Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: Chad on February 22, 2007, 07:11:26 pm
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I was sceptical about their effectivness, so I decided to try one out myself.
I've been using it for about 2 weeks and I have noticed my dichlor demand go down quite a bit.
My pH is currently at 7.7 and has been there for about a week(I'm waiting for it to go down naturally) and I'm getting FC residuals that I was getting when my pH was 7.2 w/o a catridge! It's gotta be doin' something. I can't wait to see how little dichlor I'll need when my pH falls back down.
I don't really feel a difference but that's not sayin' much. I'm still trying to get the whole "feel" thing down. I didn't know what everyone was talkin' about until I changed my water for the first time. There was definetly a huge difference from my 3 and a half month old water to my new fill or could it have been the Nature2? ;)
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I've always liked the Nature 2. I know some people will say they don't do anything, but I disagree.
One of the best algaecides for swimming pools is silver based. Silver is a great way to kill bacteria. My daughter burned her hand one time and the doctors gave us a silver based cream to use as a way to keep the bacteria from creating an infection.
Based on all that, and knowing that Nature 2 uses silver, I'm a believer.
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Hey Chad,
New water is the bomb. Do you get those big sparkley bubbles coming out of your circ pump and jets now?
You can really tell your water is getting old when the bubbles are all little turds that take forever to clear when you turn off the jets. I am assuming that has something to do with the resistance higher TDS puts on the bubbles. Big bubbles can't hold together, and as a result more small bubbles. If anyone knows the real mechanism at work there it would be interesting to hear.
I tried N2 when I first got my tub, never really could put my finger on any tangible benefits. I have been thinking about trying it again though. If I remember correctly Vermonter said in a post here that while he doesn't think N2 in a tub effectively kills bacteria it does weaken the cell walls to allow your dichlor to work more effectively.
Steve
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Hey Chad,
New water is the bomb. Do you get those big sparkley bubbles coming out of your circ pump and jets now?
Yeah, it's amazing how much clearer they are! I thought my first fill was still clearing fast until I did a refill. I can run all pumps on high with all air injectors open and as soon as I turn them off, my water clears instantly. As long as weather permits I'll be refilling ever couple of months. My last one was in 38 degree weather and it really wasn't that bad. Definetely worth it and like my username says WHY NOT?
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Although Vermonter uses N2, he also uses the regular dose of dichlor not the stripped down version that N2 claims to be able to use.
I too thought about revisiting N2 but realize that there really isn't any savings benefit to use it. It may keeep the water better which in itself is a good thing but my limited experience with it showed me nothing different.
I am convinced by my reading of posts and seeing my own water acting differently at times that the water's composition is a big factor on how something works (or doesn't) in the water.
I guess if it works, use it.
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I too thought about revisiting N2 but realize that there really isn't any savings benefit to use it. It may keeep the water better which in itself is a good thing
I see what your saying. I doubt I'll save $25 worth of dichlor before I refill but I'll be keeping my TDS nad CYA lower. I guess it's not really a money saving product but rather an extended fill product.
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Why Not, I think new water feels and smells like crisp clean sheets that have been line dryed...There's nothing like it!
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One of the best algaecides for swimming pools is silver based. Silver is a great way to kill bacteria. My daughter burned her hand one time and the doctors gave us a silver based cream to use as a way to keep the bacteria from creating an infection.
Its called silver sulfadiazine, and it is the BEST stuff to have around for minor burns and wounds!!!!!
I'm with you Chad- a believer. And thanks to you, now that song is in my head.....
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I'm with you Chad- a believer. And thanks to you, now that song is in my head.....
No...No...not the Monkeys. ;D
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Somewhere, in a box in a storage shed, is a stack of 'records.' Two or three of them are the Monkees.
Wow - memories.
(http://www.monkees.net/gif/thisis.gif)
Oh, and I like N2 for the lower levels of sanitizer. I can't use it with Bromine, and I just switched to Brilliance, but I normally use it.
