Does It Really Matter Which Brand Of Chemicals You Use?

[roromissd]

Our dealer provided us with Spa Essentials and this is the brand they sell along with SeaKlear, but when we need to buy more, does it matter which brand we buy? I've been looking at a few online spa equipment stores and they sell shock along with everything else we need for half the cost of the dealer. It's really amazing the difference in price!!

So, all you experts out there, what's the answer here?

Anne

[waterbear]

Our dealer provided us with Spa Essentials and this is the brand they sell along with SeaKlear, but when we need to buy more, does it matter which brand we buy? I've been looking at a few online spa equipment stores and they sell shock along with everything else we need for half the cost of the dealer. It's really amazing the difference in price!!

So, all you experts out there, what's the answer here?

Anne

No, it doesn't. Learn what the actual chemicals are and use the proper ones. To give you an example, non chlorine shock is potassium monopersulfate (MPS). It was developed by Dupont under the name of Oxone and they hold all the patents on it. Doesn't matter who's brand you buy, you are getting Oxone! Likewise, there is a pool algaecide called Polyquat (the only kind I really recommend). It was developed by Buckman Labs and it doesn't matter what brand you buy because it all comes from Buckman Labs!

Total alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate and pH increaser is sodium carbonate. Just about all the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate available comes from a company called Church and Dwight. You might be very familair with one of their brands, Arm and Hammer. Yep, the total alkalinity increaser is just plain old baking soda at a VERY inflated price and the ph increaser is Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at an inflated price! (Washing soda is also called soda ash or sal soda, btw.)

Most pool and spa chemicals are the same way. If you are usng dichlor, for example, the brand really does not matter. Dichlor is dichlor.

[roromissd]

Our dealer provided us with Spa Essentials and this is the brand they sell along with SeaKlear, but when we need to buy more, does it matter which brand we buy? I've been looking at a few online spa equipment stores and they sell shock along with everything else we need for half the cost of the dealer. It's really amazing the difference in price!!

So, all you experts out there, what's the answer here?

Anne

No, it doesn't. Learn what the actual chemicals are and use the proper ones. To give you an example, non chlorine shock is potassium monopersulfate (MPS). It was developed by Dupont under the name of Oxone and they hold all the patents on it. Doesn't matter who's brand you buy, you are getting Oxone! Likewise, there is a pool algaecide called Polyquat (the only kind I really recommend). It was developed by Buckman Labs and it doesn't matter what brand you buy because it all comes from Buckman Labs!

Total alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate and pH increaser is sodium carbonate. Just about all the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate available comes from a company called Church and Dwight. You might be very familair with one of their brands, Arm and Hammer. Yep, the total alkalinity increaser is just plain old baking soda at a VERY inflated price and the ph increaser is Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at an inflated price! (Washing soda is also called soda ash or sal soda, btw.)

Most pool and spa chemicals are the same way. If you are usng dichlor, for example, the brand really does not matter. Dichlor is dichlor.

Thank you! So, really, if I run out of alkalinity increaser it's fine to use baking soda? Well, that saves a bunch of money! I did find a site called Pool Geek that sells the same brand of chemicals we were given for about half the price of the dealer. Though Spa Depot and another site sell other brands for even less. I guess it will come down to who has the best shipping deal. MPS is the one we go through the fastest. But I'm really happy with it! We don't have that nasty chlorine smell, well I guess it's chloramines I'm smelling in that instance, but it gives me a headache.

Well, thank you!

Anne

[Roger]

No, it doesn't. Learn what the actual chemicals are and use the proper ones. To give you an example, non chlorine shock is potassium monopersulfate (MPS). It was developed by Dupont under the name of Oxone and they hold all the patents on it. Doesn't matter who's brand you buy, you are getting Oxone! Likewise, there is a pool algaecide called Polyquat (the only kind I really recommend). It was developed by Buckman Labs and it doesn't matter what brand you buy because it all comes from Buckman Labs!

Total alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate and pH increaser is sodium carbonate. Just about all the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate available comes from a company called Church and Dwight. You might be very familair with one of their brands, Arm and Hammer. Yep, the total alkalinity increaser is just plain old baking soda at a VERY inflated price and the ph increaser is Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda at an inflated price! (Washing soda is also called soda ash or sal soda, btw.)

Most pool and spa chemicals are the same way. If you are usng dichlor, for example, the brand really does not matter. Dichlor is dichlor.

The only thing I can add to this is there are several different levels of actual chlorine in Dichlor ranging from 20% to about 60% I believe, so as stated learn the chemicals by reading the labels. If one dichlor is 20% chlorine and sells for 2-3 dollars a pound but 60% chlorine dichlor sells for 3-4 bucks a pound which is the better deal?

