Rash

[Guest Pete Beinetti]

I use Nature2, ozonator (filter 12 hours per day), and follow the Nature2 directions -- Dichlor at start-up, some MPS daily, and more MPS once per week. I now have an itchy rash, and my eyes are burning. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks!

[Guest Elaine]

I think it may be the MPS. My guy said a lot of people react to the MPS. Maybe try the dichlor. I am having the same problem. My problem is that I dont stay out of the hot tub enough to heal ( and actually use the scientific method to figure this out!!)

[Guest pooldude]

There are several factors that may be causing your rash. First check the balance of your water... if your PH and alkalinity are too low the water can be irritating to the skin and eyes. I would then suggest incorporating a dichlor product into your regular maintenance. The reason for this is because mps has no ability to kill bacteria. It is a great oxidizer, but not a sanitizer. Your tub may be overloaded with bacteria and the nature 2 stick may not be able to handle it by itself. When bacteria is present in the water it can get into your pores and cause a rash. By using a dichlor in conjunction with nature 2 and mps you will now have two ways to kill bacteria and two ways to oxidize waste. Don't forget that your nature 2 stick is only effective for 4 months so if you are beyond that period of time then drain, refill and add a new nature 2 stick.

[hottub.pool_boy]

pooldude, again, has got it.

[Amanda]

I'm sorry that is happening . Nature 2 is one of my favorite ways to take care of spa water. I've found that it helps with high usage (more than 2 people 2-3 times a week, 20 minutes) to put a tsp of Chlorine/ 250 gallons in the water 1x/wk instead of the recommended tsp/ 250 gallons when spa H2o is hazy. More often than not the rash is associated with bacterial infection in the skin. You are much more susceptable to an infection when sitting in hot water since your pores open more with the heat. You can have 5 people using your spa and only one person be affected so it's difficult to diagnose. You can get a lotion from the doctor to help recover faster from the infection. Please clean your spa thouroughly and pay attention to the seams in your hardcover, you may want to consider getting a new filter or cleaning that one very well. Superchlorination gets rid of any festering bacteria. If you use your spa a lot, you may find using chlorine alone to be more helpful. And the ph can be the cause of the eyes burning. Testing weekly is definately recommended when learning how to use chemicals in a new spa. Everybody is a little different in the way you use your spa so your chemical care should reflect this. Best of luck and hope you get rid of all those no-see-ums!

[spatech (the unreal one)]

I'm sorry that is happening . Nature 2 is one of my favorite ways to take care of spa water. I've found that it helps with high usage (more than 2 people 2-3 times a week, 20 minutes) to put a tsp of Chlorine/ 250 gallons in the water 1x/wk instead of the recommended tsp/ 250 gallons when spa H2o is hazy.

You can't go MPS alone annd you do need to suppliment with some dichlor but 1 tsp once/week isn't enough. I'd use dichlor per use (1 tsp/person/use) and then weekly shock the spa (with either MPS or dichlor) and all will be fine.

[Amanda]

You may want to check out the manufacturers website Zodiacpoolcare.com They have a nice little recipe sheet that you can print off on how to use the Nature 2 system. I like to print this out and hand it to my customers to make it easier for them to know the manufacturers suggested way of maintaining the water chemistry. This way you don't have to take anyone's "word" for it since you will be getting a bit of different information from different people. Even with what they recommend, I prefer to add a little chlorine anyway to "sweep up" behind the shock just in case it missed anything. Hope that helps!

[tom b]

New spa owner (Hotsprings Vista) only had for 2 weeks. The tub is awesome. However after 2 weeks we developed a rash most likey due to folliculitis. The sample chemicals that came with the tub did not include a sanitizer only Spa shock which I now know that it is not a sanitizer but oxidizer. Since then Ive super chlorinated the tub, drained and refilled and super chlorinated the water once again. Also wiped down tub shell and pillows with superchlorinated water. I guess were all a little gun shy about getting back in the tub. Ive decided to use a dichlor as a sanitizer. It seems that one I add the required 2tbsp to get 3-5 ppm, it seems to be gone by the next day w/o any usage. IS that normal. When should I put the diclor in before and/or after we use the tub.? What if we dont use the tub for several days. SHould we sanitze first befor e using? Sorry so many questions just trying to avoid another nghtmare.

