hot tub maintenance (alternatives, drain, better, between)

[j_k_k]

New to this, and intent on doing a good job.

I got started with the Leisure Time line of spa testing/treatment supplies because that's what the most helpful local vendor recommended. Is there a better system?

Also, if one is in the process of switching lines, does it normally pose a problem to continue to use the old one's chemicals for the stated purposes until one runs out?

Part of the reason I'm looking at alternatives is because I have yet to hear an explanation beyond 'marketing greed' for why both Leisure Time's alkalinity increaser and pH raiser are simple baking soda. It seems they counted upon most people not realizing that 'sodium hydrogen carbonate' and 'sodium bicarbonate' are the same thing. It seemed so odd that I posed the question to a friend with a Ph.D in chemistry, and then asked the Leisure Time people directly: "What's up with this?" The farthest I got with it is the confirmation that the products are the same thing. Okay, I got fooled. It's one thing to get fooled, but when on top of that, it's a substance that I can probably get more cheaply at a grocery store, that's enough to make me look into alternatives.

If there's a better system, that'll interest me very much.

[Threestep2]

We have been using baking soda for years. No issue.

[K'ledgeBldr]

From one brand to another- no real difference.

Going from chlorine to bromide- drain, and start over.

[KKay9]

There are several grocery store products you can use . I use baking soda to increase alkalinity. You can also use unscented chlorine bleach, instead of dichlor, after you raise the CYA (chlorine stabilizer) initially with dichlor. I usually use dichlor at the initial fill and maybe a few more times, until CYA is around 30 to 40, then switch to bleach. I test the CYA periodically, and if it's low, I use dichlor a bit before going back to bleach. I find water is clearer and lasts longer between changes with this method too. I do manually dose sanitizer and give the tub 5 minutes of attention every day, between testing and dosing. Hydrogen peroxide will bring the chlorine level down pronto if you've put in too much or you are about to drain it. I don't want chlorine on the ground, and ultimately in the groundwater, when I dump the tub, so I use the peroxide to get it down fast before pumping it out.