Mark Davis

Great questions...I am also seriously considering one...Oddly, I haven't seen much SWCG activity on these forums. It certainly seems like the best of both worlds with the convenience of bromine and the gentleness of chlorine at low PPMs... Nexa was the one I was planning to buy... Awaiting comments too, -mark

I need to clean the jet cavity and the surface of my inherited Maax 471. What are your favorites? I'm cleaning the spa as part of a decontamination from the previous owner. I've used spa flush a couple of times, shocked it a couple of times, etc (per the decontamination specs posted here), yet I've run the spa now for about a week and continue to see brown biofilm on the pre-filter. Is that normal? I also see another brown film line starting to form...note that I am not using the spa -- just maintaining the thing while I want for my new jet kit, at which time I plan to drain, surface clean, and cavity clean the jets. I've seen the spa essentials mits...wonder what the active ingredients are?? I saw the Brilliance HCL. I have spa gloss - yet this seems to seal & shine, rather than clean. Maax recommended Lysol tub & basin cleaner, Mr. Clean, and Glass+. I also have the commercial clorox bleach cleaner as well, which is about 100PPM in a spray bottle from what I can tell... I'd appreciate your insights & recommendations on what you think is the most effective product. Thanks, -mark PS. I should note that I searched the forum and didn't find a lot of info on this.

Does anyone have a cheat-sheet? TIPs? Learnings over the years? Do you test inside or out? I assume you scoop some water into a small container of some sort, then do all the testing inside? Is there an optimal order to the tests for some reason? The booklet that came with the thing is not very concise...it seems like it is going to be a time consuming process. Saw this: http://www.rhtubs.com/store/labels/_taylor2006condensed.htm Thanks, -mark

More updates: 1. ordered a jet kit, still hasn't arrived. We're going to replace all jets. 2. water is now clear...we just allowed the spa to run for several days at 104 degrees and the pre-filter was turned brown quite a number of times...apparently, the spa flush didn't get all the junk, but the water is now amazingly clear. 3. SPA seems to have a reasonable CD - perhaps 30%. 4. Water seems to be in balance most of the time... After all of the hassle and expense, I wonder whether it was worth keeping the Maax or whether we should have bought whatever is considered top of the line -- BTW, what is that? Hotspring? Caldera? Something else? -mark

Thanks! I'm considering one of these, seems convenient.

Hey Mark. The timer has 3 settings On/Off/Auto I have it set on Auto with 3 out of 7 time settings one at 3am 2nd at 9am and the 3rd at 3pm there set to turn it on for 15 minutes each my chlorine is a level is a little low at the moment so i plan to add 5 minutes to each setting and in a couple days I'll check again. Interesting, thanks. What is the thing comes on while you are in the water? Is that a safety issue? Can you use N2 + a SWCG? -mark

Nitro I just picked up the Nexa it seems simple enough to setup and operate. I have really hard water where I am at so I will have to fill from the water softener then if it is to soft I will need to add some calcium hardness afterwords. Looks like it is a trial and error process on setting the timer for how often you want it to run. Depending on your individual conditions and how often you use your spa, It can run from 40 to 60 minutes or longer. I read that most just split that time up during the non populated times and adjust over time to your liking. I'll check back after I have used it for awhile and see what others have to say as well. Mike Thanks for posting Mike... You have to schedule the unit so it is OFF while you are in the water, right?

It is usually best not to try to directly adjust your pH. I think that it is better to adjust your alkalinity to the point where the pH automatically balances. Use baking soda to increase total alkalinity and muriatic acid to lower alkalinity. If your pH is constantly low, then your alkalinity is too low. If your pH is constantly high, then your alkalinity is too high. If your pH is staying consistently where you want it to, then your alkalinity is just right. Adding 50 ppm borates (From Borax or boric acid) will also help stabilize your pH. Thanks, that's an interesting approach. Do people use Borates w/o Bromine? What are the best brands for baking soda? What about soda ash? I'd like to get my spa in a state where it never needs muriatic acid...

Hi Nitro- Really learned a lot from reading your posts... Anyway...are you running Nexa? I thought it was just 1500PPM? Do you turn it off when entering the spa? I do worry about the motor, but I just put two new pumps in...wish I knew how the Maax AO Smith 2.5 HP pump was constructed to understand whether it has corrosive metals. -mark

Anyone have one or have used one? If so, can you post a picture of the unit?? Was it an easy install? spa monitor 103800 <- transceiver 103759 <- module Thanks, Regards, -mark

