***Warning*** Re: Baquacil

7/7/06

It has come to my attention that baquacil or products using baquacil can damage your spa . The exact reasons are not yet known but the findings coming in are none the less conclusive Baquacil is not a good replacement for Chlorine or Bromine.

The Evidence

I the last several years complaints have been called in to manufactures regarding fractures of the clear lite lenses used in portable spa. Once this number became larger than expected tests were made and questions asked of the customers saps and the common factor was Baquacil. Apparently baquacil goes after the resin in some plastics resulting in fractures and rapid deterioration of the molded parts .

I am suggesting at this time that you consider getting out of baquacil and go into more conventional water treatments and those are:

Chlorine Power
Bromine Powder ot Tablets
Ozone W/ Bromine Powder
Nature 2

Chlorine vs Bromine

When it comes to treating the water there are of course several concerns . One is try not to ruin the experience of a good soak with noxious chemicals and at the same time maintain a level of sanitizer that gets the job done safely.
Bromine was developed to address some concerns coming back from customers regarding the smell of Chlorine. Bromine is formulated in such a way that it has a reduced odor when used correctly and that of course is the problem.
I'm finding that Spa dealers and their sales staff sidestep the "how do I treat the water question" by saying to their customers that all you need is a floating dispenser and a supply of tablets to put in this dispenser like the dispenser has a brain to know when to stop releasing its compounds.
If you have an average size spa one say 350-400 gallons of water your going to want no more than two tablets in this dispenser to maintain a comfortable residual in the water. Try also purchasing a non-Chlorine shock to give the water a little boost with out adding more tablets.
The big problem with Bromine is that it is compressed much harder than Chlorine and breaks down more slowly as a result. There can be as much as three days lag after a water change before the required level of bromine shows up on a test. There are powdered forms of Bromine that do establish the required levels in the water quickly .I recommend using the powered form after a water change or start up but after three days it should be put away and the tablets and the non-chlorine shock be used to treat the water.
There are people that want to use the powered form exclusively which is ok but requires more frequent testing as with Chlorine .Its more expensive but for those people that have reactions to Chlorine it allows the best of all worlds
Bromine as with Chlorine is compatible with Ozone systems and you would use less of the compound as long as the ozone system is working properly.
Lastly as regards Bromine I find that customers that don't check at least weekly , their sanitizer levels , the acid delivered in the bromine compound cant eat right through stainless steel. With out the odor to alert your senses, Bromine becomes destructive to things like heaters,heater manifolds,motor shafts and pump seals and the worst thing dehydration of the PVC plumbing to the point that lines collapse and eventually break .
If you get a test reading (using reagents) where the bromine level is orange -red but the acid seems to be in normal levels you have reached saturation levels where the reagents cannot produce a valid test. DO NOT GET INTO THE SPA if you get this result drain the spa safely but not onto the lawn and refill with fresh water .
This generally only happens with bromine running rampant or with people that crush tablets into a powder . Think off the spa as a house plant too much of a good thing can be bad for it. A good rule of thumb is changing the water every three months. Swimcerely S.B.

Baquacil

Baquacil is one of those happy accidents that was born in a laboratory,patented and promptly forgotten.
Years later someone asked whether or not a living organism could survive in the water and digest bacteria brought in to the water and not require any other sanitizer and Baquacil was the product that they came up with. Similar to yoghurt culture is some respects its essentially a protein that can survive in spa temperatures as well as the chilly waters of a public swimming pool.
There are far more benefits to using Baquacil that draw backs . The cost is higher but the enjoyment factor is also. There are some considerations when moving from chlorine to basically that catch a lot of people by surprise and they are:

Throw your filters away
Disconnect the Ozone system and remove the silver iodide pellets
Drain the old spa water out and fill with fresh water
Run the spa on high sped for at least 30 minutes
Drain that water and refill a third time

Follow the label directions replace your filters and you should be good for 3 months. You wont ever have to do a double rinse again after you convert to Baquacil. The lethal effects of chlorine and bromine would have killed off the living Baquacil. The Silver Iodide and Ozone would have also have left a nasty scum line in your spa had you not prepared your spa properly.

