From my friendly neighbourhood Jacuzzi dealer, after hearing about the dichlor-to-bleach method. There's so much wrong with it that I was flabbergasted and decided not to reply, lest they use my arguments against me in a warranty claim. Please feel free to tear it apart as you will, and share your experiences - good or bad - with spa dealers and pool stores.
1. Make up your mind: Is bleach not an approved sanitizer, or is there a certain amount of bleach that will sanitize properly?
2. If bleach is "1%" chlorine vs. dichlor which is 65% chlorine, then how is it that I only need to use 50% more bleach than dichlor? Do you mean 50 times?
I received word back from our product specialists about the muriatic acid and bleach and they strongly advise you not to use them in your tub.
Muriatic acid will damage your acrylic. The reason that you would need to use the acid is because you are using bleach which is a chlorine, but around 1%. This means that it will be a lot more expensive to use than diclor which is 65%. Bleach is also VERY high PH which is again why you would need the acid while diclor is PH neutral. Its important to note that bleach is not approved by Health Canada as a sanitizer for hot tubs.
Muriatic acid has a pH between 1-2. Bleach has a pH of around 11-13. Your hot tub is designed to operate with a pH of 7.2-7.5
Bleach contains a lot of ingredients other than chlorine. This will result in you needing to drain and fill your tub fairly frequently and will need to use about 50% more bleach than dichlor to sanitize properly. As a result, your total dissolved solids will rise rapidly with the use of chlorine. When total dissolved solids goes up, it's more difficult to keep the water clean and clear. The industry recommendation is when your total dissolved solids goes up 1500ppm it's time to get new water. Bleach will make this happen pretty quickly.
I hope that explains things for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
How? Unless I spill on the shell, does dry acid (sodium bisulphate) as you recommend dissolve any more quickly than muriatic acid?Muriatic acid will damage your acrylic.
Even run-of-the-mill laundry bleach is around 4-6%. Besides, it's only more expensive if you're paying way too much for your bleach!bleach which is a chlorine, but around 1%. This means that it will be a lot more expensive to use than diclor which is 65%.
You just said that bleach is chlorine, albeit at a lower concentration. So, isn't it an approved sanitizer for hot tubs if chlorine is?Its important to note that bleach is not approved by Health Canada as a sanitizer for hot tubs.
My hot tub does operate in a safe pH range, since alkalinity can be adjusted to stabilize pH for given conditions. Who cares about the pH of muriatic acid and bleach, if the pH is stable in the safe range?Muriatic acid has a pH between 1-2. Bleach has a pH of around 11-13. Your hot tub is designed to operate with a pH of 7.2-7.5
OK, bleach can contain additives which are harmful, which is why I (and everyone else who follows this forum) uses additive free, pure bleach.Bleach contains a lot of ingredients other than chlorine.
Question: how should I mitigate ever-increasing levels of CYA as a result of only using dichlor, without re-filling "fairly frequently"?This will result in you needing to drain and fill your tub fairly frequently
Two things:[You] will need to use about 50% more bleach than dichlor to sanitize properly.
1. Make up your mind: Is bleach not an approved sanitizer, or is there a certain amount of bleach that will sanitize properly?
2. If bleach is "1%" chlorine vs. dichlor which is 65% chlorine, then how is it that I only need to use 50% more bleach than dichlor? Do you mean 50 times?
What solids, exactly are dissolved in bleach? Wouldn't using dry acid add more dissolved solids than muriatic acid, for the same change in pH?The industry recommendation is when your total dissolved solids goes up 1500ppm it's time to get new water. Bleach will make this happen pretty quickly.