What Should I Treat My Water With?

[blkcloud]

Ive had my hot tub for 5 years, only use it in the winter, when it comes to testing the water i'm a IDOIT.. so much so that in the last 2-3 years I dont test it at all.. My kids and I usually get in it once a week, when we are done I sprinkle some bromine in it and never look back.. never had any issues until this year.. I have noticed lately that when we get out, one of my kids who has dermatitus has a flare up.. I'm thinking its from the bromine.. I researched a salt system and read post on here yesterday until my eyes bled.. can any of you suggest and nice, simple, easy treatment I can use? thank you in advance!

[waterbear]

There really isn't any "magic in a bottle" method of water maintenance. However, it isn't rocket science either. The first thing you need is a GOOD testkit. This piece of equipment is the key to making your water maintenance easy. The second key is USING IT. If you are going to stay with bromine then get a Taylor K-2106. If the price puts you off remember how much the tub costs and then ask yourself if around $60 is really a lot of money for the most important piece of maintenance equipment you can own.

Next, you might want to read this thread on how to PROPERLY do bromine.

[Jake the dog man]

Just pick-up a tube of test strips that you can just dip in the water every few days/weeks. Obviously not as accurate as the Taylor kit, but very few people really need or understand the info. I think the strips would be more than enough for most people & their tubs.

Good Luck! Please keep us posted.

[waterbear]

Just pick-up a tube of test strips that you can just dip in the water every few days/weeks. Obviously not as accurate as the Taylor kit, but very few people really need or understand the info. I think the strips would be more than enough for most people & their tubs.

Good Luck! Please keep us posted.

I would have to disagree with this info. Strips do not provice enough info to balance water and actually can make tub maintenance much harder than it needs to be.

I would suspect that the OP is already using strips which is why the gave up on water testing. Strips do not make testing easier. They actually make it harder than a good test kit such as the Taylor K-2106 or the LaMotte 7022.

[blkcloud]

At first I did try the strips.. never did really tell me what I needed.. lol.. One of my freinds has a salt system in his pool.. easiest pool care there is he says.. is there a salt system for hot tubs? thanks!

[waterbear]

Yes, there are salt systems for hot tubs BUT they do NOT ELIMINATE the need for water testing and balance! They just eliminate the need to add sanitizer. Sanitizer levels, pH, TA, calcium hardness all still need to be monitored and adjusted and you will also need to test and adjust the salt level.

[blkcloud]

Thanks for your help!! what salt system do you recommend..also why do you need to test for the pH, TH, calcium hardness?

[waterbear]

Thanks for your help!! what salt system do you recommend..also why do you need to test for the pH, TH, calcium hardness?

OK, first I will not recommend any particular system since I do not know what can be retrofit on your spa. Salt might not be an option unless you buy a new spa. Autopilot no longer sells the spa pilot and I am not sure if the Genesis can be retrofit. You will have to contact a dealer.

HOWEVER, (AND YES I AM SHOUTING HERE) if you have to ask why you need to test pH, Total Alkalinity (Total Hardness is a useless test for spa and pool water but it's all strips can test), Calcium Hardness, and if using chlorine, Cynauric acid THEN YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE AND LEARN HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR SPA OR SELL THE THING! Since you said you have had it for five years and have not been motivated to learn how to care for it (and as a result one of your children now has dermatitis flareups from it) then selling is perhaps your best option. (yes, this is harsh but it's truthful)

A salt water system is NOT going to solve your problem and is probably only going to make it worse since water balance is very important with a salt system.

Now, if you would like to learn the basics of spa water care and balancing we can help. First decision is do you want to use bromine or chlorine.

Next step is to get a GOOD TEST KIT!

So....chlorine or bromine?

(Hint: bromine is easier and more "forgiving'. Chlorine, while not hard at all and a bit cheaper, does require close to daily attention. If you only use the spa weekly I would go with 3 step bromine since it is the easiest to maintain.)

Your call.

This thread might help you properly run a bromine spa.