I wanted to thank everyone for their responses and post an update. 1. Doesn't have an ozonator... 2. Had a leaking seal on a jet motor...replaced with an AO Smith 2.5HP 2-speed....could have replaced the seal, but the impeller was "stuck" and the motor looked worn...oh well....this was jet2. 3. Had a broken motor - low speed not operational on jet1 (filter jet, no surprise). Replaced that one with an AO Smith 2.5HP 2-speed....Maax part #s matched. 4. Lots of knobs were broken, replaced several. Also replaced the browning air diverter knows - this is a defect IMO, oh well... 5. Looks like I need a jet kit - ordered one...several neck jets were not functioning and I believe some of the others, but I haven't been in the thing... 6. Bought all new pillows...just ordered the inserts for them today... 7. Put the light back in...it had fallen out...How is the heck does that happen?? The light has a red cover on it.... So, we are replacing the tub one part at a time :-)...I'd rather own a HotSprings or Caldera or whatever is considered top of the line, but that will wait a few years I guess. What is top-of-the-line BTW? Would like to understand them to research the replacement... Did I say the tub was built into a deck and that I spent probably 10 hours digging out screws? Some of the joists are literally running in parallel with the sides of the tub...What fun...Finally managed to get 2 sides off the thing to enable some access....don't know if I will ever replace the upper screws... Anyway, it is finally up and running...also went through 2 Spa Flush cycles and 2 shocks at 100PPM and it's still not perfect...Water is green! I believe this is due to Baquaspa residue...Installed a new filter/pre-filter and the pre-filter turned DARK brown..nasty..we'll keep cleaning/replacing them. Also bought a "FreshStart" pre-filter that I will use for the "real" fill. Will remove all jets and clean within the cavity as well -- anyone recommend a jet cavity cleaner??...Have wiped down the spa numerous times now with various things. What fun...picked up a spa wand that has done wonders...also a skimmer thingy...now the dirt from the bottom is gone..and leaves..(deck is covered, but near a riparian forest, so I get a lot of junk in the thing). I am working on a detailed analysis of what is best for water maintenance and will post to the chemistry forum...Really want a SWCG, but am worried about corrosion...is it FUD @ 1500 PPM? Also posted about spa balance chems...wondering what products/brands you use... Making good progress, but it is taking some time... And I impression of Maax is not so hot. 4.5 years old, 2nd owner, and NOTHING was covered under the warranty. Does Hotspring or whatever is best? have a transferable warranty or is that standard practice? Thanks! -mark

So...the systems are not talked about a lot here, why? I've read about Nexa, Ozen, Spa Pilot, and Color Chlor (or without color, whatever). I think the best one is Nexa??? At 1500PPM, is that still very corrosive for most SPAs? I have a Maax 471. The motors are grounded/bonded. The pipes are all plastic. The tub is acrylic. I love the convenience of the system... I assume you would turn them off before getting in? Anyone paranoid about getting electrocuted? Any good/bad experiences? Maax said they VOID warranties as a result of concerns about corrosion and "buildup", but then gave me a detailed sales spiel on the crappy options they offer (CleanZone, CheanZone II). Anyway...I'm still working options, but this seems to give you the convenience of bromine with the safety of chlorine. Thoughts appreciated. Regards, -mark

Do you buy baking soda or a brand-name product for Ph+? What is best for Ph-? In general, I'd like to use a system that doesn't require too much acid. I'm somewhat of a chemical freak (ie. hate them and greatly prefer anything that seems safe/natural) and am still debating many water balance / mgmt options (I will make a separate post when the spreadsheets/analysis are complete)... Regards- -mark

I have no idea what's in silk balance, but the chemicals I use for balancing my water are quite innocuous. At each new fill, I add 50 ppm borates. The only ongoing adjustment I need is to occasionally adjust alkalinity up to keep my pH where I want it. I use baking soda for this. What could be safer than borax and baking soda? I have a 2009 Hot Spring Envoy hot tub with an ozonator. After a couple months of struggling with BaquaSpa, I found this forum and switched to a chlorine-based sanitation method. I do have a Nature2 cartridge and started out with their low-chlorine recipe. Sounds like I was afraid of chlorine, doesn't it. Well, I did have the common misconceptions. I have spent countless hours educating myself reading this forum. The posts by Nitro and chem geek have been particularly helpful. I am now a firm believer in the dichlor-then-bleach method of sanitation. I still use the Nature2 cartridge, but it is more of an insurance policy than my primary method. I'm still on the learning curve, but think I have found the proper mix of MPS and bleach that results in a very stable pH. I use SeaKlear MPS (45.2% potassium peroxymonosulfate) which is very pure (unbuffered) and slightly acidic. This counteracts the pH rise that normally accompanies the dichlor-then-bleach method. I still find that my pH drops over time and I have to add 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda every 2-3 weeks. One thing that has really helped me is chem geek's rule of thumb regarding sanitizer/oxidizer needed per person-hour of soaking. For every person-hour of soak time you need to add 3.5 teaspoons of dichlor or 5 fluid ounces of 6% unscented bleach or 7 teaspoons of 43% MPS. I generally add the MPS and/or bleach after soaking. Adjust quantities such that you have residual free chlorine (0.5-1.0 ppm) prior to your next soak. I also add 1 ounce of SeaKlear's Natural Clarifier every week. I have used this method since my last fill about 3 months ago and my water is as sparkling clear and odor-free as on day one. Thanks for the advice Mike. How important is clarifier? What brands are best for Ph+ and Ph- ? I have been searching and reading posts by the two folks you mentioned as well...super informative...I'm still trying to decide what to use...I am fascinated by the SWCGs...but am worried about corrosion. At this point, I am *not* planning to use Silk Balance...I'd need to run my filter system for 8+ hours a day and that was not recommended by Maax (OK for Hotsprings w/constantly running filter pumps). Now I just want the best Ph+/Ph-...baking soda sounds good for +. -mark

One option that I use to monitor temp/humidity of my wine cellar is: T&D's RTR-5W (web server and wireless receiver) + T&D's RTR-52/53 http://www.microdaq.com/tandd/rtr-5/rtr-52.php But they are VERY spendy... I was also hoping to monitor more than just temp...I really wanted to montor chlorine level in real time...that would be super interesting...