Hey everyone,
I got a 1998 350 gallon Hotsprings Jetsetter used and installed a couple of weeks ago...it does not have an ozonator.
After reading and talking around I've come to these conclusions about what I might need to do the good chemistry -
1. Bromine, Baqua, and Chlorine are all acceptable sanitizers. But Bromine is a little smelly, not really easier on the body than Chlorine, and requires a little floaty thing that might be a bit much for my little tub. Baqua gets complicated and expensive as time goes on for many people, and their advertised line of possible additive offshoots sort of bothered me. Chlorine is cheap, easy, dies down to near nothing by the time you use it - but has to be added more often. Soaking in much of it at all while my pores are wide open really doesn't appeal to me at all - but i'm not 'allergic' to it and perhaps the poison that you know is better than the one you don't. Its also an industrial and militaristic scourge on the planet.
So - I choose chlorine anyway. About 1/2 tsp after getting out, a little more once a week or after heavy use.
Test 10 minutes after putting it in and running, top open. Level drops to zero by the next day...
2. Chlorine use can be lessened somewhat by getting an ozonator. A cheaper one like the JED would do
for this type of tub. I don't understand if it would have to be entirely replaced when it goes bad, or if there
is a little chip that gets replaced yearly, or what....anyone? But the ozonator might not do a heck of a lot anyway - except keeping me from having to add chlorine every day? Right?
3. The Nature2 inserts I just bought off ebay ($50 for 3 - a years supply) allow me to use MPS instead of
chlorine most of the time. Seems a little confusing here - it says that you just need an initial chlorine shock to get it going, then use 1 TBSP MPS per person per use and keep testing it....seems like a lot of MPS - especially at the cost of the Hot Springs type?
Maybe a small tub, 20-minutes a day and a little more on weekends, an ozonator, MPS, Nature2 =
getting away with no chlorine for a month at a time? Or is that just wishfull thinking? Tell me it would work!
But I think y'all won't....
because... its said that chlorine is the only acceptable sanitizer in this whole package, so.....
it seems I'd have to add chlorine anyway, but... less?
Maybe alternate it with the MPS?
Once a week? After particularly gnarly guests or kids?
And if so, do you still test for chlorine or just the MPS?
And if I did just go with chlorine and occasional MPS does the Nature2 do anything at all?
4. I add Spa Up if needed for alkalinity, and Spa Defender 1 oz. per week because....its a good idea for the spa or something.
5.Clean the filter monthly, change the water/Nature 2 every 3-4 months.
Thanks for reading it through - am I on the right track, and thanks for any insight into the unclear parts....
