GaTub

I travel on business a lot and my wife is chemistry challenged, and we also just got back from a week-long vacation with my nephew house-sitting. Also on Nature2. I make sure the tub is full and the water is in really good shape, and hit it good with chlorine just before leaving. Then I leave a bottle of N2 strips and MPS at the tub and hide all the other chems. I get whoever is at the house to check it with a test strip once a day and add 1-1/2 tbs MPS only if the level on the strip reads low. And no hot tub parties! When I get back I check the balance with the K2006 kit and add chlorine. If the tub has been used the water might be a little cloudy but the chlorine clears it right up. This has worked good for me for trips up to 10 days so should work for you. If your water is nice and clean before you leave it will take very little additional MPS to keep it that way if nobody uses the tub while you are gone. And even if your house-sitter uses it some the water should stay OK as long as she watches after MPS. If she invites friends over for a party then that is another story- anything can happen.

Buried away in the last post.. That's the beginning and the end of it. For heavy usage there is not much difference since you still have to add a bunch of chlorine to keep the water clear. But with N2 I feel comfortable leaving the tub for a few days if the water is in good shape and it is not being used. I wouldn't want to do that relying on chlorine only.

Usage makes a big difference, probably regardless of the system used. I've found that with N2 and two people for short soaks several times per week the recipe works fine. But with heavy usage there is a need for more chlorine or things can quickly go bad. Got home last night and found my wife and several of her friends hung out at the tub all yesterday afternoon. She added MPS and the level looked OK on the strip, but I added a bunch of chlorine anyway. Everything looks great this morning. I've learned to stay a step ahead Yes, my pH tends to gradually drop with time but adjusting once every week or two is not much trouble. I use the K2006 kit for pH and other measurements, and N2 strips to monitor MPS. Using the system for 6 months now so starting to feel like a pro of sorts. Well at least not a newbie anymore.

Given that they gave you what sounds like Nature2 test strips and MPS to add you almost certainly have the cartridge- but you absolutely need to confirm this. We are on Nature2 and it has worked fine for us once we got it figured out. But you have to follow the instructions on startup. Are you positive that the technician did not add any dichlor when the tub was first filled? No matter what you do you will need to adjust your chem additions based on bather load. If you have 7 kids in and out of the tub it is going to take a lot of chems to keep the water clear. And with a bather load that heavy MPS alone is definitely not going to be enough- you will need to add chlorine too. It will take some trial and error to figure out how much for your tub usage. Spend some time here reading through posts on Nature 2 and chlorine systems and you will get a better idea of what you need to do. Dark purple on the N2 strip is not a worry- it won't stay that way for long if you use the tub. What is a worry is not putting enough MPS in so that it drops to 0 by next morning. Also the N2 strips are fine for measuring MPS level but agree with everyone else here that you should get a real test kit to measure everything else. Especially since the tub is new I would consider draining and re-filling, this time adding dichlor on the fill-up per the instructions. You can re-use the cartridge that you have (assuming that you have one in there.) Once you get things straight then be sure to read the sticky post at the top of the forum about adding dichlor and buildup of CYA. Even though we are on Nature2 we switch over to bleach for chlorine adds once CYA is built up to over 30 or so.

Since you brought up industrial systems- I may be a newbie at hot tubs but not at water on a large scale. Years back I was the engineer responsible for a water bottling plant that used ozone for sterilization. We injected the ozonated air into the water using a venturi and then ran the water into the bottom of very tall cylindrical tanks to maximize contact time. The tanks had to be vented to let the air out and a special carbon filter system was used to get most of the ozone out of the exhaust air. I spent a lot of time working to maximize O3 concentration and contact time, and also to keep the ozone out of the air in the factory. Things I learned- it actually takes a very high ozone level to completely sterilize, ozone is extremely corrosive, and it is very nasty stuff to breathe even at low concentrations. I do not have ozone in my tub. It may work OK if the system really produces enough ozone to do any good, but then I don't ever want to smell the stuff again and the thought of it accumulating in the air under the cover is a real downer. Our tub came with the Sundance UV system. Its a far cry from the industrial UV systems that I have used and even the industrial systems are only good for reducing micro, not sterilizing. So I don't know how much the little hot tub UV system helps, but at least there are no downsides other than replacing the bulb.