[Jake the dog man]

Chlorine, while not hard at all and a bit cheaper, does require close to daily attention.

Oh Really? Yikes, I guess I need to buy a test kit and make my tub routine much more time intensive. My current tub is only about 4 years old, but I have only used strips to test. My 2 past hot tubs were 10 & 15 years old respectively, used strips on 1, but only used a test kit on the 1st one because it came with the set-up. The strips I use provide me with everything I have needed to keep an immaculate hot tub with only needing to add a premeasured amount of chlorine 1-2 a week, with a heavy dose maybe once a month. I use my tub 4-6 times a week. Granted, I count on my tub to clear up a skin condition, not create one. I can also travel for a week or two with no problems upon arrival home. I don’t think that is so with other methods.

As helpful as most people can be around here, they are far more likely to create work & stress in owning a tub. I have mine to cut down of those things. I understand some people love to tinker & be meticulous on things, but it isn’t required to own a tub.

[waterbear]

Chlorine, while not hard at all and a bit cheaper, does require close to daily attention.

Oh Really? Yikes, I guess I need to buy a test kit and make my tub routine much more time intensive. My current tub is only about 4 years old, but I have only used strips to test. My 2 past hot tubs were 10 & 15 years old respectively, used strips on 1, but only used a test kit on the 1st one because it came with the set-up. The strips I use provide me with everything I have needed to keep an immaculate hot tub with only needing to add a premeasured amount of chlorine 1-2 a week, with a heavy dose maybe once a month. I use my tub 4-6 times a week. Granted, I count on my tub to clear up a skin condition, not create one. I can also travel for a week or two with no problems upon arrival home. I don't think that is so with other methods.

As helpful as most people can be around here, they are far more likely to create work & stress in owning a tub. I have mine to cut down of those things. I understand some people love to tinker & be meticulous on things, but it isn't required to own a tub.

While you are entitled to your opinons the fact is that strips do no provide enough information for balancing water. you cannot test calcium hardness with strips. only total hardness. Strips are useless for adjusting TA because the graduations on the strips are 40 ppm increments, etc.

What's that you say...you don't test or worry about those things? I guess you don't change the oil in your car either nor own a pressure gauge to check your tires. Bottom line is that there are some basic maintenances that need to be performed but some people choose to ignore them.

dump and go does not work. period.

[Jake the dog man]

The oil in a car is a good analogy…

I don’t need to buy test kits & magic oil to maintain my 40k car, so why would I for a 8k hot tub? I don’t need to test the viscosity of my oil or the particulate content “close to daily”. I also don’t need to be a certified automotive technician to drive or own said vehicle.

To each their own. I just don’t like reading people who feel their opinion is positively the only way, when it can be done just as well far simpler. I think it deters people, though unintentionally, from getting involved.

I must just live in a bubble where nobody I know has ever needed water info that couldn’t be determined from a test strip. I am a lucky man. I hope the next 30 years holds the same luck as my 30 years’ experience.

[waterbear]

The oil in a car is a good analogy…

I don't need to buy test kits & magic oil to maintain my 40k car, so why would I for a 8k hot tub? I don't need to test the viscosity of my oil or the particulate content "close to daily". I also don't need to be a certified automotive technician to drive or own said vehicle.

To each their own. I just don't like reading people who feel their opinion is positively the only way, when it can be done just as well far simpler. I think it deters people, though unintentionally, from getting involved.

I must just live in a bubble where nobody I know has ever needed water info that couldn't be determined from a test strip. I am a lucky man. I hope the next 30 years holds the same luck as my 30 years' experience.

but you do need to check the oil level just as you need to check the levels of the water parameters in your tub. If your dipstick did not give you a meaningful reading how do you know how much oil to put in. Mine tells me when i need to add a quart.

You spend 4 k on a tub and don't want to spen $60 for the most useful piece of maintenance equipment you can have for it.

Now let's get back to the OP's questions. You have already said that they shoud just dip (a strip) , dump (some chemicals) and forget it but that is what they have been doing and it's not working so what do you suggest for them next?