8-)
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I became a believer after using it as an experiment a little over a year ago. I don't pursue it as a money saver. I change my water every 3-4 months weather permitting and I have felt that my water looks new a lot longer. When I changed my water in Nov, it really didn't look like it needed it, but I knew I might not be able to again for several months. I'm sure I will again in March.
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I'm still out on this. I've never seen a differnce using the N2. It was sold to me as a way to save and it quickly became obvious that it would add $100/yr to my chem routine (almost doubling the cost). I stopped using it and haven't seen a drop in walter quality.
Whynot, I'd be interested in over the next 3 months if you feel you've gained anything. So please keep us up to date with your experiences.
I'm toying with the idea of trying it again to once again see if there is a measurable differnce for me.
My pool dealer wanted me to get on the N2 for pool routine and he couldn't convice me. He said it was easy (just attach the N2 feeding system and load it up maybe 2x a season with the pool N2 catridge. ($60 a pop). I'd save on chlorine.
huh? I use maybe $50 worth of chlorine in the pool a season, why would I put in $120 worth of N2 in there? I never had any water quality issues and once again, just couldn't see doing it. :)
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Is N2 the same as/similar to Sundance SunPurity? Still hoping for some replies to my "Sundance Chem Regimine" post, but this thread looks like it probably covers what I'm looking for.
txwillie
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I'm still out on this. I've never seen a differnce using the N2. It was sold to me as a way to save and it quickly became obvious that it would add $100/yr to my chem routine
I hate to undercut our supplier friends here, but I pay $45 a year buying them on Ebay.
My dichlor cost, thanks to a great price from my local HS dealer, is usually only about $25 a year. So maybe with Nature2, that is down to $22 a year ;)
I think the biggest difference I notice is it still looks good if I have been away 3-5 days.
I was thinking of writing the people at Nature2 and suggesting they put a little string on the end of the cartridge to make them easier to remove. ;D
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Is N2 the same as/similar to Sundance SunPurity? Still hoping for some replies to my "Sundance Chem Regimine" post, but this thread looks like it probably covers what I'm looking for.
txwillie
I know of one Sundance dealer here, who checks in every few days.
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Anyone know if Nature2 is the same as HotSpring FreshWaterAg+® Continuous Silver Ion Purifier?
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...I have felt that my water looks new a lot longer....
That has been my observation as well. I view the benefits of N2 as:
1. Providing a supplement to my chlorine doses, allowing me to feel comfortable dosing 2-3 ppm vs. 3-5.
2. Providing a back-up to missed doses, so I don't worry about getting out to the tub every other day.
3. Maintaining the new water feel/appearance for a couple of months, vs a couple of weeks without it.
I don't view it as a money-saver, just a slightly overpriced supplement. Despite the label promising 3-4 months effectiveness, I've wondered if the N2 loses its effectiveness after 2 months. It seems like past that point, the water goes from looking new, to looking its age.
I have seen conflicting reports on the way it dissolves into the tub. I've seen posts that say it all enters the tub in the first couple of days, others that say it takes two weeks to establish an appropriate level of silver ions, and still others that say it slowly erodes over 4 months. The main concern for me regarding that is: Is there anything left to justify leaving it in the tub if you change the water after 2 months, as I just did. Can anyone speak to that?
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Anyone know if Nature2 is the same as HotSpring FreshWaterAg+® Continuous Silver Ion Purifier?
I believe so. It is the same stuff, packaged in a proprietary cartridge.
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The SunPruity mineral purifier is a Nature2 cartridge made for Sundance to fit into their brominator.
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The SunPruity mineral purifier is a Nature2 cartridge made for Sundance to fit into their brominator.
The system on mine is different. It is N2, but it is a rectngular cartridge about the size a deck of cards. It goes into a slot in the weir gate.
Oh, and I like N2 for the lower levels of sanitizer. I can't use it with Bromine, and I just switched to Brilliance, but I normally use it.
8-)
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The system on mine is different. It is N2, but it is a rectngular cartridge about the size a deck of cards. It goes into a slot in the weir gate.
