What Spa Would You Buy?

[heykerrdog]

My 2007 Artesian Island is starting to show its age. The latest leak was a failed Poly-Planer speaker cone that had a bad scratchy sound to it. While disconnecting the speaker wire, I found a pond of water behind the speaker. Removed the plastic decorative cover and saw that the speaker cone had failed and was letting water splash out and into the interior of the spa insulation. A spa leak from a speaker, very sneaky.

I'm not liking the bromine. The borate didn't give me the results I wanted in terms of spa water "feel".

I cannot maintain the spa every day because I'm on the road for weeks at a time. Hence, bromine. Chlorine sounds like it's easier on your skin and doesn't stink if done right. So, researching the latest automation.

I think I'd like to be on Chlorine. Need something automated. Like the idea of cutting chemical use with an ozonator.

But speaking of ozonators, there's also AOP, Crystal Pro Pure Ozone Mixing Chamber, Crystal AOP Pro Pure Advanced, Nature 2, and me yawning.

Would like the spa water to feel like soft water, so salt water is on my mind.

Who's making the lowest maintenance, lowest chemical use, least amount of chemical stink, highest quality, best water feel, trouble free spa?

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Happy Memorial Day!

 

[chem geek]

An ozonator will actually INCREASE your chemical usage if you don't use the spa every day or two. The reason is that ozone reacts with chlorine to produce chloride and chlorate. It roughly doubles the chlorine demand in between soaks from around 25% to 50% or more per 24-hour period.

If you use the spa every day or two, then the ozonator cuts down chlorine usage by roughly half because it oxidizes bather waste so that chlorine doesn't have to.

You can automate chlorine production by using a saltwater chlorine generator such as the ControlOMatic Technichlor. For infrequent spa use (such as only on weekends) you may still need to add chlorine manually after your soak. That would have the generator last longer as well.

See the sticky (and Pool School Further Reading article) on Using Chlorine In a Spa which describes the Dichlor-then-bleach method.

 

[pooldv]

I use the dichlor then bleach http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/9670-How-do-I-use-Chlorine-in-my-Spa-(or-pool) process and it is great. Borates, cya, bleach and a little epsom salt is very nice water.

 

[oldski]

I bought a vita spa because it has a metal frame, instead of wood. I live in az where everything raises the ph. I put 50 borates in weeks ago and have not had any ph movement. Saves me a ton on acid. Also no algae. As far as FC I lose 1ppm per day and when I leave on a bus trip I just load up on chlorine.

 

[heykerrdog]

An ozonator will actually INCREASE your chemical usage if you don't use the spa every day or two. The reason is that ozone reacts with chlorine to produce chloride and chlorate. It roughly doubles the chlorine demand in between soaks from around 25% to 50% or more per 24-hour period.

If you use the spa every day or two, then the ozonator cuts down chlorine usage by roughly half because it oxidizes bather waste so that chlorine doesn't have to.

You can automate chlorine production by using a saltwater chlorine generator such as the ControlOMatic Technichlor. For infrequent spa use (such as only on weekends) you may still need to add chlorine manually after your soak. That would have the generator last longer as well.

See the sticky (and Pool School Further Reading article) on Using Chlorine In a Spa which describes the Dichlor-then-bleach method.

Ok, thanks, I'll check it out.