Baquacil has been in the public domain now for well over 6 years and the more people find out about it the more they use it.
There are maintenance issues that Baquacil helps with as well. Heaters run longer,Pump seals run longer between changes, the spa cover wont dry out as quickly and of course you the consumer wont suffer the red eyes and dry skin not to mention the odors associated with bromine and chlorine

The only concern that I have is using it with small children. Not that Baquacil is toxic its not but small children swallow water,they get water in their nostrils and ears and if it were my children I would still use Chlorine at the recommended levels.
Because Baquacil is a living organism it excretes a waste product. Its shows up as foam because it is essentially Phosphate a key ingredient in most soap. You will have to treat the foam problem with a companion product designed to inhibit the foam creation

Water Chemistry

1/6/2006

Perhaps the biggest question I get has to do with water chemistry . New spas after the electrician is all done and the panel screwed down the spa runs pretty much like that other big thing in the back yard the air conditioner with one exception you get into a spa.
Water chemistry can be a real nightmare depending on the hardness of the water the TDS (total dissolved solids) count the natural PH of the water out of the tap and to some extent the municipal treatment of the water. There are at least a dozen ways to treat spa water and if you keep the water hot all the time some are more difficult than others

Lets start with Chlorine.

The EPA has tried for over 20 years to get this product removed from the grocers shelve. They find that in the hands of the consumer it generally falls into the hazard's material category. I agree,were it not for the mis-applications of chlorine I would not be the successful repair company that I am.
Remember that the label is the first place to start in selecting a product to use for your spa. First find out the volume of water that you are treating. If you cant find that , imagine that a bath tub is roughly 30 gallons .Using that figure calculate how many bath tubs will fit into your spa. Most Spas today will come in between 250 Gallons and 400 gallons of water (remember the seats will displace some of the volume)
The label will be your first clue . If it refers to thousands of gallons you know you have the wrong product. Look for buffered products and something that refers to hundreds of gallons. Buffered products mean that they are formulated for hot water and breakdown more slowly. By no means take your pool tablets and break them up with a hammer and use in your spa, your spa will be ruined in 6 months. Also not a good idea for the pool guy to use the same product on the spa because of the difference in temperature some pool chemicals will work like an atomic bomb on your spa. Liquid chlorine? Some people swear by it .Those people in hard water areas I can see that liquid chlorine would be preferred than tablets but it has to be used and stored more carefully because of it's corrosive nature.
Chlorine is a complex molecule containing ions of sulfuric acid ,ammonia , calcium and binders others and because it is lighter than air lifts readily into the atmosphere leaving behind the acid. Now to be fair chlorine has gotten a bad rap over the years being blamed for red eyes,dry skin asthma attacks and other maladies But if used properly and the PH is looked after Chlorine can be used very effectively. It is more the acid byproducts left behind that is responsible for the damage to systems and burning eyes damage to spa covers and de-hydration of PVC fittings. Acid can only be removed two ways. You can drain the spa or neutralize with a base material like Sodium Bi-Carb (Arm&Hammer Baking soda) or a stronger product available thru your pool supply store. Those people in hard water areas benefit more from frequent draining than chemical augmentation

As I mentioned there are at least half a dozen products used to treat spa water . In the coming weeks we'll look at all of these in depth them are Baquacil,Ozone or Ionazation,Silver Iodide,and of course bromine the cousin chemical to chlorine.
Swimsearly S.B.

What to do before the spa guy comes !

You've got company coming the temperatures are in the 30's at night and Dang the spa goes down. This site will be for those doityourself types out there with the guts to tackle the beast in the back yard ,the portable spa.
We can get as technical as you like but be aware most things related to an appliance you physically put your body into are better left to the professionals.
I've been fixing on spas now for nearly 20 years so I've seen a few things
Sometimes you just want to find out if you have a problem, Other times you just need to hear what you already know ...deep down ,that little voice , you know ,Its time to get a new spa!

So keep it short try to be as specific there will be things I can't help with because there are relatively few standards in this industry. But I might be able to suggest some things to try before the spa guy gets there and say you a few bucks S.B.