Here goes... Almost all of the experts here are on bromine or daily chlorine so advice here on Nature2 is a bit limited. But we have been on the system since our new Sundance tub was first filled in March. After a bunch of errors the first month or so we seem to have it worked out. We are now into the third month since the last fill and the water has stayed perfectly clear. It sounds like you are doing this on your own so you will need to start at sqare one. The first step is to get the water balanced. Our dealer tech just added a phosphate buffer (Brilliance pH true) during the first fill and that has worked fine for us. But our city water is very soft, almost no hardness, and I don't know if it would be a good system for you- it may depend on the water quality that you are starting with. But you need to get the water balanced somehow. Once your water is balanced follow the instructions in the link that Dr. Spa provided for initial startup. The only difference- I put the N2 cartridge in the well instead of inside the filter. Reading through threads here putting it inside the filter can cause problems and it works just as well on the outside. The new high-end Sundance spas actually come with a pocket in the well door for a cartridge so putting it inside the filter is definitely not necessary. Once the chlorine level from the initial dichlor add drops down you will need to start maintaining MPS level. Make sure that you have Nature2 test strips. Test strips in general don't work that well, but the N2 test strip MPS level readings are actually quite good and its by far the easiest way to measure MPS. Here is the tricky part- you will need to adjust the MPS add amount/frequency based on how much the tub is used. If the water is in good condition and the spa is not used much then we find that the MPS will last for several days or even longer. This is a big benefit over going with chlorine alone. But if the tub gets a lot of use then it takes more MPS because it gets used up oxidizing bather waste. Also the MPS alone may not be enough to keep the water clear when the tub is very heavily used. Then you need to add some chlorine. Even if our tub is not very heavily used I still hit it with chlorine once every week or two just to be sure. The N2 instructions mention this but are not very specific. Also once enough dichlor has been added to build CYA up to 30 then we switch over to Chorox as described in the dichlor/bleach thread posted at the top of the forum. It takes very little dichlor to build up CYA so you need to be watchful of this even when using the N2 system. The Taylor test kit is a good tool to keep an eye on water balance and pH. With the system we are using I have to add a little pH up every couple of weeks and thats about it. Keep the dog out of the tub (don't ask!), make sure everyone is reasonably clean before getting in, and enjoy!

We are newbies at this too, but since nobody has responded yet... We have been spa owners for 2-1/2 months now. The first few weeks was a comedy of errors when it came to maintaining water quality, but I spent a lot of time reading through the water chemistry section of this forum and learned a ton. I drained the tub and started over with my new-found knowledge and haven't had a problem since. The key is understanding what you are doing and working out a system. I don't know about Bromine, my tub doesn't have an ozonator, and I can't speak to the best way to maintain pH. But as a "successful newbie" here are some general things that I have learned- The amount of chemicals required depends a whole lot on usage. With me and my wife using the tub less than an hour a few times a week it takes very little to keep the water crystal clear. But add in some guests, multiple uses in a day, long soaks, etc- and the amount of chemicals needed goes up a whole bunch. We are not real sticklers for showering first, but this also seems to make a big difference. Bottom line it is not as simple as adding a tablespoon of this or that a day. And once the water gets cloudy it can take several days to get it back to right again so its best not to let it get cloudy to start with. All that said once you get a feel for it and have a system worked out its pretty easy. Also the advice that I've gotten here has been much better than the advice from the spa dealer. For example I was surprised to find out that adding dichlor granules quickly builds up cya which reduces effectiveness- found that out here, not at the dealer. I suggest that you spend a few hours reading through the water chemistry section. After a while it starts making sense. Then choose a system (chlorine, bromine, N2) that is best suited to how you will use the tub and learn all you can about it. Keep the faith and good luck!

Almost a month since the water change and everything is good- nice clear water, no deposits, slime, or foam, and TA and pH are stable. A followup question for the chem experts- how much residual MPS is needed in order for the N2 system to be effective at disinfecting? I am adding some whenever the level gets to "low" on the N2 test strip and that seems to be working. But if it gets to 0 will the cartridge continue to work for some time- hours, days? I know that fc should never go to 0 when relying on chlorine alone, but the N2 instructions do not really say anything about maintaining residual MPS. I am hitting it with some chlorox once per week and also added some the few times that the tub has been very heavily used. That also seems to be working good.

As long as it is fully submerged, water is circulating around it, and its not restricting the pump then I am sure you are good to go. And once the chlorine level comes down the water will feel a lot better. It may take a day or two if the tub is really clean and you mistakenly put more in than needed (ask me how I know this!)

