Question About Buying Chemicals

[waldorbigbill]

When shopping for your spa supplies does the brands really matter I know the ones that came with the spa but if I buy lets say spa shock is brand and b the same what should i look for?

[waterbear]

When shopping for your spa supplies does the brands really matter I know the ones that came with the spa but if I buy lets say spa shock is brand and b the same what should i look for?

Yes and no. I have seen a few different chemcals that have been labeled spa shock. Just about alll non chlorine shocks are going to be postasium monopersulfate (MPS or KMPS). I have also seen calcium hypochorite (cal hypo) labeled as spa shock (HTH brand). This is a form of unstabilzied chlorine. Either one of these is suitable for shocking a chlorine or bromine spa but they are not interchangable since they are used differently because they work differently. Unscented chlorine bleach or liquid chlorine can also be used to shock a spa. I have also seen dichlor labeled as spa shock. IMHO, this is not a good choice to shock a spa with because for ever 1 ppm of free chlorine added you are also adding .9 ppm cyanuric acid (stabilizer) and that can quickly lead to overstabilzation which will decrease the sanitizing ability of the chlorine and could lead to growth of psuedomonas, which causes "hot tub itch" and other pathogens in the water.

For biguanide systems hydrogen peroxide is the most common shock but occasionally sodium percarbonate is used.

Bottm line is this, there are only really a few different chemicals that are used in spas. Learn what the ingredient is and not just what it is labeled. For example, alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate. This is also called baking soda and you can get it at the grocery store! In fact, the baking soda at the grocery store is often purer than the stuff sold by suppliers. Ditto for pH increaser, sodium carbonate. Washing soda at the grocery store.

Many manufacturers will try and make 'one step solutions' to simplify spa care. Some of them work and some of them don't. I personally like to test my water and adjust only the thing that needs adjusting. I feel in the long run it makes water care easier.