What is Inline Dosing for Spas and Hot Tubs
Your sanitiser Chlorine or Bromine is used up when it kills pathogens and bacteria, and this is when there are bathers in the tub.
However, whilst 2 tablets in a week may be sufficient when, say, a couple are using the tub for 20 minutes per day what if you have a family of 4 using the tub 2 hours per day, even worse, a group of 6 decided to have a 6-hour party in the evening.
In these instances, 2 tablets would be used up in no time at all and there would be no protection for any of the bathers and in the high temperatures pathogens would multiply and infect whoever is in the pool.
Retro-Fit Inline Dosing Equipment
A very effective method of sanitising your Holiday Spa, however, it is very expensive and requires major alteration and extensive work on your existing hot tub. It may also invalidate the existing warranty of the spa.
A cut is made in the plumbing after the heater and before the filter whereby a dosing unit is then installed in-line. This operation cannot take place on all spas as sufficient room is necessary within the configuration of the existing plumbing.
Once installed multiple Bromine/Chlorine tablets are placed within the dispenser and output is then adjusted and controlled according to the Br/Cl readings.
It is necessary to have access to this unit at all times in order to adjust the level of output - this would normally require access to the front panel (removal of the front door), something you would not want paying guests to do.
Costs for this retrofit will be in excess of £4-500 and normally deem your spa out of operation for 1-2 days.
Floating Dispensers
For many many years floating dispensers have been seen as the default method for sanitising your spa.
For consumers using small inflatable spas or Softubs this may be OK, although certainly not ideal. But In a Holiday Spa environment, this is a total NO NO.
The Health and Safety Guidance section 282 clearly states that Floating dispensers should not be used in any event.
Floating dispensers can sometimes get caught in one location and dispense too much chlorine in a concentrated area, discolouring and even damaging parts of your spa (headrests & filter lids) They’re also passive, dispensing chlorine unevenly without flowing water passing over them as part of your spa's water circulation.
Apart from the poor ability in controlling the release of Chlorine or Bromine they are extremely dangerous if children are using the spa for obvious reasons. And they release oxidisers into 'pockets' of the spa water so there is no safe output into the spa as a whole.
This section can also apply to just dropping tablets into a skimmer lid, hereby having no control whatsoever of Cl/Br, output as well as certainly causing acidic damage to filter lids.
Skimmer basket sanitisation is also flawed as the Cl/Br is just pre-filter which means the majority of free-chlorine, bromine will be caught by the filter itself.
SaniStream Inline Chemical Feeder
SaniStream® Direct Line Filtration system is a new and unique technology which combines the world’s finest hot tub filters with a safe, convenient and effective sanitiser dispenser to give an integrated spa water treatment system.
SaniStream® is suitable for both domestic hot tubs, and allows compliance with Section 76 of HSG282 regulations for hot tubs installed in holiday let units.
Visit our SaniStream User Guide here
Inline Frog Cartridge System
Many manufacturers are now adopting the InLine Frog system in the actual manufacture of the spa, indeed it is proving very popular, and some holiday parks are having such a system retrofitted to their existing spas.
This system works within the plumbing of the spa - it runs a low flow bypass on the return of either a circulation pump or large jet pump.
Theoretically, this should work fine, however, because the Frog Cartridge uses Bromine granules, which dissolve quickly, the flow from pump needs to be a low rate and in a Holiday Park environment, this will not gain the Bromine levels required for safe bathing. In addition, the cartridges do not last very long and are extremely expensive.
Indeed, King industries offer a statement that this system should not be used in a commercial or business situation.
Nevertheless, there is Good News. Two alternatives for the Frog cartridge are available known as AquaSparkle Bromine Pod which contain dense Bromine tablets which should last 4 x longer and also the Darlly Spa Pod in which you can use your own Bromine tablets.
Both of these products are available from your local spa retailer and should be used in exiting Frog Systems - to have a frog system installed costs in the region of £250 and will deem your spa out of action for 1-2 days.