The filters on my Sundance have a closed top and screw right onto the pipe, and sliding the cartridge into the filter as suggested doesn't leave it in a very secure position. So the tech that set my spa up just put it in the well outside of the filters. I've read here that others are doing the same thing and it seems to work fine. So I think where you have it should work good. Since you are new to this and using Nature2 be sure to read my post in the chemistry section. I went through quite a comedy of errors when I first got mine set up a little over a month ago. Almost 4 weeks now since I replaced the water and everything has been fine since. A couple of things- the N2 strips are very good to have since it is the easiest way to tell that you have some MPS in there, and at least some residual MPS is necessary to make the system work. Also if you supplement with chlorine be sure to pay attention to the buildup of CYA that happens if you keep on using the granulated crystals (dichlor.) The experts here are right on target with advice about that. Spend some time reading in the chemistry section- its well worth it.

We are back to using the tub, with a couple of people soaking at least an hour or so each day. I am following the N2 system to the letter and the water is sparkly clear, and there is no foaming. According to the strips the fc is fully depleted and we are now relying on the MPS and the cartridge, along with the UV. When I tested fc last night using the K-2006 kit a light pink color developed in about 10 seconds or so. I could knock it out by adding about 14 drops R-0871 but then it came back again after a few seconds. I assume that this is due to the MPS, and since everything looks good I will use this as my baseline. I know my test chemicals and method are fine because I tested my city tap water and the response was normal with a sharp titration endpoint, showing a trace of fc (<1 ppm) which is exactly what I would expect. Testing the water has actually gotten to be fun- reminds me of my college organic chem labs years ago!

The fill capacity of the tub is 390 gallons. Not sure where I got the 470 from (too many numbers running around in my head!) But that accounts for the higher than expected fc when I added the 2 tbs dichlor. It is dropping very slowly, but eventually should get in range, right? I just made up a little notebook with all of the assorted conversions, and suggested add amounts based on my 390 gallons. And I will log in usage, chem adds and test readings for a while until I get a good feel for what I need to do to keep the water healthy. My plan is to follow the N2 instructions, and shock fc to 10 ppm or so once each week for a while regardless of whether it looks "needed". I am hoping/thinking that the fc depletion rate after the shock should give me an indication of the health of the tub. And then I will adjust MPS adds if needed based on how we are actually using it- but never go below the recommended adds in the N2 instructions. The N2 instrutions don't say anything about it, but is there any reason not to use Chlorox for fc shocks instead of dichlor once I get to the 30 CYA level? I don't want to get CYA out of control again! And this should also reduce the tendency for pH to drop. According to the pool calculator it will take about a cup (8 oz) to bring cc from 0 to 10 ppm in my 390 gal spa. Does this sound about right? Getting tired of making mistakes so a double check would be appreciated.

The water is perfectly sparkly clear and absolutely no foaming so far even with all the air jets wide open. But we haven't used it yet since the refill. I'll let you know how it goes as things settle in.

I have the chemistry down now and agree 100% on the the dichlor and CYA. But I wasn't going to convince him no matter what- think I may have hurt his pride by pushing it as far as I did. On the other hand the showroom is literally only 2 miles away, and they are the only spa dealer for at least 100 miles in any direction. I have no problems with the deal on the spa or the work that he did to install it. And all-in-all he really is a nice guy. So no use making an enemy over what amounts to a bit of ignorance especially since I don't need his chemistry "expertise". Like I said I am going to give the N2 system a shot, and if it doesn't work out I'll try the dichlor/bleach method next. If I go this way I will probably have to order boric acid off the net since the supply of spa chemicals is a bit limited at the local dealer. But no problem doing that. My fc hasn't dropped at all today- still stuck at 13 ppm. Now thats a different sort of problem to have, but a welcome one.