Yup...we're talking about the same thing. The slot in the weir gate is called the brominator. Sundance spas have had this for years, originally meant for bromine tabs. The SunPurity mineral cartridge manufactured by N2 has been around for about two years.
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That has been my observation as well. I view the benefits of N2 as:
1. Providing a supplement to my chlorine doses, allowing me to feel comfortable dosing 2-3 ppm vs. 3-5.
2. Providing a back-up to missed doses, so I don't worry about getting out to the tub every other day.
3. Maintaining the new water feel/appearance for a couple of months, vs a couple of weeks without it.
I don't view it as a money-saver, just a slightly overpriced supplement. Despite the label promising 3-4 months effectiveness, I've wondered if the N2 loses its effectiveness after 2 months. It seems like past that point, the water goes from looking new, to looking its age.
I completely agree with all three of these. I have alternated for the last year between using N2 and not, and fairly reliably I find that its advantages are worthwhile, so I plan to use it from now on. I think it also helps my water quality for more than 2 months: without N2, I am often feeling like I should change the water after barely 3 months, but with it, I can usually go to 4 months. Perhaps coincidence, but it has happened every time.
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The main concern for me regarding that is: Is there anything left to justify leaving it in the tub if you change the water after 2 months, as I just did. Can anyone speak to that?
Reese,
You may already know this and are looking for a more real experience answer, just put me on ignore if that's the case.
I know it has been stated here before that when you change your water you need to change the N2 cartridge. If I remember correctly someone (can't remember now if it was Vermonter's posts on N2 or not) said that the initial activation of the cartridge is needed for it to work on a particular water fill. Supposedly there are not enough silver ions left in a used cartridge to activate another batch of water.
Now whether that's ever been proven in the real world I don't know.
Steve
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Thanks, Steve. That is my understanding as well, but another member who was changing water at the same time understood it to be a gradual depletion, so that there would be 2 months of protection left. As I said, I have seen other posts that indicate all the silver gets into solution in 2 days or 2 weeks, and then remains active until the tub is drained.
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I am a fan of Nature II....
As with anything that I get into the ring with I'm kind of a research junkie on it. Many years ago when I was selling HS and Zodiak pool care first approached them with the idea of the proprietary N2 cartridge I was so into constantly asking watkins questions on it that out of the blue I got a call from a Mr. Joe Grenier the head Microbiologist in charge of the program.
Up to that point we had all been pushing the product with just a shock called "OZ" tablets. Joe and I had several conversations that boiled down to the fact that he never intended for this system to be completely chlorine free but indeed to be used with a light dose of dichlor and MPS.
In the last few years Biolab came out with a shock called "Enhanced Shock" that contained MPS, a slight amount of dichlor and clarifier. Up to that point I had been mixing my own. I used N2 and Enhanced shock until I put in my new Epic and found the Marquis constant clean system to be just as easy.
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Stuart, you are one of the people I was hoping would happen along. Do you know how quickly the silver is introduced into the tub, and how long before the beads are "empty"?
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Silver starts being activated immediatly when water flows over it in very small amounts. MPS, Chlorine and other things can speed that up.
I still have Joes email and phone # lets drop him a line and see if I can still reach him after 10 years :-?
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Thanks Stuart! If you do reach Mr.Grenier, I've had a lot of questions about N2 that I've been waiting to ask an expert. If you'd be willing to pass any of them along, I'd appreciate it:
1. Some people lay the cartridge in the filter compartment, rather than install it in the filter as recommended. Is this likely to affect performance?
2. How quickly does the N2 reach a level where it is effective?
3. Does it require a MPS shock or chlorine dose to activate it?
4. Do the recommended MPS/Chlorine doses refresh the silver, release more, or just get contaminants out of the way?5. Do other chems such as metal removers or clarifiers affect N2?
6. How does N2 compensate for different size tubs? Is it dependent on a certain ppm, or does it reach a saturation point, leaving more material left in the cartridge in smaller tubs?
