Skin irritation/allergy, alternative products- asking for advice

[Fairy]

We have an inflatable hot tub and have always been careful with the chemicals and changing the filter and after 2 months I have become allergic to the water. It seems like its a chlorine allergy but no one else in the family affected. Does anyone have any advice please on what i can try as an alternative? We have tried bromine but no improvement. I have been researching different products but there are so many I’m completely confused. Does anyone have any experience with nature2 spa sticks? Can they be used in inflatable tubs? Other products I have come across are aquafinesse, aquablanc, spa frog and aqua sparkle? Thank you in advance for any help at all, I’ve not been able to go in now for 2  months.

[Jesterrace]

I know some folks use Baqua Spa in inflatables as an alternative here in the US (Clarion Spa would be the Europe/UK Equivalent).  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Baqua+Spa&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

 

 

 

[waterbear]

On 3/14/2021 at 1:44 PM, Fairy said:

I have become allergic to the water.

What type of reaction are you having?

 

On 3/14/2021 at 1:44 PM, Fairy said:

chlorine allergy

 

NO such thing. Chlorine is not a sensitizer. Some people do have a contact dermatitis from chlorine but it is rare. However, this is not an allergy. More likely a reaction to other chemicals such as MPS (non chlorine shock).

 

On 3/14/2021 at 1:44 PM, Fairy said:

We have tried bromine but no improvement.

Which makes me think it's possibly not the sanitizer but some other chemical used.. Also, there are some individuals who react to the temperature of the water (a form of heat rash) and, if the tub is not PROPERLY sanitized it could be hot tub itch (an allergic reaction from Pseudomonas aeruginosa which causes a skin infection in sensitive indivudials)

 

On 3/14/2021 at 1:44 PM, Fairy said:

nature2 spa sticks

 

Silver/MPS sanitizer system that requires chlorine as a shock or can also be used as lower FC system without the MPS. MPS in conjunction with silver nitrate (the source of the silver ions) is only an effective sanitizer at hot water temperatures found in spas (which is why the N2 for pool REQUIRES the use of chloirne and not MPS) However, silver is very slow acting and has no action against viruses so the amount of fast acting residual sanitizer in the water can be quickly depleted. Spafrog system is much the same but it is either a silver/bromine system (original Spafrog) or a silver/chlorine system (FROG@ease). Aquafinesse is not a sanitizer system but rather helps break up biofilm and needs to be used with either chlorine or bromine. IF you read their website that information is hidden in the FAQ where it states that the sanitizer should be at the recommended levels for your country.  Aquablanc is a liquid agaecide and MPS in tablet form according to their website and seems to be only available in the UK. MPS is an oxidizer and not a primary sanitizer and is not allowed in many countries unless in combination with silver and hot water, in which case it is becomes a sanitizer. From what I can see  (Nature2 and Frog@EASE). Aqua sparkle appears to be a standard line of Chlorine and Bromine based spa care products sold in the UK by Clear Natural Spas.

 

 

 

[waterbear]

13 hours ago, Jesterrace said:

I know some folks use Baqua Spa in inflatables as an alternative here in the US (Clarion Spa would be the Europe/UK Equivalent). 

Biguinide/peroxide systems like BaquSpa, Softsoak, and others are a viable alternative to chorine, bromine, and silver/MPS BUT they have their own set of problems, least of which is that they attack many plastics used in spa and often can void manufacturer's warrenties for that reason. They tend to clog filters quickly  because biguinide sanitizes by causing bacteria to 'explode' and produce a gooey substance.