The correct answer is/was YES. I went by the dealer with a water sample and he confirmed all my test results. Then we got in a bit of a debate. I told him the high CYA was undoubtedly due to all the dichlor I added. He disagreed, saying that the dichlor that he gave me was not stabilized, it will not increase CYA, and that the buffer was probably affecting the test. Anyway I decided to go ahead and change the water. Nothing fancy- I just drained, cleaned the filters, and refilled using the same phosphate-based buffer and the N2 cartridge. It only took a few hours. I primed with 3 tbs of dichlor and let it sit overnight. I just checked the chemistry- what a difference! fc - 13 ppm cc - .5 ppm pH - 7.6 TA - 160 Hardness <20 CYA <30 When the tub was first filled brand new the fc dropped to almost 0 by the next morning, so this is a big change in itself. This time, after 16 hours it has barely dropped at all. There must have been something in the tub to start with that affected the balance. Everything else is right in range and the CYA is lower than the K-2006 kit can test for. Lessons learned: Don't blindly trust the local dealer for chemistry advice. If the balance goes way out after the first day then plan on draining and refilling to remove any deposits that may be in there from the factory. Don't let the dog go swimming! Be careful with dichlor additions. I now have a bottle of chlorox sitting alongside my other chemicals. I am going to try using my version of the N2 system because I think it will be easier for my wife to manage while I am out of town (I travel very frequently). But now I know what to watch for, and if it doesn't work out I will try the posted dichlor/bleach method next.

We are two-week new owners of a Sundance Hartford (rated at 470 gal) with Clear-ray UV, no ozonator. I posted the comedy of errors I've gone through with the water chemistry up to now in the main Hot Tubs & Spas section. Figure I'll continue on here. Summary to date: New tub was filled by the tech, then he added a 32 oz bottle of Brilliance pH true (dipotassium phosphate / monosodium phosphate) and maybe about 2 tbs of dichlor. He put a N2 cartridge in the filter housing. His instructions were to add about 1 tbs of MPS before using the tub and 1-1/2 tbs of dichlor once per week. Unfortunately he did not say that the MPS and N2 cartridge work together to keep the water clean, and that addition of the MPS is very important. I read the instructions that came with the tub and it said to maintain at least 1 ppm FC if equipped with UV. My wife and I soaked in the tub that evening and once each day for the first several days. The test strip kept on reading 0 FC in the morning so I added 1-1/2 tbs dichlor (in addition to the MPS before soaking.) Everything seemed OK but the 0 FC readings bothered me. Then the really good part- I got called away on business for most of last week. Just before I left we found our golden lab in the tub taking a swim, but I didn't realize how big an issue it was. Also my wife and friend soaked in the tub several times while I was gone and no chemicals were added. When I returned the water was hazy and greenish. Thats when I first posted looking for advice, and began studying up. Nobody (including the dog!) has used the tub since. I added dichlor, then MPS over the weekend and the water stayed hazy. FC readings using the strips kept on dropping to 0 overnight, so for the past three days I hit it pretty hard with the dichlor and it gradually cleared. I also added some pH-Up (soda ash) a couple of days ago because the ph readings using the strips began dropping quickly. The K-2006 kit that I ordered arrived last night and I just finished testing. FC: 6 ppm (reads maybe around 3 ppm using the strip) CC: around 1 ppm (may be residual MPS?) pH: 7.0 (bottom of the scale, the strip reading also shows low pH) base demand: 35 drops (off the chart!) TA: 120 ppm Ca Hardness: <40 CYA: approx 100 (did this twice, got 95 the first time, and well over 100 the second time diluted with tap water per the kit instructions) Now for the questions- I still do not understand why the FC kept on dropping to 0 overnight the first few days after the tub was filled. We used it but not very heavily. Of course I was relying on the strips, and maybe 0 wasn't really 0. Any thoughts? Adding all the dichlor looks like a rookie mistake. I totaled it up and we've put in maybe 18 tbs, figure 9 oz by volume. According to the pool calculator this would be 85 ppm total which is way over twice the amount recommended in the Spa Guru dichlor/bleach method startup. Would this be enough to take the CYA up as high as my reading? Why is the pH dropping? The dealer seemed to know this would happen because he included pH-up in my starter chemicals and no pH-down. The pH drop became noticable on the strips when I stopped adding MPS and hit it hard with the dichlor. But the base demand reading seems pretty crazy. If the table is right it would take a lot of soda ash to get it back in the center of the range again. Are there any issues with the phosphate-based buffer other than my pH drop? Is there any quick fix or should I just dump the water and start over again? The tub itself looks great- the walls are perfectly clean even at the waterline, there is nothing floating on top, and no particulates in the water that I can see. So it wouldn't be hard to do. The guys at the dealer seem to know what to do but they don't explain things in real "chemistry" terms like the experts here. So they haven't been that helpful since things got way out. By the way, I've learned a ton here over the past few days!!!

Like I said, she is NOT allowed in the tub- especially after the water quality trouble she helped cause. But thanks for letting me know there is a concern for her health. Just went through the testing regimen with the K-2006 kit (reminded me of organic lab classes in college). As a result I am starting a new post in the chem section. Think I'll title it "Should I just start over?"