7. Is all the material released in a short period of time, or does it enter the tub over the 4 month life of the cartridge?
8. If it enters over time, is there enough left to justify reusing the cartridge if the water is changed at two months?
9. If the opposite is true and it all enters quickly, and the beads are empty after a short period, is there any reason to leave the cartridge in after the first few weeks?
10. It seems the directions recommend what would be considered the minimum sanitizer routine. What does he consider the optimum?
Thanks,
Reese
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Thanks Stuart! If you do reach Mr.Grenier, I've had a lot of questions about N2 that I've been waiting to ask an expert. If you'd be willing to pass any of them along, I'd appreciate it:
1. Some people lay the cartridge in the filter compartment, rather than install it in the filter as recommended. Is this likely to affect performance?
2. How quickly does the N2 reach a level where it is effective?
3. Does it require a MPS shock or chlorine dose to activate it?
4. Do the recommended MPS/Chlorine doses refresh the silver, release more, or just get contaminants out of the way?5. Do other chems such as metal removers or clarifiers affect N2?
6. How does N2 compensate for different size tubs? Is it dependent on a certain ppm, or does it reach a saturation point, leaving more material left in the cartridge in smaller tubs?
7. Is all the material released in a short period of time, or does it enter the tub over the 4 month life of the cartridge?
8. If it enters over time, is there enough left to justify reusing the cartridge if the water is changed at two months?
9. If the opposite is true and it all enters quickly, and the beads are empty after a short period, is there any reason to leave the cartridge in after the first few weeks?
10. It seems the directions recommend what would be considered the minimum sanitizer routine. What does he consider the optimum?
Thanks,
Reese
And ultimately ... why does it work for some and not for others? I just had to throw that in.
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OK all this N2 love fest has my curiosity peeked, maybe it is time for another experiment.
Now to add a slight deviation what about the spa frog .....
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OK all this N2 love fest has my curiosity peeked, maybe it is time for another experiment.
Now to add a slight deviation what about the spa frog .....
I used the frog until the SunPurity came out a couple of years ago, so I have a couple of years of both the frog and nature2 experience. I find identical results with each. When I first started with the frog, I emailed King Technolgies with some questions about the contents of their cartridges and they got right back to me with answers. The frog, which also works with bromine, has never claimed to eliminate chlorine (or bromine)...only to reduce the residual to .5 - 1 ppm. This differs from nature2 who marketed itself as a chlorine alternative, but it seems that their new instructions include the daily use of dichlor and not MPS anymore. I think I will go back to a frog next water change since I have been using nature2 for the past couple of years to see if I notice anything different.
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Thanks Stuart! If you do reach Mr.Grenier, I've had a lot of questions about N2 that I've been waiting to ask an expert. If you'd be willing to pass any of them along, I'd appreciate it:
1. Some people lay the cartridge in the filter compartment, rather than install it in the filter as recommended. Is this likely to affect performance?
2. How quickly does the N2 reach a level where it is effective?
3. Does it require a MPS shock or chlorine dose to activate it?
4. Do the recommended MPS/Chlorine doses refresh the silver, release more, or just get contaminants out of the way?5. Do other chems such as metal removers or clarifiers affect N2?
6. How does N2 compensate for different size tubs? Is it dependent on a certain ppm, or does it reach a saturation point, leaving more material left in the cartridge in smaller tubs?
7. Is all the material released in a short period of time, or does it enter the tub over the 4 month life of the cartridge?
8. If it enters over time, is there enough left to justify reusing the cartridge if the water is changed at two months?
9. If the opposite is true and it all enters quickly, and the beads are empty after a short period, is there any reason to leave the cartridge in after the first few weeks?
10. It seems the directions recommend what would be considered the minimum sanitizer routine. What does he consider the optimum?
Thanks,
Reese
As usual, great post Reese.
You might ask the same questions to King Technology regarding the Frog. www.kingtechnology.com
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I will tell you that as far as mineral systems go I have found the D1 vision cartridge to be by far the fastest acting, longest lasting and most potent I have used. I see a difference overnight on the spas in my showroom when I put one in. They are expensive but work well.