Thanks

[waterbear]

You may want to check out the manufacturers website Zodiacpoolcare.com They have a nice little recipe sheet that you can print off on how to use the Nature 2 system. I like to print this out and hand it to my customers to make it easier for them to know the manufacturers suggested way of maintaining the water chemistry. This way you don't have to take anyone's "word" for it since you will be getting a bit of different information from different people. Even with what they recommend, I prefer to add a little chlorine anyway to "sweep up" behind the shock just in case it missed anything. Hope that helps!

We just got a new shipment of Nature 2 spa cartridges in and I noticed the packaging was different and had a 2006 copyright on it so I opened one and read the instruction pamphlet, also copyright 2006!....low and behold it it NO LONGER a chlorine free system or LOW CHLORINE system!

The "Old recipe" (which is STILL on their website) was :

1) on each refill add 1 teaspoon dichlor for each 250 gal water (this will bring the fc to 2 ppm)

2) before each use add 1 tablespoon MPS per 250 gallons OR 1/3 teaspoon dichlor (this will bring the FC to about .5 ppm)

3) once a week shock with 3 tablespoons MPS per 250 gal, the preferred way OR (in very fine print it says that 1 tablespoon dichlor can be subistituted which will bring the FC to about 6 ppm...hardly shock level!)

4) As needed or if water looks hazy shock with 1 teaspoon dichlor per 250 gal (2 ppm...hardly shock level!)

5) Drain, refill, put in new Nature 2 cartridge and start over every 4 months.

The "New recipe" as of 2006 is:

1) on each refill add 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS dichlor for each 250 gal water (this will bring the fc to about 10 ppm...can anyone say 'shock'?)

2) before each use add 1 tablespoon MPS per 250 gallons (1 teaspoon dichlor can be substituted...this will raise the FC 2 ppm!)

3) once a week shock with 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS dichlor per 250 gal, the use of MPS for weekly shocking is no longer even an option! (this will bring the FC to about 10 ppm...standard shock level!)

4) As needed or if water looks hazy shock with 1 TABLESPOON dichlor per 250 gal (6 ppm...Isn't this normal chlorination for a spa?!)

5) Drain, refill, put in new Nature 2 cartridge and start over every 4 months.

Seems to me that this is pretty much standard spa maintenace on chlorine without a Nature 2 cartridge! (and I wonder if the MPS before each use is really necessary if you are maintaining a FC level of 6 ppm! I think not!) My question is why even bother with the Nature 2 cartridge? This is, IMHO, pretty much an admission on the part of Zodiac that the Nature 2 cartridge does NOTHING for the spa except lighten your wallet!

[confusedbuyer]

We just got a new shipment of Nature 2 spa cartridges in and I noticed the packaging was different and had a 2006 copyright on it so I opened one and read the instruction pamphlet, also copyright 2006!....low and behold it it NO LONGER a chlorine free system or LOW CHLORINE system!

The "Old recipe" (which is STILL on their website) was :

1) on each refill add 1 teaspoon dichlor for each 250 gal water (this will bring the fc to 2 ppm)

2) before each use add 1 tablespoon MPS per 250 gallons OR 1/3 teaspoon dichlor (this will bring the FC to about .5 ppm)

3) once a week shock with 3 tablespoons MPS per 250 gal, the preferred way OR (in very fine print it says that 1 tablespoon dichlor can be subistituted which will bring the FC to about 6 ppm...hardly shock level!)

4) As needed or if water looks hazy shock with 1 teaspoon dichlor per 250 gal (2 ppm...hardly shock level!)

5) Drain, refill, put in new Nature 2 cartridge and start over every 4 months.