After some heavy chlorine shocks and not using the tub for a few days the water looks crystal clear again and not using up the chlorine like it was. My K-2006 kit arrived last night so I am ready to do some real testing and get into some sort of routine. And when I decide to dump and re-fill I will be ready to do right. If there is any follow up to this story I will start over in the water chem section since that is where this post should have been to start with. Missy is only 2 years old and full of energy- the best natural frisbee dog I've ever seen (she trained me to throw it, not the other way 'round.) We took her swimming once when she was still a pup and she loved the water then. It looks like that hasn't changed. But she is NOT allowed in the hot tub! I haven't said much about the Hartford tub itself- other than the water chemistry fiasco we are happy with it so far. We didn't want a lounger since I am very tall and my wife is very short. The corner seats are at different heights but all work fine for both of us. Pump 1 (two-speed) works the jets on one of the corner seats, the jets along the side seats and the waterfall. Pump 2 works the remaining 3 seats- high speed only. With both pumps on high it really works the water but there are plenty of adjustments. The LED lights that the tub came with go all around the top just above the water line with one also at the bottom. There are a bunch of color settings which are fun to play with though the strobe setting is pretty silly. There are independent air adjustments at all the corner seats and with the air open it really froths the water. This is a 680 series tub so at the bottom of the Sundance line. We didn't want to invest any more money than needed since we weren't sure how much we would really like it or use it. Figured this would be a big step up from the no-name tubs without spending a ton of cash.

Good debate, and yes waterbear's last post summarized exactly what happened. I am not going to place any blame but need to get it right. The cap is right at 1-1/2 tbs so it would take 2 of them to chlorine shock up to 15 ppm using the dichlor. And 1/2 cap of MPS is much less than recommended in the Nature2 instructions. At least it doesn't seem that they were trying to sell me chemicals. After treating over the weekend the water doesn't look all that bad, but its still not as good as it should be. We are staying out for now and I just put 3 tbs of dichlor in to see if that will completely clear it up. The test strips that they gave me only show FC so I don't have a way to measure MPS. My test kit is supposed to arrive by next week and that should help.

First off, I discovered the seperate water chemistry section after posting. This thread probably belongs there but I am also new to this forum... This spa holds 470 gallons. I found the box that the Nature2 cartridge came in and lo and behold, the instructions were inside. And yes, it certainly looks like they started me up on the N2 system. But without instructions on the importance of adding MPS, and without MPS test strips. I'll discuss with the dealer tomorrow.

That makes perfect sense- the UV will help with micro growth but does not keep the water "clean." The chem adds that were recommended might work fine with the UV for a tub that sees little use, but during the past week ours has been used a good bit. I already ordered the Taylor K-2006 kit. I've looked over the the links before but without a proper test kit they are of limited use. I took a sample of the water to the dealer after posting yesterday. They said everything was in the proper range and suggested that I shock with MPS. They also gave me a bottle of a product called "Scumshield" and told me to add a few oz. We just went through the annual pine tree pollen event (everything here in the SE turns yellow for a week or two) and he said that the pollen has definitely not helped. I just took a look and the water looks a whole lot better- not yet 100% clear but no more green tint. I'll keep the chlorine level up using the dichlor until my kit arrives and go from there.

Our new Sundance Hartford was installed a little over a week ago and I already have water chemistry questions. I understand the Clear-ray UV system that we have is brand-new for Sundance so we are probably "guinea pigs" of sorts. And the manual that came with the tub provides very little information on chemicals, referring to the authorized dealer for advice. All it really says is that chlorine should be maintained above 1.0 with the Clear-ray system installed. There is no installed ozone system. The technician shocked with Brilliance granulated chlorine right after filling and also added a Nature2 mineral sanitizer cartridge (silver nitrate) in the filter housing. He told us to add a cap of the chlorine granules once per week, and 1/2 cap of Brilliance potassium monopersulfate oxidizer before using the tub. He told us that the the chlorine will probably be at 0 before the weekly add but the water should stay clear. Everything was fine through last weekend although I added about 1/2 cap of chlorine granules at the end of each day because the reading on the test strip kept on dropping to 0. This brought the chlorine up in the 3-5 range. Then I was out town on business Tues-Fri and my wife didn't add any chemicals while I was gone. When I opened the cover this morning I saw the water was noticably cloudy with a green haze. All I have done so far is added more of the chlorine granules. The tub has been in regular use- at least once each day. We also discovered that our golden lab mix will sneak in for a swim if the cover is off and we are not watching. Now that we realize this we are watching to keep her out, but I am sure that her swims have not helped the water chemistry. Maybe if we could teach her to shower first... All the other readings on the strip appear to be in the normal range. My first step will to order a good test kit (Taylor K-2006) but have some basic questions. I will also ask the dealer for advice- it will be interesting to see how it matches up with what I get here. Should I be seeing the chlorine drop to 0 overnight? Do I need to add the oxidizer before each use? Is this the "MPS" that I have seen references to here? Is it possible to add too much of this? What do I need to do to get the water clear again? What should the initial free chlorine level be after "shocking" with the granulated chlorine? I've seen recommendations here about using household chlorine bleach. How do I know if the brand does not contain other additives that don't belong in a hot tub? I am a chem engineer and have worked on industrial water systems so have an appreciation for the chemistry involved. But I'm a hot tub newbie and this is a different ball game. Would appreciate any advice.