As far as N2 working for some and not others there are some variables;
1. you can't use bromine with it (you can with the frog)
2. I've seen some clarifiers and sequestering agents cause it to be ineffective (Sequa sol for one)
3. Your water chemistry will affect just about any system you chose...if you don't keep everything else in line results will vary.
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You might ask the same questions to King Technology regarding the Frog. www.kingtechnology.com
Thanks Tony. I tried contacting Zodiac with some of these questions when I first tried N2, but only got a FAQ form letter in return. I think I'll wait to see if Stuart connects with Mr. Grenier.
Stuart, my impression has always been that the D1 Vision cartridge is just a larger, much more expensive version of N2. Does it differ in any appreciable way? Does it last for more than one fill?
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Thanks Tony. I tried contacting Zodiac with some of these questions when I first tried N2, but only got a FAQ form letter in return. I think I'll wait to see if Stuart connects with Mr. Grenier.
Stuart, my impression has always been that the D1 Vision cartridge is just a larger, much more expensive version of N2. Does it differ in any appreciable way? Does it last for more than one fill?
For one it has about 3 times the sliver, second it lasts atleast twice as long.
It lasts for 6 months and I personally leave my water for up to 6 months. I'm sure that the addition of new water will depreciate the life expectency some but again I'm even going to run that by Joe on Monday if I can reach him.
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... why does it work for some and not for others?...
I'm guessing who it "works for" is a matter of expectations, how much attention you pay to your water, and what you have to pay for the N2 cartridge. IMO, its value is subtle, and hard to measure. I don't view it as a having an economic return, rather an addition to my routine that has a marginal cost/benefit, but adds a safety margin and some perhaps some subjective water quality improvement. The slight reduction in chlorine use certainly doesn't pay for it, and at the $25+ price many retailers charge, I wouldn't use it, or recommend it. That is how marginal its value is to me.
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I'm guessing who it "works for" is a matter of expectations, how much attention you pay to your water, and what you have to pay for the N2 cartridge. IMO, its value is subtle, and hard to measure. I don't view it as a having an economic return, rather an addition to my routine that has a marginal cost/benefit, but adds a safety margin and some perhaps some subjective water quality improvement. The slight reduction in chlorine use certainly doesn't pay for it, and at the $25+ price many retailers charge, I wouldn't use it, or recommend it. That is how marginal its value is to me.
Actually the fact is this and ozone have me puzzled how there can be so much difference in people's opinion on their performance.
I will admit that I was a newbie at the time I used N2 and wasn't getting the 3 + months out of the water as I now get but didn't see any difference at the time. It could have been my newness to hot water care and this is why I'm willing to give it a shot ... although I doubt I'll cut down my dichlor amounts by too much. I was successful at only using 1 teaspoon of dichlor (without N2) for quite a while but there was no margin for error and the tub turned bad quickly once I made that error.
I believe Mendo told me (us?) that the Frog has the same amount as N2 but it has a finer silver product in it. I see ebay has a Frog cartridge for about $20.00 ... I'm still fighting the longevity between doses issue with my water and I'm willing to listen what people have to say about products ... even ozone! ;) ;D I can't believe that people get a week or so from their water on a regular dose and I would need to put in 12 PPM of dichlor to last a week.
As far as ozone is concerned ... I have 1 more year before my warranty is up on the tub. I estimate my ozonator will be about useless at that time so when the warranty is up, I'll put a more powerful ozonator in it (maybe add some extra tubing as a contact chamber) and see.
Tub's water is going to be changed in March ... I'm off to ebay!!!
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I bought 2 Frogs ... that forces me to try it for a while, at least 6 months and I guess my new experiment will be on in March ...
... stay tuned for details ...
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Actually the fact is this and ozone have me puzzled how there can be so much difference in people's opinion on their performance....the Frog has the same amount as N2 but it has a finer silver product in it....