How about their getting a salt system? Is that going to solve their problems? Do you have any experience with salt systems and the problems of salt systems in spas vs pools?

You sure bark a lot, dog man.

My dog barks a lot also and doesn't say much either.

So you have had experience with 3 hot tubs and this makes you an expert?

The OP of this thread was having problems by basically doing the same thing as you. Your advice was not going to help them but their taking control and actually learning how to care for their tub will.

The only thing "Hard" about proper hot tub care is deciding to learn. Lazy is not always easier. I will bet that you have never owned a GOOD test kit in your life. I will venture that you had an inexpensive 2 way test kit that only tested chlorine and pH.

[blkcloud]

When I bought the tub, (from a pretty big pool& spa store) that has been in business for years.. the sales girl.. sold me some Chlorine tablets and a little floater deal to hold them.. I was told all I needed to do was keep the thing full of tablets and no worries.. what else was i supposed to think.. sounded pretty simple to me, later I was told by another dealer to use bromine so that's what i did.. like i said to start with..im a idiot when it comes to testing and such..lol.. I have never had any issues until lately that's why I came here.. thanks!

[Jake the dog man]

Frankly Cloud, I’d drain your tub & clean it. Refill and start with Chlorine again. I have heard of very few people who have skin issues with Chlorine, but a fair amount with Bromine. A chlorine program is very easy to maintain and does not require constant testing, unless you want to. Your local hot tub dealer will likely test a water sample for free and sell you the few supplies, along with chlorine, that you should need for years of carefree ownership. Our hot tub, using chlorine, has improved our skin. That being said, I also hear good things about skin with salt water systems.

To clarify, pun intended, I never said dip & dump, I also never said keeping a hot tub was hard. It is a responsibility like any other. I just don’t understand why telling someone with a water issue that buying a testing kit will fix the OP’s problems, when they likely will never use it after a few months.

Nobody is barking here, just don’t like people who think their way is the best & only way, while the rest of us are idiots. Why re-invent the wheel? It really is just a hot tub. It isn’t a fulltime job for 90% of us, nor should it be.

People over thinking and strong “opinions” are always a drawback with a DISCUSSION Board.

Best of Luck!

[waterbear]

Frankly Cloud, I'd drain your tub & clean it. Refill and start with Chlorine again. I have heard of very few people who have skin issues with Chlorine, but a fair amount with Bromine. A chlorine program is very easy to maintain and does not require constant testing, unless you want to. Your local hot tub dealer will likely test a water sample for free and sell you the few supplies, along with chlorine, that you should need for years of carefree ownership. Our hot tub, using chlorine, has improved our skin. That being said, I also hear good things about skin with salt water systems.

To clarify, pun intended, I never said dip & dump, I also never said keeping a hot tub was hard. It is a responsibility like any other. I just don't understand why telling someone with a water issue that buying a testing kit will fix the OP's problems, when they likely will never use it after a few months.

Nobody is barking here, just don't like people who think their way is the best & only way, while the rest of us are idiots. Why re-invent the wheel? It really is just a hot tub. It isn't a fulltime job for 90% of us, nor should it be.

People over thinking and strong "opinions" are always a drawback with a DISCUSSION Board.

Best of Luck!

I guess that is the difference between someone who has been in the industry and actually knows what they are talking about vs. a tub owner who doesn't. Water problems means that the first step is to test it and find out what is wrong.

Water testing is not something you do once in a while. It is a regular part of tub maintenance. Without it you don't know what or how much of something your water needs. If you are not testing your water you are not maintaining your tub. Period. No way around it. Get the message? I will go back to the car analogy. If you don't check the air in your tires and check the fluid levels you are going to have problems. It's part of the regular maintenance of owning a car. Testing water is part of the regular maintenance of owning a tub.

A good test kit makes this part of tub maintenance very easy, as anyone who has gone this route can tell you.

Dealers are always going to tell you how easy the tub is going to be. Remember, they want to make the sale! "Sure, all you need is some chlorine tabs and a floater and you are good to go!"