I didn't think I left myself that open on the drowning wife line, but then again I got the dealer to make a copy of the 2012 brochure for me. FYI, changes for the Hartford- stainless trim on the jets and CL lighting are now included in the base model. The Clearray system system is also standard. They eliminated the Sierra cabinet and Twilight interior colors. Everything else looks pretty much the same. The Sundance website will be updated in a few weeks.

Thanks, all that helps get me in the right frame of mind. It seems that Sundance is making some changes but the store only had one of the new brochures. I assumed the Sundance site would be updated, but it doesn't look like it is. So I need to go by the store again and find out exactly what comes std and what does not. The recirc pump makes a lot of sense to me. One of the downsides to living away from the big cities is that its a lot harder to visit and negotiate with different dealers for this sort of stuff. Even if we got the dealer to fill up the Chelsee for us we would have nothing local to compare it against. But I like the return guarantee idea- as long as my wife can sit in one of the corners without drowning we will be OK, and hopefully I should be able to work something around that. I would ask for a price on the Chelsee floor model, but the color doesn't match up with my deck and house so it would have to be very heavily discounted for us to be interested in it. I've found a few references to the new Clear Ray system on the web but nothing on the Sundance site yet. In theory it ought to work and possibly be the best of both worlds- like I said I've used UV in industrial water systems. But by the lack of response here it sounds like we would be blazing new territory for a hot tub. Yes, working up my list of accessories.

Hi everyone! We are about to pull the trigger on purchasing a hot tub since I want to get it installed and operational by the first week of April. We live in the SE and spring is coming! We will be "newbie" to ownership but we have spent plenty of time soaking in hot tubs during vacations so have some ideas going into this. For example I am tall and my wife is short, so loungers are never comfortable for either of us. Our reason for buying is not for therapeutic purposes anyway, more for relaxation and social activities. Our children are grown and out of the house but we do some entertaining on the deck and the tub will be a nice addition. But not worth spending a huge amount of money on. Preparations- We had a low deck built last year and designed it for a hot tub- 6" posts, 2x12 beams and double 2x10 joists under the hot tub area. And it will be easy for me to install a 50 Amp service since the main breaker box is right on the other side of the wall. So all it will take is to drop the tub in place and wire it up. There is only one dealer in the area and all they sell is Sundance, which I understand is a good name but not the cheapest option out there. I've considered ordering more of a low-end tub online, something like QCS sold by Home Depot and Lowes. But not entirely comfortable with ordering a tub that I've never seen, having to move it into place myself, concerns about general quality, etc. I got a $6400 quote from the local dealer for a 2012 Sundance Hartford including installation, cover, chemicals etc which seems OK. Wet testing is not possible around here, but we got to "dry test" a Chelsee which has essentially the same seating. The quote includes their new Clear Ray UV sanitizer system. Has anyone any experience with this? I am an chem engineer and have installed UV to help control micro in industrial deionized water systems, so I know the technology is not really new. Not sure why it has not been applied to hot tubs until now. I have also worked with ozone as a preservative and well aware there are downsides to this system- it is pretty corrosive for one thing. Also I am not sure if the new Hartford models come with a recirc pump. It was optional for 2011 but Sundance has made some changes. The dealer does not have 2012 brochures to give away yet so I need to check on this. Does a recirc pump make a big difference in regular maintenance? Anything else that I should be thinking about?