Nordic hot tubs dichlor only?

Most manuals say that- mine does for my lifesmart spa. I like to live on the edge lol. My manual also says to pour all chemicals directly into the skimmer. I did that once with dichlor & when i went to rinse the filter the next day it was still sitting on top of it eating away at the plastic.
Um no thanks .
I’d be more worried about harming its shell with dichlor more than bleach. If you have a warranty issue they may ask for records of balanced water. Fc is fc in that case.

If you stick dichlor only be prepared for frequent water exchanges due to increased cya.

Most spa manufacturers recommend (or insist upon) dichlor. Dichlor is the most ph neutral chlorine on the market and so causes fewer balance issues. But dichlor is nearly half cya (not needed in a covered spa) which at concentrations higher than 30ppm begins to bind up your fc, requiring more and more chlorine to overcome the cya overstabilization. I use dichlor almost exclusively in my spa, but I also have ozone and silver ion purifier so don't need a high residual, and I drain and refill every 3-4 months.
"Bleach" is not a pool chemical. It is not a chemical. Sodium hypochlorite is a chemical, and the primary (in some cases the only) ingredient in liquid bleach. But "bleach" can contain other ingredients as well, which is why we make such a fuss about it not being "splashless" or "colorsafe" or "scented". Bleach also comes in various concentrations, so you have to consider that when determining amounts to use. Pool liquid chlorine is sodium hypochlorite at a concentration around 10%, and has no other additives but distilled water. I prefer it to bleach for the rare instances that I use it (such as after a spilled drink).
Some manufacturers say that liquid chlorine can damage and cloud up the acrylic clearcoat and deteriorate gaskets and o-rings. In my experience, ph can deteriorate gaskets, as can excessively high sanitizer levels. And while liquid chlorine is very high ph, so are several other chemicals, including mps (spa shock). I personally can't see how liquid chlorine can damage a well maintained spa. I can see how it would damage a poorly maintained one, though.

Mdragger88 said:

If you have a warranty issue they may ask for records of balanced water.

Click to expand...

Never in 25 years have I seen a manufacturer ask for maintenance records. Your warranty does not state that you must keep records, and I have never seen a private spa owner keep a record. That's a pool service company thing. If a part is damaged by chemistry it is usually very apparent, and a warranty claim can be denied on those grounds by either the dealer/ service provider or the manufacturer with evidence of chemistry issues. Records may help you argue against that warranty denial if they are from a pool guy or can be otherwise verified, but they will not ever be requested by the manufacturer in my experience. A dishonest person could write out years worth of "maintenace logs" in a few hours time, so they are meaningless unless from a third party.

I was referring to ones from a store with dates as proof of proper maintenance but like u said, very unlikely . Also just thinking about that i’ve seen it mentioned with robots in the past.
But definitely i feel that people are more likely to tank their ph along w/ ta (which can be terrible for your spa) with consistant dichlor use than they are sodium hypochlorite if they do have the need to raise to shock level on a regular basis. It can put u on the ph hamster wheel. Especially if they are unaware of its total effects on their water.
Ex.

Yeah, I never dealt with cleaners and such, unless the pump quit working. But I have done thousands of spa warranty repairs, and have even had to deny a few, but never once was asked for chemical maintenance records. I did see a weekly maintenance company get stuck with the cost of the repair that was denied under warranty due to chemistry issues, as they had maintained it from day one.
I don't have ph problems. In fact, I do it the way I do specifically to AVOID ph problems. I spent 25 years fixing them for a living, I have seen what bad chemistry can do, and the last thing I want is more work at home. I do it my way because it's what works best and is easiest for me. Dichlor is 7.0 in solution, and hypochlorous acid is acid whatever the source. But spas have so much aeration going on, especially those with 24/7 ozone injection, that I personally need to add a bit of acid a couple times a month, and I keep my air control valves closed when not in use. Now trichlor (tablets) are around ph 3, and are the second worst thing you can do to your spa, right behind freezing it solid.
I also personally wouldn't shock with dichlor, just due to the cya. I drain often, but not weekly. I rely on ozone for oxidation (shocking) except in the fairly rare instance of a spilled drink or a dog jumping in (a real risk at my house), and I use liquid then.
I did notice that your bleach addition did not show any ph rise on that app. Sodium hypochlorite has a ph of 11-13 depending on concentration, and is only 5-10% available chlorine. Dichlor is ph 7 and approximately 60% available chlorine. The ph should be much more drastically changed by bleach than dichlor. My experience with liquid chlorine comes mostly from public pools that had automated feeders for liquid chlorine, and acid (or CO2) to counter the ph rise from the sodium hypochlorite. Don't those of you who use bleach in your spa fight high ph regularly? I would think you would, but have never used it for regular maintenance in a spa myself. I have shocked weekly with mps when I have a tub without ozone, and fought ph in those. I am not a fan of mps.
I agree wholeheartedly that low ph/alk is bad for alot of things in both pools and spas, but so is high ph/alk, especially in spas. Scale is slow death to your electric heating element, air injection system, ozone injection system, rotating jets, filters, and magnetic drive circulation pumps. Not to mention flaking flex hose and sandpaper seats. It beats the melted jet gaskets, leaking glue joints, corroded pumps, and shorted heaters of low ph, but not by much.
But, in all fairness, here in Missouri our water is high everything and I have to work at fill to get it down in range. With the topping off from carryout and kids splashing I could have another variable in my equation.
Sorry for the book, it's late and I'm rambling.

I think the op is pretty well versed in the ways of chemistry & tfp methods so it was quite a surprise to see that in the manual. The place that sold me my pool direct in their “pool school” videos to add all chems to the skimmer & in immediate succession none the less. I definitely don’t follow this advice either.

In my spa I use the dichlor then bleach method augmented by a drop in swg. Once my ta is inline my ph is quite stable regardless of occasional bleach additions & aeration. If i use the dichlor to top off my cya occasionally I take the ph needs in account so sometimes i just use granular cya.
About the trichlor:
My sister in law got a house w/a pool & a stand alone tub. She kept a trichlor floater in the tub! I freaked out & told her about its damaging potential but they kept using it. Needless to say the control pad is now all cracked/ broken & the cover is in terrible shape so they haven’t used it in over a year. no telling what it looks like inside now.

Old Sundance spas had a built in bromine dispenser in the skimmer weir gate. And one of the most expensive heater assemblies (no replaceable element) on the market.