Several things wrong with this least of of that trichlor is NOT a good chlorine choice for a hot tub (for numerous reasons!) Dichlor granules are not either, since overstabilization and the risk of Pseudomonas is very real! Cal hypo, lithium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite are better choices for hot tubs. All require daily or close to daily dosing AND testing of the water.

Period.

There are very REAL dangers to improperly sanitized tub water and home hot tubs are where the problems usually occur since most owners do not really have a clue how to keep the water sanitized.

Bromine, while it is a sensitizer (MPS is also a sensitizer, btw) IS the easiest and most forgiving sanitizer for the home tub, IMHO and that is based on not just opinion but on real world experience with many more than three hot tubs! You don't have to head the advice. Heck, you can fill your tub with raw sewerage if you want to BUT if you want to PROPERLY maintain your water you need to test it on a regular basis...Otherwise what you are doing is dip and dump.

[jeremyh]

Frankly Cloud, I'd drain your tub & clean it. Refill and start with Chlorine again. I have heard of very few people who have skin issues with Chlorine, but a fair amount with Bromine. A chlorine program is very easy to maintain and does not require constant testing, unless you want to. Your local hot tub dealer will likely test a water sample for free and sell you the few supplies, along with chlorine, that you should need for years of carefree ownership. Our hot tub, using chlorine, has improved our skin. That being said, I also hear good things about skin with salt water systems.

To clarify, pun intended, I never said dip & dump, I also never said keeping a hot tub was hard. It is a responsibility like any other. I just don't understand why telling someone with a water issue that buying a testing kit will fix the OP's problems, when they likely will never use it after a few months.

Nobody is barking here, just don't like people who think their way is the best & only way, while the rest of us are idiots. Why re-invent the wheel? It really is just a hot tub. It isn't a fulltime job for 90% of us, nor should it be.

People over thinking and strong "opinions" are always a drawback with a DISCUSSION Board.

Best of Luck!

I guess that is the difference between someone who has been in the industry and actually knows what they are talking about vs. a tub owner who doesn't. Water problems means that the first step is to test it and find out what is wrong.

Water testing is not something you do once in a while. It is a regular part of tub maintenance. Without it you don't know what or how much of something your water needs. If you are not testing your water you are not maintaining your tub. Period. No way around it. Get the message? I will go back to the car analogy. If you don't check the air in your tires and check the fluid levels you are going to have problems. It's part of the regular maintenance of owning a car. Testing water is part of the regular maintenance of owning a tub.

A good test kit makes this part of tub maintenance very easy, as anyone who has gone this route can tell you.

Dealers are always going to tell you how easy the tub is going to be. Remember, they want to make the sale! "Sure, all you need is some chlorine tabs and a floater and you are good to go!"

Several things wrong with this least of of that trichlor is NOT a good chlorine choice for a hot tub (for numerous reasons!) Dichlor granules are not either, since overstabilization and the risk of Pseudomonas is very real! Cal hypo, lithium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite are better choices for hot tubs. All require daily or close to daily dosing AND testing of the water.

Period.

There are very REAL dangers to improperly sanitized tub water and home hot tubs are where the problems usually occur since most owners do not really have a clue how to keep the water sanitized.

Bromine, while it is a sensitizer (MPS is also a sensitizer, btw) IS the easiest and most forgiving sanitizer for the home tub, IMHO and that is based on not just opinion but on real world experience with many more than three hot tubs! You don't have to head the advice. Heck, you can fill your tub with raw sewerage if you want to BUT if you want to PROPERLY maintain your water you need to test it on a regular basis...Otherwise what you are doing is dip and dump.

[jeremyh]

Frankly Cloud, I'd drain your tub & clean it. Refill and start with Chlorine again. I have heard of very few people who have skin issues with Chlorine, but a fair amount with Bromine. A chlorine program is very easy to maintain and does not require constant testing, unless you want to. Your local hot tub dealer will likely test a water sample for free and sell you the few supplies, along with chlorine, that you should need for years of carefree ownership. Our hot tub, using chlorine, has improved our skin. That being said, I also hear good things about skin with salt water systems.

