon jugs of the GOOD stuff we'll switch them over.....I can't imagine that what's in the pipes is good for them.
I've considered the prefilter, but at the moment we're a little short on cash...but yanno if there's a HS dealer that might want to donate a filter to our cause so we can show how WELL they work, we wouldn't be adverse to helping advertising a fine product! ;D ;) And I promise if it comes out the filter as Shiner Bock, that I'll send it straightaway to the dealer that supplies us! ::) ;D ;D
-
Here's a shot of our water.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/DSCF0168.jpg)
I'm guessin' we've got a lot more than just critters to chunk outta the tub, eh?
That "no bypass filtration seems to be the answer" ::)
-
That "no bypass filtration seems to be the answer" ::)
You DO realize that is a picture of the water going INTO the tub, right? ;D
And you're exactly right, the 100% No Bypass Filtration IS the answer. I have a diagram if you'd like to see how it works.
Terminator
-
Wow...my lousy water from the source seems to be a HUGE filter debate....
On that, I'll simply say....."the Hot Spring 100% no-bypass filter system WORKS." the proof is here:
BEFORE filtering
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/DSCF0168.jpg)
AFTER filtering (this would make a great sales pitch)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/bubbly.jpg)
No smoke, no mirrors, no furry little animals eating kumquats in the back room of a pool hall.....the proof is in the pictures.
-
sidenote (sorry, the thread got hijacked again):
I decided to go for it and switch over to the Dark Side (bromine). I've got nothing to lose, and knowledge gained either way.
I appreciate everyone's input very much, and I see it's pretty well split 50/50 on the pro/con thing. To me that means that both chlorine and bromine are fine products and each has their steadfast backers... :)
-
Let us know how it goes TL. Can I ask why you are so tired when you work? What kind of stuff do you haul? I don't know much about the truck driving business. :)
-
Wow...my lousy water from the source seems to be a HUGE filter debate....
On that, I'll simply say....."the Hot Spring 100% no-bypass filter system WORKS." the proof is here:
BEFORE filtering
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/DSCF0168.jpg)
AFTER filtering (this would make a great sales pitch)
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/bubbly.jpg)
No smoke, no mirrors, no furry little animals eating kumquats in the back room of a pool hall.....the proof is in the pictures.
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/d3eea495.jpg)
That is TRULY incredible! I am so glad you kept us updated and showed us the end result. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to experience your good fortune and will celebrate the happy ending right along with you!
Sparkling water wishes and hot wet dreams.....
The Spa Fairy
-
Heey get a hold of yourself there spa fairy...
-
ohhhhhhhhh boy.......he DID write hot wet dreams......yikes! :o
Goboman, I drive a 13 year old dump truck all day long...I haul whatever needs haulin'. Dirt, concrete, asphalt, gravel......it's an old, beat to hell truck that's seen a LOT of better days, and by the time I get home I've normally been up for about 14 hours, and spent about 11 of them being beat up in the truck. It's a way different feeling than sitting behind a desk or cash register.....I've done that too. ;)
-
And I'll just refer to my posts in the "crappy water" thread. One is from a previous fill, the other is the current fill. TL, I'm not calling you a liar, nor am I saying that the HS filtration doesn't work as you state it does. However, you need to be clear that one picture came from your first fill and the other is the recent fill. Anybody see that Chrysler comercial with the fairy?
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/d3eea495.jpg)
That is TRULY incredible! I am so glad you kept us updated and showed us the end result. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to experience your good fortune and will celebrate the happy ending right along with you!
Sparkling water wishes and hot wet dreams.....
The Spa Fairy
-
my thought was, same tub, same water from the spigot, same lousy quality to start with.....the first time 'round it filtered to a perfectly clear finish when it started out looking like beef broth, and it has again, as I also posted on the "crappy water" thread:
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e106/TatooedLady/filteredbromine.jpg)
I didn't realize that I'd have to post a current photo, but hey....I'm not going to argue. I'm sure other companies have fine filtration as well, I don't argue that.....however, MY experience is limited to what I've got in my back yard, and I'm 110% amazed at the results. :)
-
TL-
I'm really happy for you that both your well-water issues and your bromine/chlorine experiment are working out. Your water looks wonderfully inviting.
