Hot Spring Ozone System

[jtconte]

Hi, I'm new here and am looking into a first time spa purchase. After visiting here for awhile I went to a local dealer who carried Hot Spring and Sundance. Both seem highly regarded here. I'm a bit confused because the salesperson said that they don't like Corona Discharge and that their Hot Spring spas come with a UV system. Is that possible? I don't see that at the Hot Spring website. The salesperson said that the UV lasted longer and was cheaper to maintain. Is one better than the other?

Thanks,

John

[Peteyboy]

All new HotSpring spas come equipped with CD ozone. With UV ozone you have to replace the bulbs every year and they do not last as long as CD. I think the salesperson misspoke, unless they remove the CD and replace with UV.

Good Luck - HotSpring are great.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Hi, I'm new here and am looking into a first time spa purchase. After visiting here for awhile I went to a local dealer who carried Hot Spring and Sundance. Both seem highly regarded here. I'm a bit confused because the salesperson said that they don't like Corona Discharge and that their Hot Spring spas come with a UV system. Is that possible? I don't see that at the Hot Spring website. The salesperson said that the UV lasted longer and was cheaper to maintain. Is one better than the other?

Thanks,

John

It should be exactly the other way around. The CD system is better and will last longer and both Hot Srping and Sundance use a CD type. Maybe the salesperon listened wrong in their training?!

[Mikey_in_NY]

You won't go wrong with either brand. Don't know about HS but Sundance do use a CD ozonator.

[jtconte]

With UV you can see the glow and know the bulb is functioning but how do you tell with CD?

[Peteyboy]

Some have lights.

I tell by the buzzing and also smelling for the ozone. If your cover is closed for a while and you open it you will smell the ozone.

That's one problem with the UV - people think if they see the glow it is working properly. The bulb will lose it's usefulness before it burns out.

[Mikey_in_NY]

With UV you can see the glow and know the bulb is functioning but how do you tell with CD?

Like Peteyboy said you can smell the ozone on a CD system if you get your nose right above where the bubbles break the water.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

That's one problem with the UV - people think if they see the glow it is working properly. The bulb will lose it's usefulness before it burns out.

Exactly, after about a year a UV bulb that is still illuminating may indicate it is still operating but it loses a lot of its ozone output as time goes by. I've always told owners they should change the bulb every 15-18 months so that its putting out a useful amount of ozone regardless of whether its still illuminating.

[JerimiahR]

CD Ozone is definitely the way to go. I'm thinking that salesperson must have misspoken. I can't imagine they'd actually take Hot Spring's CD Ozone out of the spa and put a UV unit in it.

The UV Ozone systems output less ozone (ppm wise) and don't last nearly as long. Those bulbs effectively need replaced every 18 months or so to maintain effective ozone output.

CD Ozone however, not only outputs a higher concentration of ozone, but lasts a lot longer. And CD Ozone is what Hot Spring installs into their 2006 and newer spas in the factory (before they ship).

The only thing cheaper about UV Ozone is the initial cost to buy the unit. Since the Hot Spring comes with CD Ozone already, it's a no-brainer.

[jtconte]

Yes, it doesn't make sense that they would change out the CD for a UV system. I will get this clarified. So how do you know when to change the CD? Is there a test?

[JerimiahR]

We just located this little test kit and have used it a couple times. Seems to work pretty well for determining if your Ozone Generator is producing sufficient levels of Ozone.

http://www.waterquality.net/en/spa-ozone-detection/

Where as UV is often a matter of months, CD Cells (which Hot Spring uses) are a matter of years. That's been my experience at least.

[jtconte]

Thanks for the link Jerimiah! Interesting that right on that page it says: "1) Corona Discharge (CD) units produce Ozone for six months; 2) Electromagnetic (transformer) driven Ultra Violet (UV) units produce sufficient Ozone to treat spa water for two to three years; and, 3) Electronic UV units last four plus years. Field tests have verified these findings."

[JerimiahR]

They also say, "A spa’s life expectancy is approximately ten years."

Explain that to all my customers who are using 20 year old hot tubs. I'd be more than happy to sell them new ones.

The other thing to keep in mind, is whether they're talking about CD Chips or CD Cells. There's more than one CD system.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

They also say, "A spa’s life expectancy is approximately ten years."

Explain that to all my customers who are using 20 year old hot tubs. I'd be more than happy to sell them new ones.

The other thing to keep in mind, is whether they're talking about CD Chips or CD Cells. There's more than one CD system.

I suspect they are talking about the ones that have a CD chip in them.

[hottubdan]

Thanks for the link Jerimiah! Interesting that right on that page it says: "1) Corona Discharge (CD) units produce Ozone for six months; 2) Electromagnetic (transformer) driven Ultra Violet (UV) units produce sufficient Ozone to treat spa water for two to three years; and, 3) Electronic UV units last four plus years. Field tests have verified these findings."

I suspect they are making claims to sell their Electric UV units. We have been testing Hot Spring Ozones in the field with the testers and finding some producing ozone after 4-7 years. We are also replacing some within same time period.

[great white]

Just bought a 2009 HS Phase II Grandee.

Saleswoman was as upfront as possible when I asked her about the ozone system. It's a CD system that lasts approximately 5 years and cost roughly 500 bucks to replace.

That's my contribution to the thread......FWIW.