Away For Two Weeks

[fern30]

Hello all!

Newbie here, just purchased my first hottub here in sunny England! Have my first question of no doubt many!

Going away for two weeks soon and wondering what to do with the spa. Leaving it on, filtering and heating. Dealer recommends a 'floater' with some chlorine tabs in to slowly release chlorine while i'm away. My question is; Why?

Why can't i just leave it for 2 weeks? No-one is geting in it. Then when i'm back from hols test and adjust chemical levels appropriately and start using it again? Apologies if this is a noob question but we've only had the tub 10 days! A Spa-crest 'Savannah' from their new coastal range. larger than the standard Spa-Crest range but without the bells and whistles of their Vision range.

[Nitro]

If you leave a tub for a week without a sanitizer (chlorine will only last a week tops), you'll come back to a very nasty tub. Bacteria multiples in hours. You would have to do a decontamination to be safe.

The problem with a floater with Trichlor is, it's very acidic and will drop pH too low if not adjusted. Also, the hot water will disolve Trichlor too fast, give you large amounts of chlorine in the tub.

Can you get a friend/neighbor to check the tub after a week? If so, I recommend, lowering the temp to 80, shock with MPS (2-4 oz), then shock with chlorine (1-2 cups bleach). That should last you a week. Then have someone add a cup of bleach after one week. When you get back shock again with a cup of bleach.

If you can't get someone out in a week, another option is to drain it and refill when you get back. If the tub is around a month old, you should refill it anyway.

[The Pup]

You might consider converting to Bromine. I am currently using the Spa Frog Mineral and Bromine float cartridge system; where I slightly overdose with a quality MPS when I know I am going to be away and I have had no issues or worries to date. In fact, I do this all the time because of my work travel requirements and this system works great for even longer periods when we are away on vacation (3-4 weeks).

Example: For two weeks away, I may use 4-5 oz of MPS right before I leave vs. 1-2 oz during my normal 4-or-5-day period of absence and I may adjust the Bromine cartridge from the “3” orifice setting to “4” or “5” depending on my previously observed/perceived Bromine demand. The mineral cartridge lasts 4 months and the Bromine cartridges seem to be lasting well over 3 months on my typical “3” setting.

Regarding bromine system costs, I spend less than $3-6 per month on Spa chemicals because I buy in-bulk and use the Internet vs. the local Spa shop for chemical supplies (perhaps the Ozonator might have something to do with lower costs as well). My family has not noticed any smell/itch/rash/cough issues (and my wife has somewhat “sensitive” skin). We just refilled after nearly 6 months of use and the water was still quite usable. My wife and I spend 20-50 minutes 3-5 times per week in the Spa set for 100F.

[fern30]

Cheers guys, duly noted. Whatever i can work out-will not b leaving the tub without a sanitizer.

[pdampier]

Cheers guys, duly noted. Whatever i can work out-will not b leaving the tub without a sanitizer.

Another vote for bromine - I have been able to leave the tub for 3-4 weeks and still had sanitizer left + pH in the right range.

[Nitro]

If you regularly leave the tub for long periods, Bromine is a good method. Another option is to use a Salt Water Chlorine Generator, which (theoretically) if tuned properly can be left alone for long periods. I'll be trying one out this winter.