Hillbilly Hot Tub

We repair thousands of glue failures...it dires up and cracks over time, you have never run into glue failures in 20 yearss??? the nylon is great, clearwater tried it, but after several issues with a fluctuation in the size (ie to big) and having leak issues, they ditched it, along with a few other companies. This does not make either company bad for using or not using it. The cheap companies also use baboa systems, does that make every other tub that uses them bad? Clearwater has been in business going on 40 years.....as with the other "premimum lines" i was not knocking four winds, never have seen one up close, but you should not generalize about every other company, i think that was a few peoples point. I think as Spy guy said, you not only look at a line that been around awhile, you really need to look into the dealer you are purchasing from. Customer service is huge in hot tub ownership. Without customer service, you could have the worlds best hot tub and not be happy.

Exactly!!!! remember, dogs don't sweat like humans do to cool off. They pant! The high temps in the tub would be very dangerous for them! (Hot tubs are also dangerous for small children for the same reason. They cannot tolerate the heat!) Dogs also do have many more germs than humans, we dont roll and dig in the dirt, lap ourselves and most of us take baths daily. Its just overall not a good idea . How about a kiddie pool, the plastic ones set up next to the spa. no chemicals, cooler water and you can dump it out

yours sounds like the dry skin effect some people get with the hot water and chemicals, have you tried lotion after getting out of the hot tub?

I find that 2 smaller filters are easier to soak and clean for the plus side of it

I can not comment on 4 winns, but clearwater has an overall better warrenty, plus the reason most the "premier" lines are getting back out of the wrapped tubing is that it has inconsistant size and it is creating a leak nightmare for them, and as far a some premier lines, they clamp, with no glue, to make future repairs...if any much easier. Does your car glue its radiator hose on? I can also do better on pricing than 8K. Don't get me wrong, I know nothing about them, they are not in our area that we have seen, but don't knock all the other lines out there...jeez...

I would not, the hair and germs from dogs would not be good, plus for the other side, the chemicals, since most spas are kept at higher sanitizer levels than pools, may not be good for the dog. That being said, I have friends that have pit bulls that use thier spa all the time. They have to super shock it, clean filters frequentley and have to drain the tub every 6 weeks.

This is why I really push people to learn the chemical ingredients in thier chemicals rather than just buying a particular brand name, and check the ingredients (MSDS is the best for this) if it says "new" or "improved" . The "new or improved" may not be what is best for them.

Are you using the borates suggested with the bleach method?

I also have an issue with bleach, but not any other chlorine, so I am in agreement that there has to be something added to the bleach, like chem geek said, that some people are sensitive to. It took me a long time and many trials of diferent things to figure out it was bleach. it caused a rash that made little blisters that then crusted. it was very itchie. When i first got it it was put off as an allergic reation by the doc, but took much chemical combos, trials ect for me to figure out it was bleach. i was really confused because I have no issue with any other chlorine......to each body its own

This is a safe level because of the silver in the frog, there are other posts that pertain to this also. the frog uses 1-bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, Common Chemical Name: BCDMH, 1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (BCDMH) is a chemical structurally related to hydantoin. It is a white crystalline compound with a slight bromine and acetone odor and is insoluble in water, but soluble in acetone. BCDMH is an excellent source of both chlorine and bromine as it reacts slowly with water releasing hypochlorous acid and hypobromous acid. It used as a chemical disinfectant used for recreational water and drinking water purification. BCDMH works in the following manner[1]: The initial BCDMH reacts with water (R = Dimethylhydantoin): BrClR + 2 H2O → HOBr + HOCl + RH2 Hypobromous acid partially dissociates in water: HOBr → H+ + OBr- Hypobromous acid oxidizes the substrate, itself being reduced to bromide: HOBr + Live pathogens → Br- + Dead pathogens The bromide ions are oxidized with the hypochlorous acid that was formed from the initial BCDMH: Br- + HOCl → HOBr + Cl- This produces more hypobromous acid. However, the hypochlorous acid itself does act directly as a disinfectant in the process DBDMH is a source of bromine, which is equivalent to hypobromous acid (HOBr). Br2X + 2 H2O → 2 HOBr + H2X (Where H2X is 5,5-dimethylhydantoin) With a pKa of 8.6, hypobromous acid partially dissociates in water: HOBr ⇌ H+ + BrO- Hypobromous acid serves as a source of "Br+," which produces bromide ions in the process of disinfection: HOBr + live pathogens → Br- + dead pathogens The resulting bromide ions can then undergo oxidation to hypobromous acid in the presence of an oxidizer of sufficient strength e.g. ozone, hypochlorous acid, potassium monopersulfate. This reoxidation process is commonly called "activation" of the bromide ion: Br- + HOCl → HOBr + Cl- I think you could use this with the frog, but may have to oxidize frquently to activate the bromine, where BCDMH would more hold its own. Hope this helps some.