As I said before, I think a lot of it is expectation. Most manufacturers and salespeople state the benefits of an ozonator as fact. Even if you are not the type of consumer that buys into marketing hype, after you have been told how wonderful ozone or N2 is by enough people, you start to believe it, and aren't likely to evaluate it skeptically. I see a lot of posts by new shoppers who are convinced of ozone's value before they've even purchased a tub, much less operated one, and others who have had ozone and/or N2 in their routine from day 1. If you then experience easy water care, it is pretty easy to attribute it to what you were sold, when in fact, it may just be a sound primary sanitizer routine that got you there. The most credible posts I see on the subject are from people like you, Tony and Anne, who have tried their tubs with and without, and most of them agree that these supplements may contribute something, but they aren't sure how much. Given the subtle difference they seem to make, it is easy to see why some of us feel one or the other isn't worth the cost.
As far as the Frog, I hadn't heard about a finer grind of the coating material, but I was told once that it contains limestone as a buffer for the bromine it was designed to be paired with, while N2 also contains copper, due to its original design for pool use. I don't know if either are true, but thought I'd share it. From what I've been told, the performance is similar and the decision should be based on personal preference, cost, and whether you want the option to use bromine or not.
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Thanks Reese!
My concern with my water is the lack of longevity that apparently others get between doses. I read people say they get a week of clear water and I'm dumbfounded. Without chlorine lock (this is the second winter with the tub and it came back in the beginning) I get about 2 1/2 days between doses.
If N2 or in my case the Frog makes the bacteria cell weak and makes the water stay clearer longer, it'll be worth it. At this point I'm thinking it won't but I'm more experienced at hot water care than I was when I used N2 the first time, so we'll see.
As I keep saying - Ozone or at least my ozonator didn't do very much running it 24/7 vs the only 8 hours as I do now. That'll be the next experiment for me. Replace the ozonator with a higher output spa ozonator, maybe add a length of tubing or mixing chamber and see how that affects the water ... that will wait until the warranty is over as to not void any warranty.
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...I still have Joes email and phone # lets drop him a line and see if I can still reach him after 10 years :-?
Stuart, did you ever get a chance to run all our Nature 2 questions by Mr. Grenier?
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His email bounced back, the phone # didn't work and he was not in the company directory any longer.
I did a search on him and his name came up in some microbiology reviews and at a university in microbiology so I kind of quit trying....I left a message and an email with zodiac and they never responded.
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His email bounced back, the phone # didn't work and he was not in the company directory any longer. I did a search on him and his name came up in some microbiology reviews and at a university in microbiology so I kind of quite trying....I left a message and an email with zodiac and they never responded.
Thanks for trying!
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Very interesting thread. I have a new 336 gal spa using proclear mineral spa sanitizer and an ozonator.
The Nature2 instructions indicate to use MPS daily and shock weekly with dichlor. Most of the spa maintenance routines I have read on this forum recommend the opposite - use dichlor daily and shock weekly with MPS or dichlor.
Questions:
1. Does Nature2 recommend this because they are promoting a low-chlorine option? Is there any harm in using proclear with the daily use of dichlor?
2. If you tried Nature2 and did not like it - did you use daily dichlor or MPS?
Thanks,
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SpaNE,
I think your assumption on number 1 is correct, they proclaim significant reduction in the need for chlorine.
I used N2 for the first 6 months with my tub. I would not follow their routine because it makes a lot of sense to me that you need some level of chlorine in your tub at all times to be safe.
I did not see a significant reduction in the chlorine requirement while maintaining a safe chlorine level, so I figured I would try without N2. Been without N2 for a year now. I do have ozone as well.
I can't say that I have any strong feelings either way, N2 may have helped keep my water cleaner, longer, but it definitely is not a primary sanitizer. So a normal dichlor routine should be followed. If the N2 is really helping it should allow you to have an FC residual longer, meaning lower doses/less frequent doses.
I think you will still need to base the cleanliness of your tub on your residual FC level.
