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I have had a 340 gallon hot tub since 2008, and have had varying degrees of success with sanitizing with either bromine or chlorine, e.g. using the BBB method. I have come to this forum many times for advice. My success has varied. I have both the Taylor bromine and chlorine test kits. I have decontaminated a few times using Nitro’s guidelines. Even with this and good attention, I found a hot tub rash developing, and it did not go away no matter how attentive I was about daily measurement and water replacement. Often the Pool Calculator did not give me the results estimated, and I am not sure what the missing factors were. My spa also has an ozonator, but it’s difficult to be sure how well it is working... if at all! My eventual conclusion: the irritation was NOT due to bacterial buildup, but increasing chemical sensitivity. A friend recommended enzyme treatment and gave me a bottle of Clarity Spa. This did the trick. No more chemical rash, the water is clear without odor, feels very nice, and is economical. You too may be frustrated at having to become a “chem nerd” and also want to avoid chemicals which may well be absorbed in through your skin. Children are especially more sensitive and this may be a safety consideration for your family. I’ve put together an outline of the points I learned. I am not a paid shill, just a very satisfied consumer, and know others may share my concerns. This information compiled from talks with Cal Robinson, industrial engineer with over 20 years experience over a wide spectrum of water quality issues and solutions. Enzymes have been used for decades commercially to remove biofilms from large tanks holding potable water. Enzyme products were developed in 40’s to control excess algae or fungal growth in greenhouses; when hot tubs came along in 80’s they applied it here. Clarity compounds their own enzyme mix from large scale commercial producers of enzymes, according to what has been found to be most effective for spas. Enzymes are NOT “sanitizers” by the federal definition of “killing” bacteria. Enzymes DO work by eating the food in the water that bacteria live on. No food, bacteria die off. Eventually even hidden bacterial deposits disappear. For legal reasons vendors of enzymes cannot say that the enzymes “kill” or “eliminate” bacteria; instead we say “We help create an environment in which bacteria cannot survive.” To make a good transition it is wise to do a cleaning to get rid of hidden deposits and residues, particularly from bromine and Biguanides. If left these will defeat the enzymes and you will be dissatisfied. Thus Cal developed Crystal Clean pre-treatment. How long will a treatment last? Just as with sanitizers [chlorine, bromine] this depends on the number of “bather loads [bL].” More people using tub more times = more bather loads, and product is used up sooner. The advertised estimated usage is 40 bather loads per bottle. I as a single user, using tub daily for 15-30 minutes, am getting 60 BL or days out of one bottle of enzymes. I have kept the same water for 6 months and it is still crystal clear. See photos at http://cista.net/spa. This means I went through 3 bottles. Fresh water has been periodically added to top off as spa may go down 2” in a week to 2 weeks. A single bottle costs $24 + S&H = $35. Buy 4 and get free shipping. Thus this is costing me about $0.50 per day. You can read more at their product site: www.claritywaterproducts.com <>· Other items: if you have more bather loads, you can shock with non-chlorine oxidizer like MPS for water clarity. MPS will not damage the enzymes, but sensitive skin may not like it if you shock too much. Usage: ½ oz MPS. When using chlorine pH is advised to be between 7.2 – 7.8. However the water will feel better at 6.5 - 6.8 and the enzymes work just fine at this pH. Muriatic acid is cheap effective way to drop pH. Effectiveness requires a good circulation of the water so adjust filter cycles until you get the effect desired. I put my tub on Econo Mode to save on heating, but this let a film develop on the tub walls. It has a slimy feel but brushes off easily in the water. IMPORTANT NOTE: this is NOT a biofilm, but rather a mostly sodium mineral deposit from the water. Normally the minerals bond and will be caught in the filter. If there is slime build up it is due to lack of circulation. I am now increasing the amount of circulation per Cal’s instructions to prevent this. States with high sodium-calcium like Nevada have this phenomena. Depends on where you live. Tests will show that the total bacteria count is very low. You can get a single professional Millipore bacterial count kit online, e.g. at: http://www.apswater.com/shopexd.asp?id=5857&product=BS1001%20Bacteria%20Sampler%20Test%20Kit

I have a 375 gallon portable spa with an ozonator. The spa is about 3 years old and I have always used chlorine for shock about once a month combined with nature2, a built in ozonator, and MPS after each use and water changes every 4-6 months. The water is beautiful, pleasant, and clear. My problem is that my daughters and I get terrible eczema/rashes after using the spa. We always are sure to shower immediately after getting out and even apply a moisturizing cream like Eucerin after using the spa, but we still get itchy rashes after using the spa. After a long bath, no such rash occurs. I am a physician, and to all those who may suggest pseudomonas or something, this is not an infection, rather this is a hypersensitivity reaction of some sort like eczema, but is entirely associated with spa use. Also, I can promise that no one is urinating or defecating in the spa. My question is what people suggest to change up my routine? Should I put in less or less frequent MPS- probably do about 4 tablespoons after a use and we use the spa once a week? Switch to Bromine? Use only Chlorine for maintenance? Get rid of Nature2? Use some other chemicals? We love going in the spa, but the rashes after make it unpleasant. Thank you!