TDJ

If there was any bromine left, it had to be a minute amount. Nature2's directions simply state to drain the tub completely and refill to remove any bromine. If it were critical to eliminate any microscopic remnants of bromine, I would think that they would have been more emphatic about it. And if so, then that too is their fault for not saying so in their directions. I went one step further, and drained twice/changed filters to play it safe, and then tested to verify. I did see that dichlor/bleach recipe, and made a copy of it already to try. One question: It says unscented bleach; does that mean bleach with no flowery scent, or bleach with no chlorine scent? My wife does the shopping, and saw regular bleach, bleach with a floral scent, and a bleach touted as being for sensitive skin, but none that claimed to not have a chlorine scent. At the moment, I have the TA and the ph balanced out to acceptable levels according to the test strips. In our area, with the water we have, TA tends to stay at good levels fairly easily, but ph tends to run low. As a result, I have a large stockpile of ph+ and a small one of ph- in my chemical collection. That was the case using bromine, and was also the case when we used to use regular chlorine (pool type) in our old tub. I thank you for your help and suggestions! Terry

Thanks for your reply. We've owned a hot-tub/spa for over 20 years. The spa is 2 years old, and until recently had been treated with bromine. It is kept clean, used nearly daily by two adults with good hygiene (not bragging, just giving you an idea of it's normal usage). I made sure to eliminate the bromine by draining, refilling, draining, and changing filters so that no bromine showed on test strips (yes, I know they are not the most accurate method, but that is what I have on hand.). I followed Nature2's instructions to the letter. The metallic-ozone-like gas was totally unbearable to me and anyone else who entered the area. Ventilation did not eliminate the problem, just eased it some. The water itself was not bothersome to the skin, hair or eyes. It just gave off that noxious gas into the air that caused respiratory distress. The gas problem was worst when the water was the most turbulent at high speed. Unplugging the ozonator made no difference whatsoever. Removed the Nature2 cartridge, and went to a dichlor-only state. Two days later, and much venting the room to the four winds later, and I just now got out of the spa. No bad gas, no coughing up a lung, no running sinuses, just a very nice spa experience with a tolerable chlorine smell. Nature2 was 100% the problem. Since this is the one and only cartridge of it that I have tried, I cannot honestly say whether this is the way their product normally acts, or if I just got a bad example. I do know that the problem didn't exist before the cartridge, the problem arose when the cartridge was used according to directions, and when the cartridge was removed, the problem went away completely. I plan to return the unused Nature2 cartridges to the vendor, and will never try this product again.

Years ago, my wife and I had a 8ft redwood hot tub, and we used chlorine as a sanitizer. We didn't care for the smell, but we didn't have problems either. A couple years ago, we bought a 8 ft modern spa, and the maker suggested bromine. We did not like the bromine smell, but worse, it caused itchy skin on my wife, and I developed eczema. I came across a mention of the Nature2 system on the web, and did not find any negative comments, and in fact, most reviews I read praised it as the next best thing since sliced bread. Okay, I bought four cartridges, 2lb of the Cense product, some test strips and a bucket of dichlor. I drained the tub, filled it up again halfway, and drained it again to eliminate as much of the bromine as possible. When I tested for bromine after filling it back full, it showed zero, and I added a new filter. I set up the Nature2 as per the instructions. Our spa is indoors, in a spa room attached to our house. Being cold at night, I was keeping the 2ft x 8ft window shutters closed. We normally keep the spa covered. The spa has an ozonator from the factory. When the spa was ready, I tried it out. There was no bromine smell, but contrary to what Zodiac claims about their product, we were getting what I can best describe as a metallic-ozone gas that was strongest when the pumps were on full blast. This gas caused extreme coughing, where I felt like I was going to cough up a lung, and sinuses that ran like a water faucet. After recovering from this, I next tried opening up one of the 2x8 windows for ventilation, and left the cover off, and ran the pumps at full blast to try to vent off these gases for several hours before getting in. That helped some, but still the gas became overpowering. I spoke to a spa-expert, who suggested that I try disconnecting the ozonator. I had already been thinking along those lines, and did so, along with venting the uncovered spa again. Again, the gas persisted. At this point, I am convinced that the Nature2 cartridge is to blame. I noticed that Silver Nitrate is listed as the active ingredient, and after some research discovered that it is toxic to mucous tissue, as well as skin and eyes. I Googled "Nature2 Respiratory Problems", and found a Material Product Safety Sheet produced by Zodiac as required by federal law. Reading that, they list silver, copper and aluminum as the hazardous ingredients. Further reading of that same sheet, mentions the health problems associated with these chemicals, the first aid required, and the need for respirators, etc. I notice they don't mention any of this stuff in their marketing, only that you are not supposed to ingest it. Between that sheet, and the noxious gas problem we are having, I am 100% convinced that this product is nothing close to the safe alternative they make it out to be. I have removed the Nature2 cartridge, and will now go back to either dichlor or bromine. Has anyone else experienced this gas problem, or did I just get a bad batch of Nature2? Compared to this, chlorine was a dream.