Steve
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I have been using N2 for 2 1/2 years now in my HS Envoy. My routine is as follows:
2 Tablespoons of MPS with each use. (no use no MPS)
3 Tablespoons of DiChlor weekly.
2 oz. of Scale and Stain weekly.
Filters in dishwasher monthly.
Water chage every 4 months with the HS wate filter.
To date no water problems except the for time that I forgot to use the filter while refilling.
Oh BTW - my TA is in the 300 range so it does take a while to get the Ph within range but I ad Ph- over the couse of a few weeks and it eventually gets there.
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I have been using N2 for 2 1/2 years now in my HS Envoy. My routine is as follows:
2 Tablespoons of MPS with each use. (no use no MPS)
3 Tablespoons of DiChlor weekly.
2 oz. of Scale and Stain weekly.
Filters in dishwasher monthly.
Water chage every 4 months with the HS wate filter.
To date no water problems except the for time that I forgot to use the filter while refilling.
Oh BTW - my TA is in the 300 range so it does take a while to get the Ph within range but I ad Ph- over the couse of a few weeks and it eventually gets there.
Why do you use daily MPS versus dichlor? It seems people are doing this 2 different ways? Confusing?
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Very interesting thread. I have a new 336 gal spa using proclear mineral spa sanitizer and an ozonator.
The Nature2 instructions indicate to use MPS daily and shock weekly with dichlor. Most of the spa maintenance routines I have read on this forum recommend the opposite - use dichlor daily and shock weekly with MPS or dichlor.
Questions:
1. Does Nature2 recommend this because they are promoting a low-chlorine option? Is there any harm in using proclear with the daily use of dichlor?
2. If you tried Nature2 and did not like it - did you use daily dichlor or MPS?
Thanks,
Spa Ne,
I use a Nature 2 cartridge and have had good results. It enables me to use close to half the amount of dichlor I was using w/o it, plus my water feels almost silky. W/o I had to post soak dose with a 3ppm dose of dichlor after every soak and with it I can get by with only (2-3) 3ppm doses a week along with an 8-10 ppm shock once a week.
The manual that came with it states that one can use either mps, dichlor, or a combo. I prefer to use dichlor exclusively except for an occassional shock dose of mps. I always have a sanitizer residual. I don't think if you followed the mps daily, dichlor weekly method one could achieve that.
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Right on Chad, you have made a good case for N2 in your tub. As long as you can extend the FC residual with less frequent dosing, that's a good thing.
SpaNE,
I think there are a lot of factors that go into this equation. It can depend on how much dichlor you put in for each dose. It can depend on how much you use your tub. It can depend on how many people use your tub and (seriously) how clean they are (do they introduce a lot of bacteria into the tub).
The bottom line I think is that commercial spas are required to maintain a minimum FC level at all times, that's what keeps your tub safe and can be easily measured so you know your tub is safe. So that's what you should strive for with your dichlor dose, whether it's twice a day or once a week.
Regarding MPS, it's an oxidizer not a sanitizer so it is good for removing combined chlorines and contaminants from your tub. This is typically needed weekly for your shock, not daily.
Plenty of folks use this routine with their N2 and Ozone equipped tubs. The N2 and Ozone provide what is called 'supplemental sanitizing', but your dichlor is your primary sanitizer.
Steve
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Right on Chad, you have made a good case for N2 in your tub. As long as you can extend the FC residual with less frequent dosing, that's a good thing.
Yeah it's been a very user friendly fill. Sometimes I'll get in my tub with a 2ppm and won't post soak dose and I'll still have 1ppm the next day before my soak. It's a really effecient piece of equipment. I wish I would have used one through this past winter. It would have really conserved some energy($), not to mention freezing my a$$ off goin' back and forth out to the tub after post soak dosing.
How has the new circ pump been treatin' you?
Chad
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Why do you use daily MPS versus dichlor? It seems people are doing this 2 different ways? Confusing?
That was what was recommended by my dealer. It works so I continue.
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Circ pump is good Chad, thanks for asking.
Wish I could use the tub more, been pretty busy around here lately.
Steve