I know several people on here have hot tubs. What are you using for a sanitizer?
I’ve been using bromine since it’s what I use in my pool and I didn’t feel like dealing with a bunch of different chemicals and testing procedures but I’m not that happy with it. In the pool it’s very hands off but in the hot tub I’m constantly having to tweak bromine dispenser and my PH and alkalinity seem to shift a lot even when the tub isn’t being used. I’m aware that bromine has a very low PH which is why I’m constantly fighting PH.
I’m leaning toward switching to sodium dichlor right now. Going to stop by Majestic and talk to their people later this week but I hate going on just a pool store’s recommendation for fear of the, “what we stock is the best” attitudes.[COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#FF0000][COLOR=#000000][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
FWIW I have a majestic pool with attached hot tub. Both are salt water. I switched over about 4 years ago and will never use anything else. Less upkeep and expense. I figure your pool and hot tub probably aren’t attached but it’s worth looking into to see if that is an option for you. Intial investment is pricey but it more than pays for itself in the long run because you don’t need all the other chemicals. Best of all there is no smell like you get with bromine or chlorine.
I used to do hot tub sales for a while and learned everything there was to learn at the time about hot tubs.
When was the last time you changed the water?
What kind of hot tub is it? Any self sanitizers built in (O3 generator or the like)?
What I would suggest is a hot tub specific set of chemicals. Typically chlorine is more controllable and forgiving. When you’re working with a hot tub the older and lower model typically you need to keep a closer eye on it especially with frequent use.
The best thing about hot tubs is if you really screw up the water you can always drain it and refill.
I haven’t done an entire drain and refill since late summer.
It’s a 2003 Hawkeye spa (supposedly a high end manufacture), and it has an ozone generator that I have no idea how to tell if it’s actually working. The water is crystal clear and smells like clean bromine but I just think I’m spending too much time constantly tweaking the PH. I hit it about once a week when we’re using it often with non-chlorine shock to burn off the bromides.
Instead of giving up on bromine I’m going to drain it and start over following the directions from that forum I linked earlier.
I just use chlorine in mine. It’s just a little 2 person Soft Tub. Put in a half a cap of shock after getting out and some chlorine on a regular basis and that’s it. I was hesitant on getting one because I thought the upkeep would be an PITA, but its really been quite easy. The people I got my tub from used bromine and liked it, but said it was more work than chlorine. I went to Fisher Pools in Hamburg and the talked me into chlorine and set me up with all the chemicals for around $40 if I recall correctly.
Dump and refill should really depend on how much you use it. If you’re constantly in it, it will require more frequently.
If it does have an O3 generator you should be good and honestly I wouldn’t worry about the constant pH levels. It’s been a while but from what I remember they’re going to fluctuate all over the place. don’t add anything and keep checking the pH levels for a few days. I’m pretty sure they’ll still fluctuate.
If you do consider switching back to chlorine make sure you FULLY drain your tub. if you have even enough of the old bromine water in there it will turn all the chlorine into bromine.
Not sure, it’s in a white bottle with pink writing on it and its a white granular, sorta like salt. I’ll have to look at it more closely at home.
I don’t use it alot, maybe once every 2-3 weeks. Last time I dumped it was September-ish I think. I’ll dump it again in the spring, its only ~150 gal so its not too rough on my water bill.
The reason I asked how often you dump it is everything I’ve read about chlorine says it will build up cyanuric acid and the only way to deal with it is dump and start over. You can extend the time between flushes with bleach.
I use ez-spa with bromine, I have to add PH or alk maybe once a month. I’ll dump it every 4-6mo depending on use or if some asshat bitch full of gels, cremes, oils, makeup, etc gets in.
I prefer BAQUASpa over standard Bromine… But the key is always maintaining proper levels. And you just hit a point where it needs to be drained… Could be weeks, could be months. Depends on use.