Using Silver Chartidge

[mathman]

Hi and thank you for your help,

getting new spa and working out the chems we want to use. i travel so daily maintaince is not an option, but i want clear water that doesnt smell like bleach/chorine, etc. deal is suggesting one of these methods

1. chorie
2. bormine
3. silver with chlorine
4. silver with bormine
5. baqua spa

i've read enough of the problems with baqua spa that i think we'll stay way. the deal says the silver and bormine is a good mix because it doesnt require daily maintainence and is better for more sensitive skin (our young kids) but i wanted to get your views on the use of silver/bormine or chlorine combo. thanks again

[cplarsen]

Go with bromine/silver.

You can drop the silver later, but give it a try.

I used chlorine/silver, and dropped the silver since I'm there every day to do the upkeep anyway.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Hi and thank you for your help,

getting new spa and working out the chems we want to use. i travel so daily maintaince is not an option, but i want clear water that doesnt smell like bleach/chorine, etc. deal is suggesting one of these methods

1. chorie
2. bormine
3. silver with chlorine
4. silver with bormine
5. baqua spa

i've read enough of the problems with baqua spa that i think we'll stay way. the deal says the silver and bormine is a good mix because it doesnt require daily maintainence and is better for more sensitive skin (our young kids) but i wanted to get your views on the use of silver/bormine or chlorine combo. thanks again

Silver/Bromine (frog system), silver & chlorine (Nature 2 system) Bromine in floater......these are your best bets. The 2 systems that contain the mineral sticks allow you to get the bromine or chlorine level down to a minimum. Personally we have Nature 2 here and have many, many people who use it and love it. Very little chlorine is needed with this system and you can water your lawn when draining the hot tub. The frog with bromine is not bad, but bromine has a very distinct small, not real strong in the frog system, but it is there. Your dealer is right IMO, I just prefer nature 2 w/ low dose of chlorine and non chlorine shock better for what you are trying to achieve.

[cplarsen]

It's still going to take about the same amount of chlorine. I noticed very little difference, if any, when testing.

I did notice the $60 hole in my pocket. Just wasn't worth the cost for me. But, as I said, give it a shot and see.

[chem geek]

I would also expect no change in chlorine usage when having a metal ion system. There is very little chlorine used in killing pathogens (except algae, but that's uncommon in hot tubs). If you were to forget to add enough, then you'd be better protected from runaway bacterial growth, but that's not the same thing as having enough chlorine to oxidize the urea/ammonia from sweat. The metal ions are not oxidizers.

If one used MPS, then I could see how the chlorine usage would be less since MPS is an oxidizer.

Richard

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

I would also expect no change in chlorine usage when having a metal ion system. There is very little chlorine used in killing pathogens (except algae, but that's uncommon in hot tubs). If you were to forget to add enough, then you'd be better protected from runaway bacterial growth, but that's not the same thing as having enough chlorine to oxidize the urea/ammonia from sweat. The metal ions are not oxidizers.

If one used MPS, then I could see how the chlorine usage would be less since MPS is an oxidizer.

Richard

I know the metal ions are not oxidizers, it has been descussed over and over on this forum. Been dealing with Nature 2 systems for 8 years now.

If you follow the recipe with the nature 2 (and the frog), it is used with MPS, so very little chlorine is used. If you use Nature 2 with all chlorine, no MPS then it is worthless. Most people want it for the low chlorine aspect and minimum maint. PLUS most new tubs are also have ozone, reducing chemical use even more. (Ozone oxidizes)

I guess I should have been more specific to state "if you follow the recipe included in the Nature 2, your CYA will not increase to above acceptable levels"

$60.00 fpr Nature 2 is VERY pricy, look around on the net, its at least half that price or less

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

It's still going to take about the same amount of chlorine. I noticed very little difference, if any, when testing.

I did notice the $60 hole in my pocket. Just wasn't worth the cost for me. But, as I said, give it a shot and see.

Did you keep a .5 residual and shock with MPS, only using chlorine if you noticed hazy or "off" water, or did you just keep the chlorine levels up to reccomended levels? If you are adding enough chlroine to keep your levels between 1-3, then you won't notice the difference in chemical use because you are putting the same amount in as if you did not have a N2.

N2 does not reduce how much chemical is needed to maintain a chlorine level, it makes it so you can keep a lower chlorine level, thus using less chlorine.

I guess I am not understanding what you mean by noticing very little difference when testing....

[cplarsen]

Well, you put your finger on it with the MPS.

I use chlorine as the primary disinfectant, shock with MPS.

I don't like the straight MPS routine as a primary. And until chem geek finally dug it up, nobody was really sure how the silver worked with it. Not real confidence inspiring.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Well, you put your finger on it with the MPS.

I use chlorine as the primary disinfectant, shock with MPS.

I don't like the straight MPS routine as a primary. And until chem geek finally dug it up, nobody was really sure how the silver worked with it. Not real confidence inspiring.

I am glad he found it, now it is understandable chemically to what is happening. I just knew I have a lot of customers on this system and it works great for them with no issues, and I have a few that it did not. I have come to learn if more than a couple of people use the tub and/or if they use swimsuits orget body lotions or deoderant ect, that it did not hold up well without more chlorine, which they did not want (swtiched the to chlorine free brillance system). Many factors can play a role into what system each uses, as we have seen in all the threads.

Bottom line, if the dealer says just dump a little of this in once a week and you good......I would have a bit of a trust issue with them!

[cplarsen]

No doubt.

Can only blame Nature2 for this. They should have done a better job with their educational material.