The "New recipe" as of 2006 is:

1) on each refill add 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS dichlor for each 250 gal water (this will bring the fc to about 10 ppm...can anyone say 'shock'?)

2) before each use add 1 tablespoon MPS per 250 gallons (1 teaspoon dichlor can be substituted...this will raise the FC 2 ppm!)

3) once a week shock with 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS dichlor per 250 gal, the use of MPS for weekly shocking is no longer even an option! (this will bring the FC to about 10 ppm...standard shock level!)

4) As needed or if water looks hazy shock with 1 TABLESPOON dichlor per 250 gal (6 ppm...Isn't this normal chlorination for a spa?!)

5) Drain, refill, put in new Nature 2 cartridge and start over every 4 months.

Seems to me that this is pretty much standard spa maintenace on chlorine without a Nature 2 cartridge! (and I wonder if the MPS before each use is really necessary if you are maintaining a FC level of 6 ppm! I think not!) My question is why even bother with the Nature 2 cartridge? This is, IMHO, pretty much an admission on the part of Zodiac that the Nature 2 cartridge does NOTHING for the spa except lighten your wallet!

[confusedbuyer]

My Son and daughter just went to Doctors they both came down with rash. No one else in family has it. The rash is Pseudomonads a bacteria found in pools hot tubs wherever warm wet is. It looks like infected mosqito bites, and they say painful. I believe it will only affect some people, not all. It seems I havent been putting in enough my shock chemicals. Looking it up on my PC, recomends me empty spa disinfect, then refill. However I am going to my spa dealer and ask him first. The rash will last about 2 weeks then go away on its own, however it can cause other problems, so I recommend you get water tested, and seek medical help.

[waterbear]

My Son and daughter just went to Doctors they both came down with rash. No one else in family has it. The rash is Pseudomonads a bacteria found in pools hot tubs wherever warm wet is. It looks like infected mosqito bites, and they say painful. I believe it will only affect some people, not all. It seems I havent been putting in enough my shock chemicals. Looking it up on my PC, recomends me empty spa disinfect, then refill. However I am going to my spa dealer and ask him first. The rash will last about 2 weeks then go away on its own, however it can cause other problems, so I recommend you get water tested, and seek medical help.

Once again I have to say just because the water looks clear does NOT mean it is properly sanitized! It is very important to:

1) Use an EPA approved santizer (there are only 3, chlorine, bromine, and biguainde-- Baqua, SoftSoak, Revacil are some brand names of biguanide)

2) Use it PROPERLY and REGULARLY

3) Test your water REGULARLY with a good drop based test kit and do NOT rely on test strips! Spend some money on a good one from a company like Taylor Technologies or LaMotte. You spent thousands on your spa. Is $50-$200 really a lot to spend on a good test kit by comparison? Not really!

4) Don't believe all the marketing hype on all the miracle 'Natural', 'MIneral', 'Non Chemical', Reduced Chemical', 'Blue', etc. products out there that just drain your wallet. (Metal Ions ARE chemicals, btw.) They might help keep the water looking clear by inhibiting algae but they are not keeping it safe! Pseudomonas is only one of many water borne pathogens that can grow and cause problems in undersanitized water. You need enough residual sanitzer in the water with a quick kill time to take care of them....This means chlorine, bromine, or biguanide at proper levels.

5) Realize that MPS (non chlorine shock) does NOT sanitize the water and if you are using it be sure that your sanitizer level is at least 2 ppm for chlorine and 4 ppm for bromine at all times. If you are using chlorine or bromine in an outdoor tub then unstabilzied chlorine (calcium hypochlorite, lithium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite--liquid chlorine or laundry bleach) is a better choice of shock, IMHO.

6) Realize that Hydrogen Peroxide (used as a shock with biguanide based systems) does NOT sanitize the water and if you are using such a system be sure that your saniizer (biguanide) level is proper at all times. You should have a test kit that will test both biguanide and peroxide levels. There is one available from Taylor Technologies.

Hope this is helpful.