It dissipates, leaving dissolved solids (which anything you add to the hot tub leaves dissolved solids)

We call Baja erector spas...stay with the other brands listed

Did leisure bay go bankrupt or rec warehouse. We used to be a dealer for leisure bay and have some tubs out there still under the 5 year warrenty. Guess i will have to research this one....another one bites the dust????

Stay away from thermo spas....we service them all the time! Stay with a higher end tub, you will pay less and get a much better spa. I will add CLearwater to your list to look at and Artic, along with the others mentioned. Happy spa searching!

We like these a lot, it fits up to 96 inches, i just posted on another persons question about them. http://coverplay.com/coverup

I found that the cover up x cover removal system has been great in our area. They do not rust or bend and don't blow over. they can be mounted to your cabinet or deck, or you can purchase plates to slide under the edge of the cabinet. We usually try to mount them to a deck, less stress on the cabinet panels. They do not work real well with round tubs though, and they need room beside the tub when the cover is going to be let down. http://coverplay.com/coverup

yes, you must turn the generator off while doing this, and given what you described, i would use the spa flush also! With salt systems, it is very important to get all of the spa flush out so it does not damage the plates.

i know they have them for campers, so they can test the drinking water, but dont they also only test for a few types of bacteria, not all bateria?

why the flush on a month old tub. Most of the oils from the plastics came off into the water and got filtered ect.

1 day that the bleach method has worked great...I thibk is what he was getting at

As chem geek said, MPS (refresh) will give a false high chlorine level on test strips, it is not adding chlorine to the system. boost does.

i agree with pot pie about the check valve. Ozone creates a stickey goo and it screws up the check valve. The life exspectancy of ozone depends on how much it runs. If you have a 24 hour circ pump, the ozone hours will be used up quickly. Ozone chips run on hours, not so much years. when they give the 3-5 year "life" I bet it is on a tub that only filters 2 hours 2 times a day. Ozone will chew up pillows and covers, along with chemicals because of the oxidation process, so there are pros and cons to them.

It sounded to me in one of your posts, that "using hydrogen peroxide is just fine", now you say you dont suggest it? You also bring up that it will re-establish bromine in his tub, no where does he say he has added bromide salts, he states chlorine. You are getting a bit confusing to me, never mind most homeowners because you contadict yourself and add in equations he does not state he has. I was just suggesting he can the maker of the system before he adds a bunch of stuff that could possibly damage his system. As far as sprite, i asked them 2 times..."Sprite...are you sure?" and they were quite clear thats what they want you to do to reduce bromine levels. The 2 jiggers of bleach is only in an instance if you don't have MPS, it should not be done on a weekly basis because they daont want the salts from chlorine. No CYA is not just because it is bromine, it is because they don't want the stabilizer period, such as they dont want addtional calcium or any of the other chemicals found in various chlorines. they also dont like most of the clarifiers, sea klear is suggested. Maybe their systems are made differently, since all you can use is bromide, you can not use any other salts, they don't work and will ruin the plates, but there are some salt systems that you can use several different salts in and thy work??? I have not had the time to find out why yet, that is for my january classes i take. I am tired of everytime i write something, what little I have a chance too, you try to contridict what i say, correct me if i am wrong, fine, but dont blast everything I say, specially if you have had no contact with the manufactures of this equipment. I do this stuff everyday, 10-12 hours a day, love my work and customers are of the most importance to me, first...their safty, then equipment saftey, at the least cost to them.

Quatum, Call Genesis, thats my source, straight from the horses mouth, from the company that made the gensis. You can ask them all the questions you want, they have multiple reasons for why the require only certain chemicals in the tub. but I think i will do what they say...keep the warrenties in effect and not argue with them, have better things to do, and sorry about the confusion, sprite was to reduce the bromine level, not "shock" the tub. i was responding to simonic who says to add peroxide to reduce chlorine. Glennmacph, can you find out who makes the system for artic, and call them direct? i know Clearwater, the spa line i have, had no idea how to run the Gensis system, so i had to call gensis direct. And you are right to the only way to get rid of CC

spa itch would have died in that level of bromine. Maybe you have a sensitivity to bromine or MPS. have you tried using the other arm, or putting some water on a small area of your arm for a couple of days to see what happens.