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Do I have to follow the manual to the letter?


Susanj

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My spa owner's manual says that they don't recommend a floating chemical dispenser and that any damage to components or the shell caused by it will not be covered under warranty . Really? Are they just talking about dings in the shell? But components? 

The manual also states all chemicals should be added to the filter or close to it . Is that very important/ standard practice? 

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I have a 1988 CalSpa and I've used a floating bromine tablet dispenser since day 1.   If I add other chemicals I turn on the jets for a few minutes to dissolve/disperse them.

If I followed my own spa manual exactly, I never ever would have had it turned on - it's terrible, doesn't even have parts numbers list.

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They are probably talking about the floating dispenser breaking and pieces of it getting sucked into plumbing.  I've pulled stones, pieces of jets, toy soldiers, underwear and cigarette lighters out of pumps.  Anything's possible, but I've never seen a floating dispenser break up and get sucked in.  Not yet anyhow.

As far as damaging the hot tub shell, if it's molded plastic, at most it would create a scuff which could be removed by heat.  If it's fiberglass reinforced acrylic,  a plastic floater won't damage it unless you throw it against the shell like a football, and even then you're talking scuffs, not cracks.  And those can be buffed out.

I'm curious, what manufacturer is telling you not to use floating dispensers?

Dave

 

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Your original post got me curious, so I did a google search to get a manual.  You didn't say what year or model you had, so based on your question and the fact you were reading the manual, I figured it was probably a new hot tub so I went for a 2017 spa and picked Utopia because it was at the top of the list.  That being said, I would guess that most of the Caldera hot tub manuals will be very similar.

Anyhow, on page 11 of the manual, under the heating of "DON'T" it says "Don't use a floater type sanitization system as a low or no maintenance solution to your spa maintenance program."

This statement follows 4 pages of detailed information about how to maintain your water quality.  I think the point is more about they don't want you throwing a floater in with a couple of bromine tablets and thinking your hot tub will be taken care of.  They expect you to measure, test and adjust your chemical levels as necessary.  Of course, they'd also like you to buy their FROG chemicals and use their chemicals. 

If you were to get those big swimming pool chlorine tablets and put them in a floater, you'd get an unhealthy level of chlorine in the water which would deteriorate plastic parts like jets and couplings, and their warning is to let you know that wouldn't be covered under warranty. 

Dave

 

 

 

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