[Dnepr Dave]

Here's a link to the"Can I Make My Own Chemicals ?" thread on this site. Chem Geek gives an excellent answer.

http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=12427

Dave

[roromissd]

Here's a link to the"Can I Make My Own Chemicals ?" thread on this site. Chem Geek gives an excellent answer.

http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=12427

Dave

Thank you! I read it and have learned a lot! I appreciate everyones' responses to my threads, I've learned so much from this forum.

Anne

[limulus]

I'm very new at this, but I read a lot and I've also noticed that all brands of MPS aren't exactly the same. For example:

SeaKlear -- "This non-chlorine shock contains No Dyes * No Fillers

and is 100% DuPont Monopersulfate Compound

Potassium Peroxymonosulfate: 45.2%

Active Oxygen: 4.3-4.75%"

Leisure Time Renew -- "Active ingredient:

Potassium Peroxymonosulfate – 32.25%

Inert ingredients – 67.75%."

Oxy-Spa -- "100% pure DuPont Monopersulfate Compound (potassium peroxymonosulfate, 42.8%). Active oxygen level is 4.3%"

Rendezvous Activate -- "Potassium Peroxymonosulfate

....32.18%

Inerts (equivalent 3.4 active oxygen)

....67.82%"

Renew and Activate are basically the same. I think they are made in the same plant in Georgia.

[roromissd]

I'm very new at this, but I read a lot and I've also noticed that all brands of MPS aren't exactly the same. For example:

SeaKlear -- "This non-chlorine shock contains No Dyes * No Fillers

and is 100% DuPont Monopersulfate Compound

Potassium Peroxymonosulfate: 45.2%

Active Oxygen: 4.3-4.75%"

Leisure Time Renew -- "Active ingredient:

Potassium Peroxymonosulfate – 32.25%

Inert ingredients – 67.75%."

Oxy-Spa -- "100% pure DuPont Monopersulfate Compound (potassium peroxymonosulfate, 42.8%). Active oxygen level is 4.3%"

Rendezvous Activate -- "Potassium Peroxymonosulfate

....32.18%

Inerts (equivalent 3.4 active oxygen)

....67.82%"

Renew and Activate are basically the same. I think they are made in the same plant in Georgia.

It's funny. My husband used to work for the company who started SeaKlear when they were developing it, I don't know who they are owned by now.

Thanks for that info as well. It shows that not all company's chemicals are created equal and to read labels to make sure you're getting the same as you have been using. I am thrilled that I can use baking soda and Borax instead of paying an arm and a leg for different packaging.

Anne

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

I'm very new at this, but I read a lot and I've also noticed that all brands of MPS aren't exactly the same. For example:

SeaKlear -- "This non-chlorine shock contains No Dyes * No Fillers

and is 100% DuPont Monopersulfate Compound

Potassium Peroxymonosulfate: 45.2%

Active Oxygen: 4.3-4.75%"

Leisure Time Renew -- "Active ingredient:

Potassium Peroxymonosulfate – 32.25%

Inert ingredients – 67.75%."

Oxy-Spa -- "100% pure DuPont Monopersulfate Compound (potassium peroxymonosulfate, 42.8%). Active oxygen level is 4.3%"

Rendezvous Activate -- "Potassium Peroxymonosulfate

....32.18%

Inerts (equivalent 3.4 active oxygen)

....67.82%"

Renew and Activate are basically the same. I think they are made in the same plant in Georgia.

It's funny. My husband used to work for the company who started SeaKlear when they were developing it, I don't know who they are owned by now.

Thanks for that info as well. It shows that not all company's chemicals are created equal and to read labels to make sure you're getting the same as you have been using. I am thrilled that I can use baking soda and Borax instead of paying an arm and a leg for different packaging.

Anne

Sea Klear is a Vanson company. They have great products and fairly reasonable prices. Still baffles me that clarifier can be made from crab shells and work so well!

[roromissd]

It's funny. My husband used to work for the company who started SeaKlear when they were developing it, I don't know who they are owned by now.

Thanks for that info as well. It shows that not all company's chemicals are created equal and to read labels to make sure you're getting the same as you have been using. I am thrilled that I can use baking soda and Borax instead of paying an arm and a leg for different packaging.

Anne

Sea Klear is a Vanson company. They have great products and fairly reasonable prices. Still baffles me that clarifier can be made from crab shells and work so well!

That is correct. My husband worked for Vanson as their chitin and chitosan manufacturing plants were here in our tiny litte town. He was at the first part of the process, the nastiest part too. He would have to move rotten stinky crab and shrimp parts shovel by shovel to huge tanks to break them down. The ammonia fumes were so bad he'd have to wear a respirator! They do not process into chitin here anymore, but apparently make products from chitosan here still. There are these medical pads used during surgery that can stop bleeding quickly, that is if you're not allergic to shell fish, of course. They were talking about how they were going to start making SeaKlear soon when he was there, that was about 6 years ago now. And here it is! Kind of cool!

Anne