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Spa Chemistry 101 Needed


Pegatha

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The store (HOM) we bought our Sundance Optima from has discontinued sales of spas and spa products. Now I need to find a source for the Bauqaspa chemicals I have been using and I feel I am really ignorant of how spa chemicals work (chlorine vs bromine vs hydroperioxide vs ? ) When I have called the local spa dealers, each one promotes something different.

The last call I made recommended "The Natural" which you only use every 90 days!!! I really need to find out what is the best system of sanitizer to use. Our Mpls water is hard. I do not have an ozonater.

Our spa gets used once or twice a week by one or two people, every 1-2 months we have guests and a full tub. Where can I get unbiased info on chemicals? Thanks

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There is a choice of 3 EPA approved sanitizers....chlorine, bromine, and biguanide.

Chlorine is the easiest to use and when used properly keeps the spa water clean and sanitized with very few side effects. When used properly, there is little or no smell and it is gentle to the skin. Bleaching of bathing suits can occur if you let the levels get too high but that is not using it properly.

Bromine is more expensive and a bit harder to use, It is more likely to cause a reaction with some people since it is a known sensitizer but is a better choice than chlorine if you have an ozonator since ozone works with it instead of against it. (Ozone reactivates bromine while it tends to destroy chlorine, however ozone can be used sucessfully with chlorine if this is taken into account). It is also a better choice for indoor spas. Bromine is less fussy about pH but does make some other water balancing issues a bit harder. Bromine has a distincitive smell that some people find 'strong' or 'chemical'.

Biguanide (Baqua, Revacil, SoftSoak) is an antimicrobial that is used with a hydorgen peroxide oxidizer. It is expensive to use and will require filter and spa cleaning and filter replacement more often than either chlorine or bromine. It is a good choice for people who have a chemical senisitivity to chlorine or bromine. The biggest drawback (besides the price) is the tendency for white water mold and pink algae (both bacterias) to develop an immunity to it over time. It is not compatible with many spa chemicals so if you choose it make sure that any products you use are compatible with it!

Metals (copper/siver or copper/zinc, or copper systems) such as electonic ionizers, Nature2, Spa Frog, Pristine Blue, etc. are not stand alone sanitizers and do need to be used with a residual of chlorine or bromine. Some metal systems, Nature2 for example, are only compatible with chlorine while others,(Spa Frog) can be used with either. The claim is that you can use a reduced sanitizer level with these systems but recent research indicates that the reduced levels of residual sanitzer do not provide properly sanitized water.The Austrailian government has recently passed legislation that requires these system to be used with normal sanitizer levels in spas and pools because of this and Nature2, who promoted their system as a 'low chlorine' alternaitve has recently changed their directions for spa use and it now uses normal chlorine levels and not reduced chlorine levels in the US. The new directions are in the 2006 copyright boxes of their spa cartridges but their website had not been updated last time I looked (about 2 weeks ago). Metals can cause staining of spa surfaces and hair and nails if the levels get too high or the water balance goes 'off'. Metals do have algastatic and bacterostatic properties (they have no effect against viruses) but have very slow kill times which is why a residual chlorine or bromine level is required with them.

Ozone is not a stand alone sanitizer since it does not provide any residual in the water. It can help reduce the amount of sanitizer needed to maintain proper water quaility however.

Hydorgen peroxide by itself and MPS by itself will not properly sanitize the water.

Bottom line, whatever sanitizer system you choose you need to use it properly. The purpose of the sanitizer system is more than to just keep the water clear. It is to keep it safe, pathogen free, and prevent water borne illnesses.

A good test kit is a necessity! Don't rely on test strips. They do not have the precision needed for water balance. This is one area where you should get the best one you can find. Taylor is my fist choice. LaMotte also make good kits but they are a bit more expensive.

I would suggest that you research exactly what each system requires in terms of maintenance and cost and be aware that there is a lot of 'marketing hype' out there to sell expensive equipment with scare tactics (such as saying that chlorine causes cancer, which is a distortion of the facts, or that 'minerals' will keep your water clear....'minerals' are a marketing term for metals. If you want to give different systems a try that would be a good idea since spas are drained and refilled every 3 months approximately. If you decide to to this it is probably easiest to start with chlorine, then try bromine, and if you don't like those two then try biguanide. This is the least problematic way because of the chemical interactions between these different systems. It is very easy to convert a chlorine system to bromine, a bit harder to convert a bromine system to chlorine, and most difficult to convert a biguanide system to either chlorine or bromine but not as difficult to convert chlorine or bromine to biguanide.

