Mark SC

Sorry for the delay. You don't need Nature 2 or the ozonator. The chlorine will provide all of your sanitation so why incur the expense? Ozonators are pretty useless anyway from what I've read. They basically just sanitize a small portion of the water and the effect lasts just minutes. As for the borax, I don't have a target ppm. I just throw in a few tablespoons at spa fill to offset the acid from the dichor/CYA that I've added (target of 30 ppm for the CYA) so that the pH is 7.4-7.6. I've found that even a few tablespoons helps stabilize the pH (a spa blanket helps with that too). I do recommend checking the chlorine level 2x weekly, especially if the spa isn't in use. I've found that the chlorine level can fluctuate with use. I use Hot Springs test strips to check the chlorine. I've found them to be quite accurate and convenient for chlorine testing (but not for pH--a drop test kit is needed for that)--even if they are pricier than other test strips.

Update after 1 1/2 years of use: I definitely still recommend it. I add 30 ppm of CYA upon a fresh fill so that the chlorine is not so destructive of swim suits. I've also found that a few tablespoons of borax on start up is useful to help regulate the pH. Other than that, I don't add anything. I measure chlorine 2x per week and pH weekly. With borax, the pH rarely moves much, but without it has a tendency to rise, so you will likely need to add acid every week or two to bring it back down. Also, the Technichlor allows you to adjust the chlorine output. My spa is 240 gallons, and I've found that level 3 (the default) is best in the summer when the spa isn't used much, but level 4 is needed during periods of heavy use. For a larger spa, I would imagine that levels 4 and 5 are needed. Really, it is a very simple process, and the unit does a great job of keeping the chlorine at good levels. You will add pool salt upon a fresh fill, but you shouldn't need to add it thereafter.

Yes, most likely a top side panel issue. They are simple to replace. Just make sure to match it to your control pack. Dreammaker went from Balboa, to CE, and back to Balboa. If you have an aluminum box, it should be Balboa. A blue box is CE. My CE topside and control pack both failed this year, so I replaced with Balboa--no problems since.

Technichlor is a portable unit that sits in your tub and you remove during use. That's the one I have and have posted about. The same manufacturer makes an in-line unit that ties into your circ pump and that is listed for just over $300 on Amazon. My local Hot Springs dealer installs that one in its tubs and raves about it. However, I would think the removable unit would be easier to service and adjust settings. You do need an external power supply for either type of unit. Yes, it is identical in function to ACE. All ACE does is manufacturer chlorine and ozone with a hybrid SWCG/ozonator. You don't need the ozone (it's actually counterproductive when combined with chlorine). The SWCG function is identical to the aftermarket units.

You could save $1,100 net by skipping the ACE and getting an aftermarket SWCG (Chlormaker inline, Technichlor, etc.) for $300 or so.

If you use dichlor for a week to provide your sanitation, that will build up a nice cyanuric acid (stabilizer) reserve for you so that the chlorine produced by the ACE system is not too harsh on the components, swim suits, etc. That would be a good practice to follow after every fresh fill. Basically, just follow the start up procedure portion of the dichlor then bleach method posted here.

Colorchlor/Technichlor is awesome if you have an extra GFCI outlet near the tub. I've posted on this forum about my experience using it and the great customer service I have had. Do take my advice and keep your TA at 50, though, to minimize the pH rise. Also, allow a week or so before you are away for extended periods so that you can be sure to pick the correct chlorine production setting on the unit. The same would go for bromine setting on the floater if you go that route.

Spa_Guru, what level of chlorination do you consider damaging?

I have no idea why the manufacturer would view a SWCG as voiding the warranty. I would just use it and and then refill with fresh water if you ever have a warranty claim.

This question has been asked a few times before. If you shock to 10 ppm and have an average of 25% chlorine loss a day (pretty typical), you should have 1-2 ppm left after 7 days. If you plan to be gone longer than that, you'll need a better solution like a SWCG or bromine floater. A SWCG would automate the chlorine indefinitely. Some of the SWCG units adjust chlorine production based on the water temp, so that would be helpful to prevent over-production of chlorine. You would still need to check and adjust pH periodically. However, if you keep the TA low, the pH could stay stable for weeks. I have been experimenting with very low TA (50) in my SWCG spa, and pH has stayed stable at 7.6 for 3 weeks now since my last fill. (With TA of 70, I usually needed to lower pH every week or so.) In your case, with no acid produced from use of the spa, I would expect pH to drift up some over time. You could also use borax as a pH buffer. There are lots of posts here on that.

You only need to shock if you have problems. I would keep the chlorine level higher--at least 3 ppm, but 5 would be better given your traffic. The need to shock arises when the chlorine falls to 0, so keeping the baseline higher will help prevent that.

For Spa_Guru or other techs, what is the average pump life you see for Dreammaker spas? Specifically, I have a 2 hp Waterway pump (March 2010) that works fine, so this is a curiosity and budgeting question as much as anything. I can't seem to find the pump's replacement model anywhere on the web. It seems to be unique to my spa, as Dreammaker advertises 1.5 hp for its pumps. In any case, I would think that Dreammaker pumps work pretty hard since they are one speed and there is no heater (mine is on an average of perhaps 4 hours daily). Any other issues you often see with Dreammaker that I should watch out for? I replaced the topside and control boxes this year with Balboa Mach 7 (under warranty, thankfully).

I don't believe that the skirt provides any meaningful energy savings--it is just there to keep wind-blown dirt out. I purchased an RH cover this year and am very pleased. The difference in quality compared to my OEM cover is quite noticeable. You should consider the RH thermal blanket too. That would provide you with some energy savings.

Spa System Flush is good. I use it after every draining, but find now that much less scum comes up than the first one or two times I used it. Your spa maker probably took the precaution of blowing the water out of the pipes prior to shipping, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to run the system flush through. To save water, though, you might want to just wait until your first regular drain and fill in a few months.

If you need to clean the cell frequently, that suggests that scale is building up. You should rarely if ever need to clean the cell if your water chemistry stays in the normal range. What are your pH and calcium hardness readings? If the cell has scale buildup, it will not produce as much chlorine as it should, which could be why you find yourself needing to add chlorine. Or you could have a defective cell.