To clarify, pun intended, I never said dip & dump, I also never said keeping a hot tub was hard. It is a responsibility like any other. I just don't understand why telling someone with a water issue that buying a testing kit will fix the OP's problems, when they likely will never use it after a few months.

Nobody is barking here, just don't like people who think their way is the best & only way, while the rest of us are idiots. Why re-invent the wheel? It really is just a hot tub. It isn't a fulltime job for 90% of us, nor should it be.

People over thinking and strong "opinions" are always a drawback with a DISCUSSION Board.

Best of Luck!

I guess that is the difference between someone who has been in the industry and actually knows what they are talking about vs. a tub owner who doesn't. Water problems means that the first step is to test it and find out what is wrong.

Water testing is not something you do once in a while. It is a regular part of tub maintenance. Without it you don't know what or how much of something your water needs. If you are not testing your water you are not maintaining your tub. Period. No way around it. Get the message? I will go back to the car analogy. If you don't check the air in your tires and check the fluid levels you are going to have problems. It's part of the regular maintenance of owning a car. Testing water is part of the regular maintenance of owning a tub.

A good test kit makes this part of tub maintenance very easy, as anyone who has gone this route can tell you.

Dealers are always going to tell you how easy the tub is going to be. Remember, they want to make the sale! "Sure, all you need is some chlorine tabs and a floater and you are good to go!"

Several things wrong with this least of of that trichlor is NOT a good chlorine choice for a hot tub (for numerous reasons!) Dichlor granules are not either, since overstabilization and the risk of Pseudomonas is very real! Cal hypo, lithium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite are better choices for hot tubs. All require daily or close to daily dosing AND testing of the water.

Period.

There are very REAL dangers to improperly sanitized tub water and home hot tubs are where the problems usually occur since most owners do not really have a clue how to keep the water sanitized.

Bromine, while it is a sensitizer (MPS is also a sensitizer, btw) IS the easiest and most forgiving sanitizer for the home tub, IMHO and that is based on not just opinion but on real world experience with many more than three hot tubs! You don't have to head the advice. Heck, you can fill your tub with raw sewerage if you want to BUT if you want to PROPERLY maintain your water you need to test it on a regular basis...Otherwise what you are doing is dip and dump.

[waterbear]

When I bought the tub, (from a pretty big pool& spa store) that has been in business for years.. the sales girl.. sold me some Chlorine tablets and a little floater deal to hold them.. I was told all I needed to do was keep the thing full of tablets and no worries.. what else was i supposed to think.. sounded pretty simple to me, later I was told by another dealer to use bromine so that's what i did.. like i said to start with..im a idiot when it comes to testing and such..lol.. I have never had any issues until lately that's why I came here.. thanks!

And now you have a decision to make. Do you want to continue what you have been doing that lead to problems or do you want to start taking care of the water properly and find out how easy it can be to have perfect water all the time.

You have already found out that the dealer did not tell you the truth to make the sale.

And you are not "an idiot when it comes to testing and such". You just never learned what you need to do. It's really pretty easy. If you don't believe me just browse the forum and see how many people have learned how to care for their water and how happy there are after they do.

[jeremyh]

I agree w/ Waterbear, Water testing is very important. It also varies upon use of the spa. Testing and maintenance depends on time and frequency of use. Ideally levels must be maintained 24-7 if you just want to jump in.

I have not dealt with salt generators in spas, so no comment. I seen the word "Floater" and just laughed, honestly I wish we did not sell them @ our store. All customers when using these usually have a bromine level around 20ppm or are using pool chlorine tabs. Must have been cheap @ wallmart.

I would suggest granular bromine or chlorine (sodium dichlor)along with an oxidizing shock. Testing accordingly, and the use of a mineral stick or ozone generator. Mineral sticks can only be used with chlorine. Unless you are using "frog bromine compatible sticks"