To others on the forum-
Why is it that one thread about iron contaminated well water and another thread about switching to bromine have to turn in to advertisements for HS NO BYPASS FILTRATION????? OK, you guys think you have some god's gift to tub water.....we get it. Glad you are happy with your product. I thought the purpose of this forum was to provide information, insight, share experiences and a little humor. It feels more and more in my short time here like a school play-yard where "my dad can beat up your dad." Sheesh.
-
actually, we don't have well water. ;)
and I hadn't intended this or the other thread (crappy water) to be advertising for the HS no-bypass filtering, but it certainly did grow legs and run that way. I'd bet that Arctic, Jacuzzi, Caldera, etc, etc, etc can filter as well, I just report what I find in my tub (all but for that naked man, him I didn't report ;) )
-
ohhhhhhhhh boy.......he DID write hot wet dreams......yikes! :o
Goboman, I drive a 13 year old dump truck all day long...I haul whatever needs haulin'. Dirt, concrete, asphalt, gravel......it's an old, beat to hell truck that's seen a LOT of better days, and by the time I get home I've normally been up for about 14 hours, and spent about 11 of them being beat up in the truck. It's a way different feeling than sitting behind a desk or cash register.....I've done that too. ;) Â
Wow TL. I'm going to have my wife read this. She's complaining because she doesn't have a maid. :) Sounds like the Dump Truck gig is very hard work.
-
(all but for that naked man, him I didn't report ;) )
No, keep him to yourself, safely locked up in that beautiful tub!
;)
Wow- you dont have well water, and still have that much iron- amazing. Glad that it cleared up. If I woke up to green water tomorrow, I'd cry.
-
TL-
To others on the forum-
Why is it that one thread about iron contaminated well water and another thread about switching to bromine have to turn in to advertisements for HS NO BYPASS FILTRATION?????
If "others on the forum" is referrencing dealers that compete with HotSpring such as Micah and Wisoki, then that is where your question should be directed.
Micah in this thread and Wisoki in the other thread alluded to the 100% No-Bypass Filtration that T-Lady enjoys as being somewhat inferior to the brands' they sell. I simply responded with reassurance to T-Lady that she need not worry as her spa's filtration would adequately handle the situation.
Since T-Lady's spa performed exceptionally well (as expected), it did indeed turn into an advertisement decidedly in favor of 100% No-Bypass Filtration.
OK, you guys think you have some god's gift to tub water.....we get it. Glad you are happy with your product.
If "you guys" is referring to HotSpring dealers and sales personnel, yes, I am happy with my product and it is not "God's gift", but rather sound, logical, successful engineering. I can't speak for my peers but I have my suspicions as to their opinions.
If I were to throw out a random statement in the middle of a thread that said "Arctic Spas' smoke and mirror insulation is what's making your electric bill at your house skyrocket", would you let that "opinion" slide by unchallenged? I seriously doubt you would and you don't even have a vested interest in the information being tossed about. I DO have a financial interest involved and will always counter any disinformation presented on this forum, especially where it regards the product from whence I earn my livelihood.
Others challenge, I simply respond. :)
Terminator
-
I'm glad your water is in good shape.
however, in all this confusion and side tracking to filtering, I've lost track. You said because you would be busy working, you wanted to switch to Bromine (via a floater) over direct dosing with dichlor. You said you made up your mind to switch.
Why do you think the bromine system will be better for you? Did I miss some posts?
-
If "you guys" is referring to HotSpring dealers and sales personnel, yes, I am happy with my product and it is not "God's gift", but rather sound, logical, successful engineering.
I would just like to clarify that I did not say "God's gift" I said "some god's gift." I dont assume that everyone in a public forum believes in the same god, or any god for that matter. Just a detail.
As for the rest, point taken. You saw an opportunity, and took it- cant blame you for that. It does get overwhelming in here sometimes, though.
-
Hey Tatooed Lady, just wondering how you like the bromine? Thinking about switching to bromine from soft soak. What do you think of the bromine?