TubTime
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Is it safe to use the nature 2 cartridge with chlorine? I had heard that the chlorine will eat up the copper and silver.
Normal levels of chlorine, especially with CYA in the water as would be the case when using Dichlor at least some of the time, will not eat up or corrode the copper or silver -- at least not very quickly. After all, copper is used in some gas heaters in heat exchangers, though they do not last as long as titanium or cupro-nickel alloys. Copper piping in homes is quite common and does not corrode quickly in spite of chlorine (with no CYA) that used to be used in the water (now monochloramine is more commonly used). Low pH is far more destructive to metals than chlorine levels, though high chlorine levels (such as high chlorine without CYA) combined with high conductivity such as from high salt levels can be corrosive.
In some systems, copper and silver are converted from metals to ions using electrolysis, but in Nature 2 it sounds like they use compounds where the metals are already ions and are dissolved or dosed via water flow or where the water flow powers electrolysis (they aren't clear on their website about this -- they say they are not ionizers, but then talk about being "powered" by water flow). Nature 2 for pools uses silver and copper while Nature 2 Spa uses zinc and silver. That's a good thing since spas tend to rise in pH a lot and using copper would result in green water a lot of the time (from precipitating copper hydroxide and oxide). The Nature 2 Spa owner's manual here indicates that Nature 2 Spa is not compatible with bromine, sodium bromide or biguanides (e.g. Baqua). It is intended to be used with chlorine and in fact must have at least some residual amount of chlorine. After you balance the water and install the cartridge, the instructions say to superchlorinate (they call it superoxidation) by using Dichlor. So clearly their product is designed to be used with chlorine, even at shock levels. Their low-chlorine procedure uses mostly MPS with chlorine for shocking as needed though they also indicate that the daily MPS may be substituted with Dichlor (chlorine).
Richard
Thanks for the info. Richard. Ive been using 6% non sented bleach as you have talked about in other posts and so far things have been looking good , keeping my chlorine levele at 2 to 3 ppm I was using the diclor daily and got very dry itchy skin, we'll have to see how it goes with the bleach, also I guess I will put my natute 2 cartridge back in. Thanks again.
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I'd switch just to see if it helps. It's easy to change back. If you change to chlorine, you can add bromine at any time and it's a bromine spa again. But, if you start with bromine, it stays bromine. I think that chlorine is easy as pie. We just throw some in when we get out each night and shock weekly with mps. Originally, I tested nightly to make sure my free chlorine was getting up to 3ppm. Now, I just add the same amount every night. You might want to try a mineral cartridge. I use Nature 2. You just put it inside your filter cartridge. It should reduce your need for as much chlorine and it makes the water feel much softer. I love it. Don't use it with bromine! I think spa frog is the only one that makes one compatible with bromine. We went on vacation for 5 days, I added about 7x's my normal daily chlorine dose. Came home to sparkling clean water. By dosing with chlorine when you get out of the tub, you are killing germs before they have time to multiply and you are soaking the next day in the lowest chlorine levels. In fact, I haven't noticed any chlorine smell yet. Shocking weekly with MPS helps with this as well. Other than one person on this site, I have yet to find anyone thrilled with biguanide products. They are expensive and hard to use from what I understand. I think it would be easier to give chlorine a try and if that doesn't work, then try a biguanide. Start simple. Also, there is another site, rhtubs, that has some great chemical dosing info. Look under miscellaneous/message boards etc, then question and answer board, then on the left side, frequently asked questions. There is a vermonter style and a northman style. Both are very helpful.
Is it safe to use the nature 2 cartridge with chlorine? I had heard that the chlorine will eat up the copper and silver.
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Every thing checks fine except the hardness its on the low, dont know if that causes foam or not, if it dose how do you raise the hardness level?
Weeel, I had read that low hardness encourages foaming and I ordered a calcium hardness increaser online to raise it. I succeeded in improving the test reading, but it didn't affect the foam very much.
When is the last time you rinsed your filter? Since I've been doing that more often, the foaming has been less pronounced.
I just rinced the filters out about a week ago, I usualy do it weekly ( weather permitting) . The water is only about a month and a half old.
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All good info. Nine times out of ten, foam is from bathing suits. No washing suits with detergents...or better yet...no suits
.Also..filter cleaner not thoroughly rinsed out can be a major foam contributor...but I'm not telling you anything new...everyone already told you.
BTW, foam isn't the first sign of bacteria...cloudy water would be though.
Every thing checks fine except the hardness its on the low, dont know if that causes foam or not, if it dose how do you raise the hardness level?
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I don't know if it's normal, but spending 10-15 minutes skimming it off is not. Get some foam down and put it in a spray bottle. Spritz it lightly on the foam. Also, the foam doesn't hurt anything, so unless you just hate it, you don't have to get rid of it.
The foam doesnt bother me but people have told me that foam is the first sign of bacteria growing and thats what worries me.
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Whenever I add Dichlor to my spa I keep getting a lot of foam with the jets on high, I usually spend ten to fifteen min. skimming it off, is this normal? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Hope you have better luck with jacuzzi then my wife and i had. We live in St. Louis and were looking to buy a jacuzzi tub, after going to two different dealers in the area and getting two totaly different sets of quotes and info on the same tub they told us to let them come out and give us a free home site evaluation, we agreed, (it was free) well after TWO missed appointments (no call no show ) we decided that if that is the service we are going to get before they get the sale what is it going to be like after they get the check!
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We are new spa owners and are confused on the chemicals. We are using the copper silver cartrige along with shocking the spa every three days, is bromine something seperate than the copper silver or do you use the two togeather, the water is very clear and the alk. and Ph are stable, we also have a 24 hr circ pump and an ozonator.
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I just purchased a hot tub recently and would like some input on which mode would be most cost efficient for maintaining the heat level on the tub. There are two settings, one is standard mode where the heater turns on as needed to maintain the temp. you select, the other is economy mode where the heater only heats the water during filter cycles. So my question is what is better , to have the heater run a little bit every now and then or run a long time every four hours?
Very little difference in operating cost, which do you prefer.......good choice. If you leaving town maybe make a difference choice. Otherwise, pennys. You can find enough under the couch cushions.
Thanks. good to know because i prefer to have the temp set and ready to go.
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I just purchased a hot tub recently and would like some input on which mode would be most cost efficient for maintaining the heat level on the tub. There are two settings, one is standard mode where the heater turns on as needed to maintain the temp. you select, the other is economy mode where the heater only heats the water during filter cycles. So my question is what is better , to have the heater run a little bit every now and then or run a long time every four hours?
Foam!
in Hot Tub Water Chemistry
Posted
Thanks for the info. Ill check the store, also going to pick up some foam begone, how sould it be mixed to be used in a spray bottle so as not to cloud up my water too quickly? Thanks again.