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There is a choice of 3 EPA approved sanitizers....chlorine, bromine, and biguanide.

Chlorine is the easiest to use and when used properly keeps the spa water clean and sanitized with very few side effects. When used properly, there is little or no smell and it is gentle to the skin. Bleaching of bathing suits can occur if you let the levels get too high but that is not using it properly.

Bromine is more expensive and a bit harder to use, It is more likely to cause a reaction with some people since it is a known sensitizer but is a better choice than chlorine if you have an ozonator since ozone works with it instead of against it. (Ozone reactivates bromine while it tends to destroy chlorine, however ozone can be used sucessfully with chlorine if this is taken into account). It is also a better choice for indoor spas. Bromine is less fussy about pH but does make some other water balancing issues a bit harder. Bromine has a distincitive smell that some people find 'strong' or 'chemical'.

Biguanide (Baqua, Revacil, SoftSoak) is an antimicrobial that is used with a hydorgen peroxide oxidizer. It is expensive to use and will require filter and spa cleaning and filter replacement more often than either chlorine or bromine. It is a good choice for people who have a chemical senisitivity to chlorine or bromine. The biggest drawback (besides the price) is the tendency for white water mold and pink algae (both bacterias) to develop an immunity to it over time. It is not compatible with many spa chemicals so if you choose it make sure that any products you use are compatible with it!

Metals (copper/siver or copper/zinc, or copper systems) such as electonic ionizers, Nature2, Spa Frog, Pristine Blue, etc. are not stand alone sanitizers and do need to be used with a residual of chlorine or bromine. Some metal systems, Nature2 for example, are only compatible with chlorine while others,(Spa Frog) can be used with either. The claim is that you can use a reduced sanitizer level with these systems but recent research indicates that the reduced levels of residual sanitzer do not provide properly sanitized water.The Austrailian government has recently passed legislation that requires these system to be used with normal sanitizer levels in spas and pools because of this and Nature2, who promoted their system as a 'low chlorine' alternaitve has recently changed their directions for spa use and it now uses normal chlorine levels and not reduced chlorine levels in the US. The new directions are in the 2006 copyright boxes of their spa cartridges but their website had not been updated last time I looked (about 2 weeks ago). Metals can cause staining of spa surfaces and hair and nails if the levels get too high or the water balance goes 'off'. Metals do have algastatic and bacterostatic properties (they have no effect against viruses) but have very slow kill times which is why a residual chlorine or bromine level is required with them.

Ozone is not a stand alone sanitizer since it does not provide any residual in the water. It can help reduce the amount of sanitizer needed to maintain proper water quaility however.

Hydorgen peroxide by itself and MPS by itself will not properly sanitize the water.

Bottom line, whatever sanitizer system you choose you need to use it properly. The purpose of the sanitizer system is more than to just keep the water clear. It is to keep it safe, pathogen free, and prevent water borne illnesses.

A good test kit is a necessity! Don't rely on test strips. They do not have the precision needed for water balance. This is one area where you should get the best one you can find. Taylor is my fist choice. LaMotte also make good kits but they are a bit more expensive.

I would suggest that you research exactly what each system requires in terms of maintenance and cost and be aware that there is a lot of 'marketing hype' out there to sell expensive equipment with scare tactics (such as saying that chlorine causes cancer, which is a distortion of the facts, or that 'minerals' will keep your water clear....'minerals' are a marketing term for metals. If you want to give different systems a try that would be a good idea since spas are drained and refilled every 3 months approximately. If you decide to to this it is probably easiest to start with chlorine, then try bromine, and if you don't like those two then try biguanide. This is the least problematic way because of the chemical interactions between these different systems. It is very easy to convert a chlorine system to bromine, a bit harder to convert a bromine system to chlorine, and most difficult to convert a biguanide system to either chlorine or bromine but not as difficult to convert chlorine or bromine to biguanide.

Thank you very much, best advice I have yet recieved. P.

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